Tell us a little about yourself.
Hello there! My name is Simon Fields! I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and in 2014 moved to New Brunswick. I live off reserve but try to involve myself at the local friendship centre attending the youth nights and extraordinary events. As of writing this, I am in 11th grade and attend Leo Hayes High School. In my spare time I enjoy programming. To save myself from being known only as “that one programming kid,” I will say that I like to also spend my time playing acoustic guitar, reading, creative writing, critical writing, and fencing. Whenever I can I sit outside with my older sister and drum with her. At my school I am an executive member of the science club. Every week I DM a campaign for my friends.
Why are you excited to participate in Shad? What are you most looking forward to?
I am excited to collaborate with the Shads who have or will play a role in contributing to STEAM. Meeting people from diverse backgrounds will help me better understand those around me and aid with collaboration in the future. At my school we do not have a lot of opportunities to work together in this way. It is rare to meet others who have the same drive to help others and innovate, and I believe I will find it at Shad and gain a clearer sense of my future working with others in STEAM fields. This is exactly why I am so excited for the Design and Entrepreneurship Challenge and working on it with other Shad participants.
What sparks your curiosity or interest in STEAM and/or entrepreneurship?
From my perspective, my investment in pursuing STEAM comes from two main sources: curiosity and impact. I often ask questions like what is true, why we pursuit it, and can we even find it. Over time I have come to recognize that our conclusions are based upon logic and evidence, but that they are our most educated approximations or models, and we rarely know with certainty of something’s validity. To come together and work towards a cause that is believed in is an idea I value. My other motivation is that with the pursuit of STEAM, I can innovate in a way that could help people live longer and better lives. I once heard a quote that resonated with me, “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile” and it has made me realize my own commitment to bettering the world through STEAM.
How do you envision your future?
It’s difficult for me to picture my future with pinpoint accuracy. In my mind I can imagine myself flourishing in multiple STEAM fields as I have found that I enjoy all things STEAM. I can picture a world where I am a molecular biologist evaluating the RNA World hypothesis, or as an astrophysicist studying complex celestial phenomena, a mathematician, a particle physicist studying antimatter, or something similar. Currently I am being pulled in the direction of becoming an Environmental Scientist due to my project on the Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility and the inner Bay of Fundy salmon.