Meet Ada Speck, Recipient of Shad’s Entrance Scholarship for Indigenous Students
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.
Aanii! Hi! My name is Ada Speck, and I live in Northern Ontario in Sault Ste Marie. I am 16 years old, and I am going into grade 12. I am Ojibway, and a band member from Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island. I am also a lifeguard at the YMCA, I’m very proud of my job and the services we provide to our community’s youth! I am planning to take Health Sciences at university, and hope to go on to medical school and become a cardiothoracic surgeon.
Q: What was the biggest takeaway from your Shad experience?
I plan to use all I have learned about STEAM to hopefully one day make a difference in the world and with the people in my community. I hope with all this golden information, I am able to share what I’ve learned with others and also inspire and motivate other young STEAM kids to look into Shad.
Q: At Shad we are leaders in social innovation, how do you plan to use #STEAM4Good?
My biggest takeaway from Shad Carleton and my overall experience is honestly that I’m not alone. At Shad I got to meet so many people that all thought and cared about STEAM in a similar way I do! I was able to bond and become incredibly close with so many people from all over Canada. My major takeaway was that even though sometimes I may feel alone in my goals and hopes for the future, there are so many other Shad alumni that see the world and their futures the same way I do.
Q: At Shad we are leaders in social innovation, how do you plan to use #STEAM4Good?
If I could share any lessons with incoming Shads, it would be to be yourself
and be open to everything that Shad has to offer. It can be scary to leave
home and meet a whole bunch of new people, so I would hope to provide
them with comfort that it will be amazing and so much fun! They just need
to trust the process and go in with an open mind and a free attitude.
