By Noel Arnason
Charlottetown, PE - Former Hurricanes student athlete Hayden Chaisson is taking the next step in her academic journey heading to UPEI for Medical School carrying lessons learned on the field and from the classrooms at Holland College.
Graduating from Holland College in 2022 with a Kinesiology diploma, Chaisson said it was an easy decision. The opportunity to compete with a strong, successful soccer program while pursuing academics through the institution’s 2+2 pathway made it the perfect fit.
“I had heard so many positive experiences from student-athletes at Holland, so I felt it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Chaisson.
Through her time with the Hurricanes, she developed not just on the field as a soccer player, but in the classroom as well. Balancing the demands of academics and athletics helped build discipline and resilience skills that will play a key role in her next chapter: medical school.
“Being a student-athlete is a learning curve, but I always felt supported by my teammates, coaches, and staff at Holland,” Chaisson said. “Those experiences helped give me the best opportunity to be successful on and off the field.”
One of the most defining moments of her athletic career came in 2023, when the Hurricanes captured a bronze medal at the national championship.
“I’ve never played on a team that put in more effort and heart into a season than we did that year,” Chaisson said. “After the heartbreak from the year before, it meant so much to come back and win a national medal together, especially on home turf. That team felt like a family.”
Chaisson said she would regularly flip on what she wanted to do for a career, but knew it was always something in healthcare after unique hands-on experiences. In Grade 12, participation in the Medicine and Health Week through Encounter with Canada in Ottawa provided a first glimpse into the medical field, including time spent at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
“That was the first time I got a real behind-the-scenes perspective of working in medicine,” said Chaisson.
Further experiences in Guatemala and Ghana through medical brigades allowed her to shadow physicians and gain a global perspective on healthcare. Reinforcing a commitment to pursuing medicine.
With the University of Prince Edward Island’s new medical school in partnership with Memorial University, Chaisson is eager to continue that journey close to home.
Looking back, she encourages current and future Hurricanes student-athletes to embrace every moment of their experience.
“Being a student-athlete will be some of the most amazing, challenging, and rewarding years of your life,” Chaisson said. “You don’t have to sacrifice the things you love to be successful academically. If you get the opportunity, take it—and soak in every moment, good or bad.”
From competing on the national stage to preparing for a career in medicine, Hayden’s journey is a testament to the impact of the student-athlete experience at Holland College, developing leaders ready to make a difference both in their communities and beyond.
140 Weymouth Street, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada C1A 4Z1
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