Ellie McArdle-Budden

Going on the Grade 7 camp retreat as a new student was a defining moment for Ellie: “I only knew three people at Havergal, so I was really nervous and felt outside of my comfort zone, but the experience helped me push myself to make new friends at a time when it was most important,” she recalls, adding that the people who she connected with then are still some of her closest friends to this day. While Ellie focused primarily on the sciences in high school, she also discovered interests in Canadian and international law as well as sociology, anthropology and psychology. “These social sciences subjects were outside of my typical interests, but they were really helpful in developing skills in research and writing, which are applicable in any career,” she says. In Grades 11 and 12, Ellie volunteered her time at Holland-Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, supporting kids with traumatic brain injuries. She is currently studying Canadian Medicine in a joint program with the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh’s Medical School. Her advice for new students starting at Havergal? “Get involved in anything you’re interested in and just try to live in the moment.”