Former Islander Ben MacAskill named Academic All-Canadian

HALIFAX- Aulds Cove native Ben MacAskill was one of a record-high number of student-athletes from Dalhousie University named an Academic All-Canadian.
“It was one of the goals I set for myself when I started Dal last year,” MacAskill told The Reporter last Sunday morning. “Being an Academic All-Canadian is something I wanted to achieve. 
“I’m pretty happy with that. It’s nice to be among that class for sure.”
To qualify for the honour, a student-athlete must maintain a grade point average of 80 per cent or better over the academic year while also competing in a sport. Ninety-six Dalhousie student-athletes were given the honour on Wednesday of last week, at a luncheon at their school.
MacAskill is a kinesiology student and a mainstay with the Dalhousie Tigers. Not so long ago, he was a point man with the Cape Breton West Major Midgets, before moving onto new adventures in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
He spent four seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads and had a brief stay with the Junior A Truro Bearcats, before settling into university play.
And he sure did settle in: his grade point average last year was 4.18. (4.00 is considered A level) and he was also named his team’s most improved player. In his spare time, he volunteers at the IWK Hospital.
MacAskill said he was very proud to be presented the honour, especially as his dad Kevin and grandfather Bernard were there to see him receive it.
“There were three generations of MacAskills there, and that was pretty cool,” he said. “It was great to have them there to see it.”
Next year is MacAskill’s last one as an undergraduate, and this summer he’s writing his Mcat (Medical College Admission Test), a standardize exam that’s necessary for a prospective student to advance to medical school.
Should all go well on that front, MacAskill will be applying to medical school next year and going off to study for the field the year after that.
Time management is a big factor that contributed to his success, he said. It’s important not to waste time, he said, if you want to be successful.
Tellingly, MacAskill was at the library when The Reporter contacted him. He’s got a little bit of work ahead of him, before breaking for the holidays.
“I’m trying to knock off these last few exams, and then I get to come home for Christmas,” he said. “I’m looking forward to that.”