The worldwide tour of Squamish resident Clinton Shard is set to make a stop in Germany this coming February.
But he won't be climbing Mount Everest or Kilimanjaro as he did in years past. He'll be studying.
The 2011 Howe Sound Secondary School (HSSS) grad was recently awarded the 2013 Premier's International Scholarship and will use the $6,000 to study abroad in Germany for a semester.
"I couldn't believe it," he said, of the moment he learned he had won the scholarship. "It's so great to have that recognition and also the $6,000 when you're going abroad and also as a student it xhelps tremendously. I was just really excited and shocked to win."
Shard will attend SRH University Berlin, a private university located in the capital city of Germany. He's in Year 3 of the four-year Bachelor of Business Administration program at Capilano University and said he's looking forward to the German experience.
"I've always had a connection to Germany," he said, noting he has German heritage and has some knowledge of the language. "I think the school will be good because it's made up of a lot of international students but also some German nationals."
He will be learning in English while in Germany but said he wants to continue improving his ability to speak the language.
"I can get around town and have basic conversations," he said. "But I want to get my German skills as high as possible."
Squamish residents might remember Shard from a few years back from when he scaled both Everest and Kilimanjaro as part of the IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) Adventures to raise money and awareness to support the Intestinal Disease Education and Awareness Society (IDEAS).
Shard suffered from Crohn's disease for a number of years but the disease has been in remission for the last 4 years. He said going through the ordeal with the sickness has helped make him appreciate everything that much more in life.
"Being so sick for a lot of my high school years, there were times I wasn't even sure I would graduate high school on time or even graduate, period," he said. "I'm really thankful to have been awarded this scholarship and I'm feeling really healthy now. I know the disease can come back at anytime but I don't really think about it. I plan my life as it goes and if it comes back I would just work my way around it."
Shard takes off for Germany in February and plans to return to Squamish in August. For more information on the scholarship, visit www.bcscholarship.ca/web/international.
