Hannah Chown is about to cross the stage at the University of Toronto's Convocation Hall with a master's degree in teaching - but she may temporarily put it aside while she takes her shot at another goal: professional soccer.
A semi-professional player with the Simcoe County Rovers FC, the former captain of the Varsity Blues' first-ever championship women's soccer team is currently exploring professional opportunities both in Canada and abroad.
It's now or never, she says.
"I did just complete my teaching degree, which is an amazing feeling so I am pursuing that as well, but at the end of the day, teaching will always be there for me," says Chown, who will receive her degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) on June 11 (coincidentally, the first day of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which includes games in Toronto).
"At this point, if you're going to pursue a professional pathway [in soccer], you have to go all out so that's what I'm doing."
As a girls' soccer coach herself, Chown knows full well what the numbers show. One in three Canadian girls leaves sport by late adolescence, compared to just one in 10 boys, according to a 2020 study by Canadian Women and Sport .
She's determined to be a positive role model. In fact, she formed such a bond with her players that they started showing up at Varsity Blues games to cheer her on.
"So many of them came to the games this year and it's so nice for them to see like, "Oh my coach can do this so maybe I can do this, too,'" says Chown, who plays as a defender. "It gives them something to aspire towards."
She first arrived at U of T for her undergrad in English and theatre in the Faculty of Arts & Science in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. Growing up the youngest of seven in Mississauga, she says she was inspired by a family lineage of teachers - her mother and her grandmother - and by other U of T students she met along the way.
"I have made my best friends for life here, I got an amazing education, and I don't think my soccer career would be where it is now without the experience I had at this university," she says.
Her passion for soccer began early. Her father began coaching her when she was three, and two of her older sisters also played at the collegiate level. She says her dad has always been her biggest fan, attending games and offering pointers in the car to and from the pitch. She took his philosophy to heart: soccer is more than just a game - it's about life and life lessons.
That includes the importance of leadership.
"My dad always used to tell me a good player can do all the right things on the field, but a great player is someone who can bring their teammates up to their level," she said earlier this year .
As captain, she led the Blues to their first ever championship season in 2025 , scoring the lone goal in the team's 1-0 victory over the University of Guelph Gryphons after a well-placed corner kick from teammate Emilija Lucic. "You could just feel it in the air, it was like 'This is our year,'" she says of the history-making game. "It was surreal."
Chown was subsequently named the 2025-26 University of Toronto Varsity Blues T-Holders Athlete of the Year, recognized as the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) All-Star, OUA Most Valuable Player and the OUA Community Service Award.
When she wasn't on the field, Chown could often be found on stage. She acted in plays throughout her undergraduate years, including a production of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler at Factory Theatre.
"My theatre friends would come and watch my soccer games and my soccer friends would come and watch my performances," she says. "They're like, 'I don't know how you memorize all those lines,' or "'How do you get hit with the ball like that? You just keep running.'"
Two years ago, Chown was also tapped for an Under Armour campaign - an opportunity that came through U of T Athletics. The shoot took place in a closed Eaton Centre at 6 a.m.
"I had no idea what I was walking into," she laughs. "And now everybody is like, 'Oh my gosh, you're the person from Under Armour.'"
Reflecting on her six years at U of T, she notes that her most meaningful memories are with people - teammates, classmates, the staff at Varsity Centre and, of course, her friends. "Even at a university that has 100,000 students, the potential to find community is always there," she says. "You just have to be willing to reach out and ask for it. People want to help you. People want to support you. People want to be your friend."
