February 11, 2014
Powered by competition
Bradley Crawford is a freelance writer with a Master's Degree in Global History and Development from the University of Guelph. He is a former member of the Guelph Gryphons football team.
There are only a handful of women in the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s Nuclear Engineering Program. Out of approximately sixty students who cite Nuclear Engineering as their major, less than ten are female.
One of them is Jill Morillo, the captain of UOIT’s women’s hockey team. “It can be tough being in a field dominated by men. I’m very competitive though. I like to beat out some of my male classmates,” said the 22-year-old right winger.
The gender discrepancy in the field of engineering goes beyond the classroom.
“You notice it in school, but you don’t realize that it’s the same in the workforce as well,” said Morillo. “You have to be confident in your abilities and trust that you are just as capable as anyone else.”
The demand and competitiveness of Morillo’s future career persuaded her decision to complete UOIT’s specialty Nuclear Engineering and Management degree option. A fifth year of study allows engineering students to complete two semesters of business management courses in addition to the regular engineering curriculum.
Morillo will therefore possess business knowledge that other engineering graduates lack. The additional year also gives the Ridgeback one more season to play the game she loves and a last shot at winning an OUA championship. Consequently the same competitive drive that fuels her success in the classroom is a reflection of her dominance on the ice.
Morillo has netted 64 regular season goals during her university career, which places her fifth all-time in OUA scoring. She has been named a CIS All-Canadian, OUA All-Star, UOIT’s team MVP, an Academic All-Canadian, and is on UOIT’s honour roll.
It’s hard to believe that given her academic and athletic commitments, the decorated athlete has found the time to be involved in the Oshawa community as well, assisting amateur hockey teams and volunteering with the Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle Campaign.
In 2012 Morillo received the CIS Marion Hilliard Award which is given annually to a women’s hockey play who demonstrates academic success and community involvement. As the recipient, Morillo became the first UOIT student-athlete to receive any major CIS award.
Morillo’s success on the ice coupled with UOIT’s young history in the OUA means Morillo will finish this season as arguably the greatest women’s hockey player in the school’s history.
Like many great athletes, she hopes to remain involved in her sport after her university career is over. “I’d like to give back to the sport. It’s rewarding to help younger girls along with their development in hockey,” said the Whitby native.
At the moment, Morillo is focused on UOIT’s opening playoff game. The Ridgebacks won four of their last six regular season games and will face Laurier in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
“I think we’re in a good spot heading into the playoffs. We’re coming together at the right time and there are a lot of seniors on the team who want to make the best of the little time we have left,” said the captain, who leads more by example than with words.
Win or lose, Morillo has made the best of her time at UOIT and definitely has a bright future. She already has a job at Ontario Power Generation upon her graduation and she could fill a resume with her athletic achievements alone. Perhaps most importantly, she has raised the profile of one of the OUA’s youngest hockey programs.
Morillo is a student-athlete in the truest sense of the term. The fact that she has balanced academic success in one of the toughest programs university has to offer while consistently performing at the highest level in varsity sport is an impressive feat.
“I’m still finding ways to do things more efficiently. You learn to operate on a few hours of sleep,” said Morillo. “You have to stay disciplined and stay focused.”
Come to think of it, “efficiency, discipline, and focus” could be the motto of an elite athlete…or a nuclear engineer.
There are only a handful of women in the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s Nuclear Engineering Program. Out of approximately sixty students who cite Nuclear Engineering as their major, less than ten are female.
One of them is Jill Morillo, the captain of UOIT’s women’s hockey team. “It can be tough being in a field dominated by men. I’m very competitive though. I like to beat out some of my male classmates,” said the 22-year-old right winger.
The gender discrepancy in the field of engineering goes beyond the classroom.
“You notice it in school, but you don’t realize that it’s the same in the workforce as well,” said Morillo. “You have to be confident in your abilities and trust that you are just as capable as anyone else.”
The demand and competitiveness of Morillo’s future career persuaded her decision to complete UOIT’s specialty Nuclear Engineering and Management degree option. A fifth year of study allows engineering students to complete two semesters of business management courses in addition to the regular engineering curriculum.
Morillo will therefore possess business knowledge that other engineering graduates lack. The additional year also gives the Ridgeback one more season to play the game she loves and a last shot at winning an OUA championship. Consequently the same competitive drive that fuels her success in the classroom is a reflection of her dominance on the ice.
Morillo has netted 64 regular season goals during her university career, which places her fifth all-time in OUA scoring. She has been named a CIS All-Canadian, OUA All-Star, UOIT’s team MVP, an Academic All-Canadian, and is on UOIT’s honour roll.
It’s hard to believe that given her academic and athletic commitments, the decorated athlete has found the time to be involved in the Oshawa community as well, assisting amateur hockey teams and volunteering with the Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle Campaign.
In 2012 Morillo received the CIS Marion Hilliard Award which is given annually to a women’s hockey play who demonstrates academic success and community involvement. As the recipient, Morillo became the first UOIT student-athlete to receive any major CIS award.
Morillo’s success on the ice coupled with UOIT’s young history in the OUA means Morillo will finish this season as arguably the greatest women’s hockey player in the school’s history.
Like many great athletes, she hopes to remain involved in her sport after her university career is over. “I’d like to give back to the sport. It’s rewarding to help younger girls along with their development in hockey,” said the Whitby native.
At the moment, Morillo is focused on UOIT’s opening playoff game. The Ridgebacks won four of their last six regular season games and will face Laurier in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
“I think we’re in a good spot heading into the playoffs. We’re coming together at the right time and there are a lot of seniors on the team who want to make the best of the little time we have left,” said the captain, who leads more by example than with words.
Win or lose, Morillo has made the best of her time at UOIT and definitely has a bright future. She already has a job at Ontario Power Generation upon her graduation and she could fill a resume with her athletic achievements alone. Perhaps most importantly, she has raised the profile of one of the OUA’s youngest hockey programs.
Morillo is a student-athlete in the truest sense of the term. The fact that she has balanced academic success in one of the toughest programs university has to offer while consistently performing at the highest level in varsity sport is an impressive feat.
“I’m still finding ways to do things more efficiently. You learn to operate on a few hours of sleep,” said Morillo. “You have to stay disciplined and stay focused.”
Come to think of it, “efficiency, discipline, and focus” could be the motto of an elite athlete…or a nuclear engineer.
