Summer enrichment trip helps Dart Scholars shape their future

Six Dart Scholars returned from a week-long summer enrichment trip to Ontario, Canada this July with a first-hand look into university life and the academic possibilities awaiting them in their next chapter. 

Beyond the rewarding mix of cultural and historical tours, a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game and friendship-building activities, the annual trip’s main objective for the high school scholars is to help guide their university decisions through immersive experiences. 

The group explored top Canadian universities and their surrounding communities, which helped them to better understand what daily life would look like while studying abroad, away from their home in the Cayman Islands. 

"In addition to enroling in a fulfilling course of study, we want our scholars to understand how their choice of university, its facilities, student life and location will influence their quality of life and professional development throughout this stage of life," said Glenda McTaggart, Dart's senior manager – education programmes. 

 "These enrichment trips are curated to give them the exposure they need to make informed decisions about their tertiary education."  

Discovering the possibilities 

The tour kicked off in Waterloo, a hub rich with innovation and academia, where the group explored the neighbouring campuses of the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. 

The University of Waterloo, widely recognised for its engineering and mathematics programmes, offers a variety of academic and extracurricular opportunities across its nearly 1,000-acre campus.  

Wilfrid Laurier University is known and lauded for its business and economics curricula, vibrant student life, modern facilities and close-knit community with a compact yet large city block. 

While both universities offer enticing possibilities, the Waterloo visits gave 2025 Dart Scholar Isabella Partridge greater clarity about the experience she wants from university. 

"My visits to both universities gave me insight into parts of my university decision I hadn't considered before," she said. "I found that easy access to the university and surrounding facilities is very important to me and I would much prefer being in a more urban setting.” 

Canada remains top of mind for Partridge with her sights set on another campus farther east in downtown Toronto.

"I preferred the University of Toronto as it has an easier commute for me and is much closer to off-campus venues, such as local cafés, that would support my social life alongside my academic achievement," said Partridge. 

The University of Toronto St George's campus was the third and final stop on the university tour, earning an itinerary spot for its global academic reputation, contributions to STEM research and distinctly urban setting. 

During the visit, the scholars toured the campus, met with a University of Toronto recruiter. They ended the day with an enlightening dinner alongside Leila Maw-Sulliman, a 2023 Dart University Scholar and current pre-med student, who shared her experiences of studying and living in Toronto.  

A clearer vision of their academic futures 

During the trip, the scholars were introduced to co-operative education (co-op) as a beneficial pathway to career success, allowing them to gain hands-on work experience as part of an extended curriculum. 

"I think the co-op opportunities at these schools are extremely helpful and will make postgraduate life much easier. This trip gave me a better idea about university options available and what their expectations of me would be," said Jon-Marc Thomas, 2024 Dart Scholar. 

2023 Dart Scholar Alison Owens is more confident than ever in her medical school decision for next year, having now completed three consecutive enrichment trips to the United States, United Kingdom and now, Canada. 

"The co-op programmes are advantageous, however, this trip further solidified my goal to study in the UK,” said Owens. 

“One of the biggest factors influencing my decision is the length of time it would take to finish my studies. I am certain that I want to study medicine and though the flexibility offered by the US and Canada has great value, I realised it is not what's best for me.” 

Through these annual enrichment trips, Dart equips scholars to explore global academic opportunities and navigate their futures with clarity - whether that means uncovering a new passion, ruling out an option or confirming a long-held dream. 

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