Her upbringing included poverty, witnessing violence at home. Now she's a Rhodes Scholar

Growing up with two older brothers who have neurodevelopmental disorders has left Dalhousie University student Diana Adamo with a mission in life to help vulnerable people.

Adamo, 21, grew up in Ontario, and said one brother in particular struggled at school. She said there weren't many resources available to help him and he became frustrated. At school, he lashed out with violence and was suspended.

"And when one child must stay home, the parent can't work," said Adamo. "So naturally my mother had lost her job and that kind of plunged my family into poverty. My brother still continued to engage in some violence at home and that was difficult, but I could see that it was coming from this frustration of not feeling that they had any opportunities."

Adamo has long thought about how her brothers learned and interacted with the world differently than her. She's also thought about how society could better support them.

"Witnessing my brothers' struggles and how inequality has played a role in the health of my family members, I do want to keep that in mind and push for policy changes and advocate for these vulnerable groups going forward ... I hope to approach my career with that perspective in mind, to hopefully help produce systemic changes that will reduce inequality and improve outcomes for the vulnerable," said Adamo, a fourth-year student pursuing a bachelor of medical sciences.

This program involves studying interdisciplinary sciences that fall under the medical sciences umbrella.

Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford

Adamo, who is interested in becoming a medical doctor or getting a PhD, was recently named a Rhodes Scholar. The fully funded, postgraduate award allows students to go to the United Kingdom for two or more years to study at University of Oxford.

Every year, the prestigious scholarship is handed out to 11 Canadians.

Adamo said she began the application process in September.

Shocked by success

In November, she travelled to Moncton, N.B., to do in-person interviews with a selection committee. Rain poured on the drive back, making the trip far longer than expected. By the time she received the phone call that night informing her that her application was successful, she was exhausted.

"In that moment, I went into shock," she said. "My mouth dropped open, I mumbled out, 'I guess I will accept.'"

Adamo said she's grateful to receive the scholarship, but isn't yet sure what she'd like to study.

It will be her first time out of the country.

She's well aware what a life-changing opportunity the scholarship will be for her.

Adamo landed a full scholarship to cover her four years at Dalhousie. She said if it wasn't for that, a variety of scenarios could have played out, such as studying something less interesting to her at a more affordable university, or having to work while attending school.

"Frankly, I would not have been able to succeed in the same way that I have today," she said.

Gabrielle Tompkins is the director of Dalhousie's integrated science program and taught Adamo. For Adamo's first year at the school in 2020-21, which was completed online, Adamo helped many of the students work through the material in a group chat.

Tompkins said she didn't learn until recently about Adamo's upbringing.

"It really struck me that students are dealing with all kinds of challenges, so it's just a reminder to approach your students with compassion and just anyone around you with compassion," she said.

Shelley Adamo (no relation) is a professor in Dalhousie's psychology and neuroscience department and is also Diana's research supervisor. Shelley Adamo said that Diana is a perfect candidate for the Rhodes Scholarship because she will take full advantage of the opportunity.

'Nothing has stopped her,' says Dal professor

Shelley Adamo only learned of Diana's upbringing recently.

"It just speaks to her resilience," said Shelley Adamo. "Oh my goodness, so I thought this makes her an even better candidate because she's someone who has had to deal with adversity and she has not let it stop her.

"And remember, this is also the cohort of students that had to deal with COVID, right, going through their university degree. You know, nothing has stopped her, basically."

Mustansir Pindwarawala is friends with Adamo and is also a fourth-year medical sciences student. He said some people think she's just studious and only focused on academics. He said Diana is a very thoughtful person, one who always remembers people's birthdays and plans events for them. She's also a chauffeur, taking her friends to wherever they need to go.

"If we can embody the same characteristics, the same qualities, the same work ethic, the perseverance, the drive, the initiative, the empathy, the compassion, the love, I think it's safe to say that the world would be a far better place," he said.