Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Sky-Lee Rider. I am 16 years old, and currently I’m a grade eleven student. I currently attend Montmartre School in Montmartre, Saskatchewan. I am Nakoda and come from Cega’ Kin Nakoda Nation. I am a traditional powwow dancer passionate about keeping my traditional ways of life alive and sharing my history. I am an active member and co-founder of the Multicultural Club at my school. I have 5 cats and 1 dog that I love dearly. In my free time I enjoy listening to music, creative writing, reading, painting, sewing, and beading.
Q: Why do you want to participate in the Shad program/What are you most looking forward to?
This summer I am looking forward to meeting like-minded peers and expanding my horizons on STEAM and entrepreneurship. I am also looking forward to seeing what university life could look like. I am also very passionate about making a positive impact within my community, and I believe a program like Shad can help me gain the skills to do just that.
Q: What motivates or sparks your curiosity in STEAM and/or entrepreneurship?
I’ve always been interested in learning new things in STEAM because there are a variety of topics to choose from. I myself am interested in psychology and sociology. My interest is sparked by the human mind and the behaviours of criminals. My grandma is also an entrepreneur, with a successful travelling store selling at powwows. I get a lot of my inspiration from her and my grandpa, who was a journeyman carpenter.
Q: How do you envision your future?
After high school, I plan to attend post-secondary. The hard part will be choosing one career path, but I know I want to do something involving psychology and/or sociology. I’m also very interested in a career in law and have been leaning towards something in law and sociology. Although, with my current passions and interests, I think I would enjoy the path of a forensic psychologist. Of course, there are other things I want to do in the future; I would love to travel the world and explore diverse cultures. I also love writing and currently am working on my own novel, which I would love to publish one day. As mentioned above, I am committed to passing my Indigenous ways of life down to the younger generations, making sure my traditional ways of life are never forgotten.
