Samantha Wilson

Hi there, I’m Samantha Wilson, but everyone just calls me Sam. I was born and raised in Etobicoke, ON. My elementary school and high school were both within a 5 minute walk from my house, meaning all my friends were always close by. In elementary school I was chosen for the gifted program. I was also valedictorian with my twin brother. We called ourselves “The Twin Valedictorians”; clever huh? High school wasn’t as exciting as I was always anticipating. I started gymnastics when I was 4 years so by the time I was in high school I was training 25+ hours a week. My life was centered around gymnastics for 14 years. It taught me the importance of hard work and dedication, and passion for something you love. I retired at age of 18 due to a tear in a muscle in my back. The last few months of high school were different without gymnastics, and a little bit more of what I always expected. I graduated on the honour role in 2015, but no “Twin Valedictorians” that time.

Currently, my hobbies include hanging out with my friends and binge watching tv shows, hiking, kayaking and nature. As a child I always loved animals and wanted to be a vet when I grew up. Though, gymnastics influenced me to look at a different field of science; health sciences. In late grade 12 I was still a little bit confused about what I wanted to do for university, so Biological Science at University of Guelph seemed like a perfect fit for me. Fast forward to my fourth year in the program, I am no longer as interested in health sciences as I am with environmental sciences. Nature and animals have always brought me a feeling of calmness and happiness. Studying and learning more never feels like a task.

Someone who always inspired me growing up was Jane Goodall. I remember reading a simple book about her work in the library in elementary school. Her passion for conservation, animal welfare, and chimpanzees was always inspiring to me. She always seemed so happy with her work and I aspired to feel that way one day. I would love to go into a field where I can study and practice wildlife conservation. Climate change is affecting the plant we are living on. I want my future children to get to grow up in the kind of world I did, full of diversity. I don’t have a specific career in mind as of yet, I want it to find me, I don’t want to settle until I’m happy.

My go-to interesting fact about myself is that I’m a twin, but I already mentioned that above... Stay posted!