Student Spotlight: Brandon Rehfuhs Pays it Forward
This Lakehead Leader Award Winner is Someone to Look Up to On the road to success, some people sprint up the corporate ladder, while others extend that ladder behind them, lifting those who need help. Brandon Rehfuhs, a Master of Science in Management student, offers a firm grip for those coming up behind him because […]
Bedford teen stacking awards with automatic medication dispenser for dementia patients
They say necessity is the mother of invention. That certainly holds true for this teenage inventor from Bedford. Joy Akinkunmi, Shad2025 saw a problem and built something to fix it: the Pill Smart, an automatic medication dispenser for people with dementia. It’s been a hit at science fairs across the country and internationally, too. She […]
How Madison Zanette’s Shad Experience Sparked a $15,000 Scholarship and a Future in Biomedical Engineering
At Shad, discovery often starts with curiosity—and for Madison, that curiosity became a catalyst for her dream career. Madison Zanette arrived at Shad with a mix of excitement and nerves, not knowing that the next 26 days would change the course of her life. She came looking for a challenge but left with something far […]
How a Childhood Book and a Summer at Shad Launched Réka Winslow Into the Space Industry
When Réka Winslow was thirteen, her father handed her a well-loved copy of Isaac Asimov’s sci-fi Foundation series. She didn’t know it at the time, but that simple moment would set the course of her life. “Those books opened my mind,” she says. “They made me realize there is so much more out there, in space, and even at that age, […]
From Newfoundland to New Frontiers: How Shad Alum Robert McCarthy is Turning Curiosity into Impact
When his former teacher returned to work after a spinal surgery left her paralyzed from the waist down, Robert McCarthy noticed something that most people might have overlooked. Despite her determination to continue teaching, she faced new barriers in her daily life — small but constant challenges, like getting her wheelchair over the raised lip […]
From Shad to the Paris Climate Accords: Dr. Yassen Tcholakov’s Journey to Public and Global Health Leadership
When he arrived at Shad in 2008, Yassen Tcholakov was already envisioning a future in healthcare—though the exact path wasn’t yet clear. Surrounded by a diverse group of talented peers, he spent that summer exploring big ideas and collaborating on meaningful challenges. The experience helped to shape his journey, leading him to a career in […]
From Road Salt to Wildfires: How Shad Inspired Zoë Golay’s Environmental Mission
Curiosity is the first step toward discovery, and for Zoë Golay, it was a summer at Shad Canada that sparked a journey she hadn’t imagined—one that would lead her to a PhD in environmental chemistry and a mission to protect Canada’s forests. Today, Zoë studies how wildfire smoke interacts with the atmosphere and contributes to […]
How Shad Alum, Eden Full Goh, Is Transforming Technology and Engineering Solutions for a Changing World
Eden Full Goh has never been afraid to build bold solutions. When she arrived at Shad’s Trent University campus in 2008, she was eager to roll up her sleeves and dive into the experience. Shad gave her a space to test her engineering mindset and problem-solving skills. It also taught her what it takes to […]
Summer Program Ignited Friendships, Innovation, and Impact
During this past July, the University of Regina welcomed a cohort consisting of 75 high school students in Grades 10 and 11 from across the country for a month-long immersion in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math, and Entrepreneurship (STEAM). They were here as part of the Shad Canada program— a month-long summer STEAM and entrepreneurship […]
The transformative power of the Shad Manitoba experience
In July 2025, 35 high school students from across Canada joined Shad Manitoba at the University of Manitoba to build their skills, shape their mindset, and gain confidence for an ever-changing world. Shad is a transformational summer program and a launchpad for young innovators, now returning to UM for the third year in a row. This year’s […]
Shad Students Drive Innovation in Sustainable Transportation through the 2025 Design Challenge
While most teens were unwinding after their year end exams, a group of curious, creative students dove into something bigger: a summer of bold ideas, hands-on learning, and real-world impact at Shad. United by a shared passion for innovation and social good, these talented youths came together to tackle one pressing question: How might we […]
High school students get hands-on STEAM and entrepreneurship experience at Shad Laurier program
More than 60 grade 10 and grade 11 students from across Canada are leaving Wilfrid Laurier University with more knowledge, business skills, and core memories after spending a month living and learning on Laurier’s Waterloo campus as part of the Shad Laurier program. “We came for the academics, but we are leaving with friends we’re […]