Q:
Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m a student who’s deeply involved in community-focused initiatives and youth leadership. I currently help lead multiple organizations, including conferences, clubs, and organizations, and more. Aside from leading, I also follow as a leader; I am in clubs such as DECA, I help with the School Play, and I contribute to student life.
Q:
What motivates your interest in entrepreneurship?
I’m motivated by how STEAM lets me solve real problems and how entrepreneurship can allow me to turn those solutions into something impactful. Shad itself is perfect in that manner, it facilitates participants to think critically to use STEAM to solve an issue, and use entrepreneurship to pitch their issue, pitch their solution, and get others on board.
Q:
What was the biggest takeaway from your Shad experience?
My biggest takeaway from Shad is that innovation happens when you’re surrounded by people who push you to think bigger. Shad showed me the value of taking risks, asking questions, and learning from failure or mishaps. Shad made me more confident and sharing ideas with people who are just as driven and dedicated as I am.
Q:
How did CANMUN prepare you for Shad?
CANMUN strengthened my communication, leadership, and quick-thinking skills, which translated directly into Shad’s fast-paced environment. Debating policies allowed me to build communication skills and interpersonal skills, skills that were essential for pitching at Shad and building connections with my peers.
Q:
What lessons would you share with incoming Shads?
Be open to everything, be open to the new people, the new ideas, and go outside of your comfort zone. You might not be ready for it, but I would say after a week, it feels so natural, and it feels like you have known these people forever. I think that the more you put into Shad, the more you’ll grow and the more you’ll get out of it. It’s a great opportunity, and you should try to be open to everything at least once. You might not like it, but if you try everything once, you won’t regret anything.