Melina Collins delivering leadership on and off the court

Dalhousie University women’s basketball forward Melina Collins was recognized for her on- and off-court achievements last month, earning the Atlantic University Sport Student-Athlete Community Service Award and a nomination for a U Sports national award.

Collins received the AUS award for demonstrating “a sustained commitment to community service throughout her university career,” according to the AUS’s website. 

As a result, she was also selected as the AUS nominee for the U Sports Sylvia Sweeney Award, which recognizes a Canadian university women’s basketball player for outstanding achievement in basketball, academics and community involvement. 

Only one athlete from Dal has won the U Sports award: Ainsley MacIntyre, who took home the trophy in the 2015-16 season. This year, McGill University’s Emilia Diaz-Ruiz received the honour.

Tanya McKay, Dal’s women’s basketball head coach, says Collins is a “brilliant” student and that she embraces her connection with the community. 

“What stands out the most is she cares about people and looks for ways to help,” McKay says.

The second-year psychology student averaged 8.2 points per game for the Tigers in the 2025-26 season. 

She began her Atlantic University Sport career at St. Francis Xavier University, graduating after four years with a bachelor of science in human kinetics. She moved to Dalhousie in 2024 to pursue a bachelor of arts in psychology, and is now in her second year. 

“I’m really grateful for all the experiences and all the people that I’ve met that helped me along the way,” says Collins. 

Off the court, Collins earned a 4.3 GPA in the fall 2025 term. 

“As student athletes at Dalhousie, we’re really privileged to have a whole network of support that we can take advantage of throughout the year,” she says.

Collins’ community involvement

Collins volunteers with the IWK Health Centre through a special visitors patient program, and supports the Nova Scotia Health Authority’s Low Intensity Exercise Program, which assists individuals living with chronic illness. She’s interested in pursuing medicine after her undergrad.

“[The] kids, they really look up to us as role models,” Collins says. “Giving back to them in different ways is great for our program.”

Collins has also volunteered with the Junior/Mini Bulls, a program run by the Prospect Bulls that helps children develop their basketball skills. 

“I get to engage with people in the community,” says Collins. “It’s really fun to take my knowledge of physical activity as a student athlete and apply that to situations and programs.” 

McKay says Collins seeks out opportunities to get involved in the community and enjoys committing to those projects. 

“It’s who she is,” McKay says. “Melina represents everything we hope our student athletes become.”

For Collins, who grew up cheering for the Tigers, her moments as a U Sports athlete made this season meaningful beyond the court.

“When you’re really little, you don’t really think that far ahead in the future,” says Collins. “But to be in those shoes, I would say it’s really special for me, especially since I’m from Halifax.”