Hayden Gorman: What I Did This Summer!

With the arrival of fall comes the arrival of new and returning students. Their books are bought, their supplies are packed, and the campus buzzes with activity once again.

Returning to school also means sharing fun highlights of the past summer with friends. For  – a second-year outdoor recreation/concurrent education student – this meant being surrounded by the best-of-the-best in international sport at the Toronto 2015 Pan-Am and ParaPan Am Games.

“I had an amazing experience working at the games,” Hayden says. “I was a presenter and athlete escort for medal ceremonies.” Competing on the Lakehead University Nordic ski team and offering campus tours to prospective students gave Hayden valuable experience for his Pan-Am dream job.

Running for a total of 16 days, the Pan-Am and ParaPan-Am Games were two of the most anticipated events of the year, featuring 48 sports in 33 Toronto-area sporting venues.

“I was in many locations which allowed me to see venues of all different sizes, as well as different sports. I witnessed the highs and lows of athletes winning or just missing the top spot.”

Like most Canadians, Hayden enjoys playing hockey, skiing, and enjoying the outdoors –whether it’s in his native southern Ontario or his newly-adopted northern home. “Lakehead University in Thunder Bay is one with the environment. You have nature right in your backyard. All you have to do is walk five minutes to feel like you are in a forest.”

Now that Hayden is back in classes, he’s focusing on his future. Hayden will graduate in 2020 and says that he’d “like to be a school teacher or work for an organization setting up Olympic or world cup events around the globe.”

There’s no doubt that Lakehead will play a major role getting him ready to achieve his goals. “Lakehead University is a small school but it has a big heart,” Hayden says. “For students and Alumni, there are so many different opportunities for success.”