SaM’s Serving of NeRd: Shad Valley Dalhousie 2010

If you’re keeping tabs on me (no obligation, but if you are, I’m flattered ;)), you will have probably noticed that I have not provided Youth Are Awesome with a NeRdy special in quite some time. I apologize for this and am here to provide my explanation, which can simply be described in the four words and four weeks that have changed my life forever: Shad Valley Dalhousie 2010. I thought I was going to have time to keep blogging through it, but ooohhh man, was I ever wrong. SO: here in this blog I hope to explain this incredible phenomena. 😉

In July, I was one of the 500 youth from across Canada and beyond to be accepted into the Shad Valley program. What is Shad Valley you ask? Shad Valley is a science, technology and entrepreneurship program for high school students that is hosted at 10 universities all in and across Canada. Basically, it’s nerd camp. You get to spend all of July at one of the universities and create a community with 49 other like-minded “Shads.” As one of my Shads once said: “Forget summer camp or summer school, at Shad Valley we’re mighty cool;” it doesn’t get much truer than that! Shad has changed my life and I hope that I can keep the “Shaditude” meter at 110% 😀

I spent my month at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. During my time there, we got to do so many things including (but not limited to) learn about the physics behind The Amazing Spider-Man, see new biomedical instruments, experience true levitation, see Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (yes, for real!!), visit PEI, go camping and hold (the actual) Nobel Peace Prize. I know, every nerd’s DREAM!–and it really is. But besides all of the awesome things we learned–about business, especially–the greatest thing I can take away from this experience is all of the astonishing people I have been honoured to have met, spend a month with, get to know and truly love. My 49 new best friends will always be close to my heart and have taught me a lot about friendship, the world, leadership, new vocabulary and, most of all, trust. Guys, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of Shads! SHAD DAL FOREVER!! ♥ Looking back through all of the pictures from our month together makes me miss everyone, but I know that, whereever we all turn up, we’ll always have our monthbooks to Shad-stalk each other with and we’ll keep in touch 🙂

Here are a few photos from my adventures that I hope will give YAA a taste of Shad and hopefully inspire some of you to apply! With 10 universities to choose from, I know you’ll learn something new everywhere, so if you don’t get into your first choice, you most definitely will NOT be disappointed. 😉