For almost as long as she has been walking, Kendra Fortin has played hockey. She was 3 years old when she first strapped on a pair of skates in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where she developed a love for the sport on a home pond where her father kept the ice clear and her skates sharp.

After years of fine-tuning her skills, she’s arrived at the NCAA Division I level for Bemidji State University — a journey that began when she was 8 years old.

“The first time I came to Bemidji, it was for my brother’s hockey tournament,” she said. “I was able to see the rink and the women’s locker room, and I knew this was exactly where I wanted to be.”

“I chose BSU because of the close-to-home feel it gave me every time I came here,” Fortin said. “Being on the lake, the cold winters, the campus size and the community were always a very comforting feeling.”

Today, Fortin is a senior defenseman on the BSU women’s hockey team and has appeared in all but three games during her career. A three-time Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic Team member, Fortin says her greatest accomplishment as a college athlete is the time shared with her teammates on the ice.

“My biggest accomplishments spark from my teammates and the respected culture we have created and continue to grow at Bemidji State,” she said. “Being surrounded by amazing people these past four years has made my experience here unforgettable, on and off the ice.”

In addition to her role on the hockey team, Fortin is a senior nursing major at BSU. She says her passion for health care stems from exposure to hospitals from an early age.

“At the young age of 9, my dad was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure,” she said. “When his health started to decline, I was 12 years old and I would go to the renal clinic with him for his appointments and had a lot of exposure to patient and nurse interactions.”

“The nurses were always very supportive with both my dad and me,” she said. “This really gave me a perspective of how a small action can make a difference. When I was 13, I was able to set up my dad’s at-home dialysis treatments each night for him to take some workload off his chest. These experiences have driven me to make a difference in health care.”

Catrina Welch, assistant professor of nursing and chief nurse administrator, serves as Fortin’s academic advisor and has witnessed her growth and development as a BSU nursing student.

“She has been a driven individual from the start,” Welch said. “She is organized and prepared and communicates with all faculty about any needs she may have. It’s been a pleasure to work with her throughout the program.”

Balancing the demands of Division I athletics with a rigorous academic program is no easy feat. Fortin says the key to her success is clear communication.

“Balancing my workload between nursing school and being a Division I hockey player was a very challenging adjustment,” she said. “It took a lot of planning, clear communication with coaches and teachers and being proactive with both needs. I have matured a lot through this experience, and I am grateful to be able to grow from challenging situations.”

Recently, Fortin has been named a finalist for the 2025 Hockey Humanitarian Award for her work to increase awareness of organ donation on campus and within the Bemidji community. Fortin is the first-ever student-athlete from the Bemidji State hockey program, men or women, to reach the final voting stage for the prestigious award, presented to college hockey’s “finest citizen” for leadership in community service.

Amber Fryklund, head coach of the Bemidji State women’s hockey team, says Kendra’s passion for organ donation and love for her dad is special.

“We see the gratitude she has for the life changing organ donation her dad received in her actions on the daily basis,” Fryklund said. “Her gratitude is demonstrated in her advocacy for donation awareness and a genuine determination to help others. Kendra has organized all aspects of the Organ Donation Awareness game at Bemidji State for the past three years and engages her teammates in her advocacy efforts.”

In 2020, she organized a Kidney for Cory campaign to both raise awareness for organ donation and to hopefully identify a donor for her father.

“Around this time, I was approaching my freshman year of college,” Fortin said. “I was uneasy about leaving home without knowing how long my dad would have. Fortunately for my family, my dad received a kidney from a deceased donor on June 25, 2021. This was a moment and experience that I will never forget. From this experience, I have made it a priority to spread awareness to help other families. Awareness is something so small that can go so far. It does save lives and is something I will continue to push for.”

For the past three seasons, Fortin has organized an Organ Donation Awareness weekend at both Bemidji State Men’s and Women’s Hockey games. Each year, she creates informational pamphlets, t-shirts and donor bracelets to be given to fans, teams and staff members. She also works closely with the BSU Athletic Media Relations staff to maximize local media coverage, while organizing social media posts to promote organ donation awareness. The event has evolved to become not just a success, but also a respected tradition that will continue beyond her time with the team and BSU.

“It is an incredible honor to be named a finalist for such a prestigious award like the Hockey Humanitarian Award,” she said. “But at the end of the day choosing Bemidji State was one of the best decisions I have made.”

Fortin credits the community she has found both in Bemidji and as a member of the Beaver Hockey program for making the annual event a success.

“I would not have been able to spread this much awareness without the continued support of my teammates, sponsors, media teams, administration and faculty,” she said. “This recognition is much more than just the title — it has spread awareness of organ donation nationally. With that, I am hopeful this will help save lives of those who need life-saving organs.”

Fortin also credits her family and teammates as her support system.

“My mom, dad and brother are the first people I tell exciting news to and the first people I go to when things are hard,” she said. “My parents have not missed a home game series this season, and I believe they have only missed four series in my entire career. My big brother is one main reason I play hockey to this day. He has been an incredible role model for me and is truly the best friend I could have.”

“My teammates are also amazing,” she said. “My past and present teammates have been so supportive in every aspect of my life.”

Fortin will graduate from BSU this May and has already accepted a position as a labor and delivery nurse in her home town of Thunder Bay, Ontario. She also will continue spreading her passion for hockey as the head instructor of an all-girls summer hockey camp.

When reflecting on her time at BSU, she leaves words of encouragement for anyone else considering a similar path to hers.

“Being a student-athlete is something to take pride in as it is not easy, but continuing to push through hard and busy times makes the exciting moments that much more special,” she said.

“I am so grateful to this university for giving me this platform to continue spreading awareness for organ donation,” she said. “My professors have been amazing through the years — their flexibility and accommodation have given me the ability to thrive on the ice. My teammates and support staff have also given me the platform to share my story and have supported me with the events we have held at the Sanford Center. I am beyond grateful to be a Beaver, on and off the ice.”

The 30th recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award will be honored in a ceremony on Friday, April 11 as part of the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four weekend in St. Louis, Mo. Additionally, the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation will make donations to the charity most important to each of the five finalists.