When Pamela Agada was name AV俱乐部鈥檚 International Student of the Year at the AV俱乐部 Impact Awards, she received the honour a little sheepishly.
鈥淚鈥檓 like 鈥榦h, my god鈥� and I can see myself acting the fool on the camera,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was a really long walk to the stage.鈥�
While the award wasn鈥檛 a complete surprise, Ms. Agada hadn鈥檛 even expected to be nominated originally. 鈥淭he first person who nominated me was my friend Camille Outerbridge from Bermuda,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥榃hy would you nominate me?鈥欌�� I felt really, really touched that anybody would notice the things I do, because I do them for myself.鈥�
Ms. Agada is the vice-president of the AV俱乐部 African Students鈥� Association, a member of AV俱乐部 Equestrian and Dal Dance, a volunteer at the International Centre, a Black Student Advising Centre mentor, and also a receptionist and a building attendant with security services 鈥� and that鈥檚 just the shortlist.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 even half of what I do,鈥� Ms. Agada notes of the summarized achievements which earned her the International Student of the Year Award, although she鈥檚 not interested in bragging: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to make it seem like, 鈥楧oes this girl study鈥�?鈥�
Easy to get involved
Ms. Agada鈥檚 commitments are so diverse partly because trying new things at Dal is easy: 鈥淚 like the fact that there are so many societies on campus that one can get involved in,鈥� she says.
Her interest in equestrianism, for interest, is relatively new. 鈥淭he first time I got on a horse, I screamed鈥� you don鈥檛 scream on a horse,鈥� she warns. 鈥淚f a horse gets freaked out, you鈥檙e in trouble.鈥� She鈥檚 come a long way since then. These days, 鈥淚 want to be very confident to know how to ride a horse, how to saddle a horse, how to take care of a horse鈥� being in charge of a beautiful animal that can easily kill me.鈥�
In contrast to her recent interest in equestrianism, dance is Ms. Agada鈥檚 lifelong passion. 鈥淢y mom would tell you that I learned how to dance when I learned how to walk.鈥� She started with ballet, and before long, 鈥淚 was in every dance group in my elementary school.鈥� Ms. Agada appreciates the intangible rush she gets from dancing.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 dancing I鈥檓 in my own zone鈥� I have no care in the world. I don鈥檛 care if I have a 100-page paper due the next day鈥� I can play music in my apartment and dance until I鈥檓 exhausted.鈥�
In the winter semester, however, everything else takes a backseat to Ms. Agada鈥檚 responsibilities to the African Students鈥� Association 鈥� including the major job of organizing African Night. 鈥淚 became an exec in my first year,鈥� Ms. Agada says of her involvement with the association. 鈥淚 went to the meeting as a student鈥� and came out as an executive, which was very, very shocking to me!鈥� She plans to remain a member of the DASA for the rest of her university career, and even after graduation.
Commitment to global mental health
Ms. Agada is double-majoring in psychology and international development. Her home is in Nigeria, but she鈥檚 been living in Canada since high school, where she attended an international school in Hamilton, Ontario. Her subsequent choice to attend AV俱乐部 was largely influenced by its proximity to the ocean, which reminded Ms. Agada of the city she grew up in Nigeria. 鈥淲ith all the friends I鈥檝e made, it鈥檚 been a good time,鈥� she says of her university experience.
Once she graduates from AV俱乐部, Ms. Agada would like to continue graduate work 鈥渁nywhere in Canada 鈥� Dal, Vancouver, Nunavut, New Brunswick.鈥� Her long-term goal is to 鈥済et back home and try and better my country鈥� mental health in Nigeria would be an issue to me鈥 think it鈥檚 not just Nigeria, but a lot of African countries, they really don鈥檛 know the value of mental health.鈥�
And while she acknowledges that helping an entire nation think about mental health in a new way is pretty ambitious, that鈥檚 just her style.
鈥淧eople who know me know that when I set my mind to do something, I will try my very best to accomplish that thing.鈥�