Fifth-year student and rugby player Brad Sears can’t get enough of St. Thomas University. After graduating last year with a major in anthropology and minor in sociology, he decided to return to explore another career path.
Sears has always wanted to be a teacher, so he is currently completing his teachables to pursue the education program next fall. This extra time on campus lets him be a Tommie for another year.
He was born in Alberta, where he lived for five years. Then his family made the move to Lincoln, N.B. When it came time to choose a university, the second row and back row player said that it was a no-brainer when he chose STU.
“My mom [Susan Sears] has worked here for a long time so I’ve kind of been on campus since I was a child … It kind of made sense to come here.”
After getting his degree, Sears had plans of following in the footsteps of his grandfather,
father and brother by joining the army. However, that shifted to fulfilling a career as a high school history teacher.
Sears has been playing rugby since he was a junior at Oromocto High School. He also played one year of soccer and started playing football in Grade Four. He continued on with football until he was in high school, where he sported the school’s jersey.
Besides being on the field and going to school, Sears also works 32 to 40 hours a week. He has worked at Kent Building Supplies and the Canadian Army Reserves for the past three years.
“I kind of like to be busy … Juggling all that, I think, was fun and I think playing rugby … De-stressed me for most of the time … It’s a good culture to be around, it kind of makes you forget about a lot of stuff going on.”
This year, Sears has goals of being more team-involved, working on the new coach’s plans for the Tommies, and stepping up communication-wise and physically on the field.
“My first three years, I took it seriously, but not enough to go home and study it. This year, I found I’m more into detail.”
He has also considered potentially coaching a team at some point, with the knowledge he’s gained over the years.
Sears has advice for first-time rugby players.
“Pay attention to details [and] attend every practice … It’s a really fun sport, it’s really competitive, and it’s tough on the body but once you get into the flow and mentality of it, it’s a nice sport. It’s fun to play,” he said.
“Last year was supposed to be my last year, but things change. I guess I have to give it my all this year and hope for the best.”
