Daniel Escott, Canadian Award Holder

I am a third-year law student from the University of New Brunswick. Originally from the friendliest place on earth, the beautiful province of Newfoundland & Labrador!  

I started my Award Journey with a school group at St. Paul’s Junior High. Throughout the Bronze Award, my volunteering component was mostly helping through the Church Lads’ Brigade and my local church, my physical component was martial arts, and my skill was ceremonial drill. Our adventurous journey was an overnight hike to The Spout, a natural rock formation on the East Coast Trail that forms a waterspout with the tide. I completed my Bronze Award in 2011, and by that time the school group dissolved. I continued onward and finished both my Silver and Gold Awards as an independent.  

In 2010 I joined a local Air Cadet Squadron, 508 Caribou Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron. During my Silver Award, I continued my service with my local church and the Church Lads’ Brigade. For my physical component, I was comfortable enough to step out of my element and pursued my national lifeguard certification. My adventurous journey was a portage across a series of connected lakes in eastern Newfoundland. Through both the Church Lads’ Brigade and Cadets, I continued to hone my skill in ceremonial drill during my Gold Award. In my Gold Award I would continue on to develop my skill in ceremonial drill through Cadets, and I served as a volunteer instructor in my squadron. My adventurous journey during my Gold Award, which was also my first opportunity to mentor youth pursuing the Bronze Award through my Cadet Squadron, was an exploration of La Manche Provincial Park in Tors Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador. 

My Cadet Squadron provided, free of charge, ample opportunities for me to be physically active, learn and master new skills, and become more involved in my community. During my time as a cadet, I participated in and eventually led ceremonial drill, air rifle marksmanship, and biathlon teams. I was afforded incredible experiences through summer programs at CFB Greenwood and the Debert Cadet Flying Training Centre, teaching me about everything from classroom instruction and ceremonial drill on parade to the theory of flight and aerodrome operations. These summer training programs also qualified as my Gold Project. As an independent, I could not have come as far on my own and through my Award Journey without the Canadian Cadet Program. I have tried to pay it forward in the Award, serving as a mentor and leader for Award achievers through my Cadet Squadron throughout my time with 508 Caribou. 

Through my involvement in Cadets, I grew a passion for aviation and service. At the end of high school, I enrolled as an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving nearly five years in both the Regular and Reserve forces before retiring with the rank of Lieutenant in 2018. In that time I completed my Bachelor of Business Administration at Memorial University in St. John’s, NL, and embarked on a journey of entrepreneurship. I have since pursued many ventures, and have been recognized for this pursuit through scholarships for small business and entrepreneurship at MUN’s Faculty of Business Administration. After completing my undergraduate degree, I moved to Ottawa, Ontario to serve as Digital and Social Media Lead for Canada’s Minister of Science and Sport. There, I was responsible for coordinating digital communications for Olympic bids, research grants, space missions, and everything in between.  

In March of 2019 I was accepted into the University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Law, and began my law degree in September of 2019. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020, I hadn’t even finished my first year of law school yet. Summer jobs vanished, and I was among the thousands of law students who found themselves without work that summer. To do my part, I became involved with a new initiative called the National Canadian Lawyers’ Initiative. The NCLI was created as a response from the legal community to the pandemic, leveraging digital technology to provide pro bono legal services to those affected by the pandemic. I eventually found myself as the student representative to the executive team of the NCLI, and later joined the Board of Directors. I have since become involved with the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, a non-profit organization supporting the courts and administrative tribunals throughout Canada, where I am now a Researcher and incoming Co-Chair of their National Student Committee. 

My future plans will see me articling (an experiential learning requirement for licensing as a lawyer) in Toronto, Ontario, before serving as a Law Clerk to the Judges of the Tax Court of Canada. I am a first-generation university graduate, and in two months I will be a first-generation law graduate. I’m honoured to make my home and family proud, but being first-generation comes with a unique set of challenges. My Award Journey has been integral to getting me where I am, and I think my personal journey has running themes supported by the Award. Service has become one of my core tenants. Helping out at my local church, joining the Royal Canadian Air Force, providing pro bono services at the height of the pandemic, and researching ways to improve access to justice across Canada all have a common theme that the Award instilled in me early in my life. The self-discipline necessary to set goals and find ways to accomplish them was inherent in the discipline of physical activity and skills development, culminating in a clerkship with the Tax Court of Canada! People only ever see the results, but Award achievers understand the countless hours of hard work, discipline, and perseverance that goes into accomplishing your goals. 

The Award put tools in my toolbox. Using what I have learned on this journey, I believe I have been able to set myself on a path where I can do fulfilling work, serve my community, and become my best self. My Award Journey was not an education, it was an experience, and that experience has become part of the foundation upon which I build my future. 

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