A Greenwood Student's SHAD Valley Experience
By Olivia Pestrin
This past summer Greenwood student Olivia Pestrin ('16) had the privilege of attending a summer enrichment program called SHAD Valley. Here are her thoughts on the experience.
This past summer Greenwood student Olivia Pestrin ('16) had the privilege of attending a summer enrichment program called SHAD Valley. Here are her thoughts on the experience.
SHAD is a month-long science, business, and entrepreneurship program for Canadian high school students. For the duration of the program, each student is placed at one of Canada’s top universities with other “Shads.” I stayed at Memorial University in Newfoundland, where I participated in seminars, lectures, field trips and projects that span the aforementioned departments.
We were given opportunities and experiences that I never would have been able to have otherwise, such as learning how to operate CT and MRI scans, and going to the university’s hospital morgue to look at cadavers.
Shads were also put into groups to complete a house project. Each group was given the task of creating a business that followed a standard theme, and team members worked together to create a business model with a written business plan, working prototype and pitch. Each team worked with expert mentors to prepare the project for the group’s presentation to a panel of esteemed judges. The winning team was then given the opportunity to compete in the SHAD Cup in which the project is judged next to all the other universities’ winning projects.
SHAD for me was a life-changing experience. This program helped me prepare for my future by showing me career paths I never knew existed and giving me amazing opportunities and experiences in the field I want to enter: medicine. Most importantly, I created friendships that will last forever and made contacts with some of the brightest minds in Canada. SHAD was an amazing and fun experience that changed my life, and I will never forget it.
Grade 10 and 11 students who are interested in applying for next year's Shad program can find out more about it by visiting www.shad.ca. The deadline for applications is November 26.
We were given opportunities and experiences that I never would have been able to have otherwise, such as learning how to operate CT and MRI scans, and going to the university’s hospital morgue to look at cadavers.
Shads were also put into groups to complete a house project. Each group was given the task of creating a business that followed a standard theme, and team members worked together to create a business model with a written business plan, working prototype and pitch. Each team worked with expert mentors to prepare the project for the group’s presentation to a panel of esteemed judges. The winning team was then given the opportunity to compete in the SHAD Cup in which the project is judged next to all the other universities’ winning projects.
SHAD for me was a life-changing experience. This program helped me prepare for my future by showing me career paths I never knew existed and giving me amazing opportunities and experiences in the field I want to enter: medicine. Most importantly, I created friendships that will last forever and made contacts with some of the brightest minds in Canada. SHAD was an amazing and fun experience that changed my life, and I will never forget it.
Grade 10 and 11 students who are interested in applying for next year's Shad program can find out more about it by visiting www.shad.ca. The deadline for applications is November 26.
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Olivia Pestrin ('16) attended the SHAD Valley enrichment program this summer, along with other students from across Canada.
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Making new lifelong friends was a highlight for Olivia.
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