Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. 

Hello! I’m Taylor, I am a student at St. Francis Xavier High School in Edmonton, Alberta. I have 3 older sisters that have helped me get where I am today. Some would say my house is a “petting zoo” because we have 3 dogs, 3 guinea pigs, currently 5 ducks, and a crested gecko. I absolutely love to travel and experience new cultures and people. I have a big passion for science, but especially biology, and I also like to bake whatever recipe that comes to mind! 

Q: Why do you want to participate in the Shad program/What are you most looking forward to?  

The Shad program was suggested to me by my Indigenous grad coach. She thought the program would be a great fit for me and I thought so too. I am very interested in health/biology, so getting to be able to do labs and anything in the realm of science is what I’m really hoping to experience. What I am most looking forward to is getting to meet new people and be on a completely different side of the country. The places will be new, the culture, the people and I am so excited to experience it all! 

Q: What motivates or sparks your curiosity in STEAM and/or entrepreneurship?  

I have always had a curious mind, wanting to get to the bottom of things most people wouldn’t even think of looking at. Sciences in school has always been my best subject because it’s logic and yet there are so many things that we don’t know yet, which makes it so interesting. What motivates me is probably my love of helping others, because with the knowledge I learn in STEAM, I can use it to help others with what they need. 

Q: How do you envision your future? 

My future is definitely something I had to start thinking about at a young age because of my siblings. I always wanted to help people. So, I really hope I can become a military doctor. People always ask me why, but I don’t really know, it just seems right and fits with who I am. I also hope to travel a ton in the future; my dream is to backpack across Europe!