The UAB Department of Neurosurgery is spotlighting staff to focus on the importance of hobbies for stress relief, wellness and self-care.
The goal of the series is to connect individuals across the department by highlighting their hobbies as they relate to mental, physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, environmental, social and financial wellness.
 
McKenna Killets is a program coordinator for the research wet labs in the Department of Neurosurgery. She graduated from UAB in 2019 with a degree in biomedical sciences and spent two years with AmeriCorps following graduation. Killets hopes to continue her graduate studies at UAB in the future.
 
“I’ve enjoyed my time here in Birmingham since moving here for college, and am proud to continue my Blazer journey,” said Killets. 

What hobby do you currently focus on in your downtime?   
Currently, my hobby is staying busy with a bunch of different things. I’m always doing something. Right now, I’m enjoying hand lettering, learning how to crochet, staying active with coaching kid’s soccer and running (walking) 5Ks with friends.

What inspired you to explore this hobby?
I’m grateful to have had a growth mindset instilled in me from a young age, keeping me open to learning and trying new things. I got into hand lettering when the COVID-19 lockdown started,
and started doing window art displays for a local restaurant I work at part-time. From there, I experimented with a bunch of different projects, like wedding signs and sticker concepts. More recently, I’ve been teaching myself how to crochet and have been investing time into more active hobbies like coaching soccer and signing up for 5Ks. I’m not a runner, but it’s been a good challenge for myself, and coaching soccer for the little ones has been a truly rewarding experience as well. I played soccer all throughout my childhood, so it’s been fun tapping into my inner child.

Have you noticed a change in your well-being since beginning this hobby and how does that translate into your work?  
I’ve felt a sense of joy and excitement since diving into more of my creative and active hobbies. It’s easy to get caught into the routine of life and, by investing time into these hobbies, it has kept the door to experiences open. These pursuits have encouraged me to continue being curious, persistent and creative, which has helped me be a good problem-solver and “doer” in my role at work.

What are you most proud of?  
I’m most proud of the journey I’ve taken to tap into my creative side. I feel like I neglected that part of myself as a student, so it’s been fun to explore that side more. It’s also been gratifying to finish projects and watch them flourish. A project that I’m really proud to have finished was a full wedding invitation suite that I designed and created for a friend.