Lydia (she/her) has been working with Shad since 2016, with 5 awesome Julys at Shad Waterloo, and 2 fabulous Julys with Shad online. She has held a number of positions with the program, including Recreation Director, Assistant Program Manager, and Community Coordinator. Lydia finds herself coming back each year for the incredible shads and team members she gets to work with, the deep sense of community, and the way that Shad always provides everyone with opportunities for growth.

She completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo in Sexuality, Marriage and Family Studies, with minors in Peace and Conflict Studies and English Literature. She then went on to her Bachelor of Education with Niagara University, and is currently a middle school teacher in Toronto. With this intersection of degrees and experience, she is always keen to explore and talk about social justice and how we can create more inclusive and culturally conscious classrooms.

In her free time, Lydia loves drawing, reading, hanging out with friends and dogs, playing video games, and spending time at the cottage. She has also recently gotten into playing Dungeons & Dragons. She loves learning about other people’s passions, whether it’s a school subject, a nerdy interest, a random niche topic, or an all-expansive vision for the future. She is so excited to hear about the interests of this year’s Shads!