From Labrador to New Horizons
How a 2024 SOI expedition sparked Samuel Lane’s passion for science and opened doors to new opportunities
A life-changing experience on SOI’s 2024 Nunatsiavut to Nunavut Expedition set 17-year-old Inuk Samuel Lane on a path of growth and new possibilities. He traces much of his current drive and aspirations back to that transformative experience—a journey through two regions of Inuit Nunangat that sparked a deep connection to his heritage and ignited his passion for science, opening doors to a future he hadn’t yet imagined.
An Inuk who grew up in Makkovik, Newfoundland and Labrador, Samuel is an honour roll student in Grade 11 at Mealy Mountain Collegiate in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Last summer, he and 21 other youths joined SOI along with a group of scientists, Indigenous Elders, artists, educators, and experts.
The expedition offered a unique hands-on learning experience that connected him with the history, culture, policies, and ecology of his homelands. He decided to apply for SOI after spending a month on the land near Black Tickle, NL, in the summer of 2023, a decision that has had a lasting impact on him.
“Ever since my expedition, I’ve been more interested in science,” he says. He credits SOI educator Paul Hamilton, who is the Canadian Museum of Nature’s go-to expert on algae, as a major influence. “We found a jellyfish and Paul brought it back on the boat and he just started showing us under the microscope and he showed us all these other samples he had. That really got me into all the sciences.
“I find it really cool that I can just go research something and then have a full understanding of something that I’ve never even thought of before. You can use science to explain daily things, like, oh that’s how that works or that’s why this is going on.”
Building on his new scientific interests, Samuel recently attended a week-long science camp organized by the Nunatsiavut Government. The camp explored how climate change is affecting Nunatsiavut and introduced youth to research underway to address the challenges.
He was also recently recognized with a Government of Newfoundland and Labrador RISE Award, given to high school students excelling in science, technology, engineering, and math. The award includes a scholarship to the Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program at the University of Toronto—a month-long summer program that offers advanced study in fields like robotics, nanotechnology, and biomedical engineering.
“If I didn’t attend SOI, I don’t think I would’ve gotten this scholarship. It’s just one thing led to another. It’s like a big snowball, it just keeps growing,” he says.
“It was probably one of the greatest things I’ve ever done.”
Now, Samuel is thinking about what’s next. He’s considering careers in cardiology or environmental engineering—paths that combine his growing passion for science with his drive to make a difference.