Former students reflect on their experiences
Development of confidence, responsibility key takeaways from time at private schools
How will your future private school students remember their time at the school? How will it impact their lives beyond the classroom? Here, five private school alumni look back and talk about their experiences.
Simu Liu, 29 Actor (Kim’s Convenience, Blood and Water) and writer Attended the co-ed University of Toronto Schools in Toronto for Grades 7 to 12
“UTS instilled in me a high set of personal standards, which have guided me through my layoff (from a finance job) and subsequent career change. I was surrounded by excellence and I knew I could not demand any less of myself.
“I don’t remember everything I learned in the classroom but I remember the classmates who went on to excel in whatever field they chose. This was constantly on my mind when I was struggling as an actor; I knew I couldn’t be complacent with mediocrity and I couldn’t simply wait for my big break to come. I applied for every filmmaking and acting class I could afford, and taught myself as much as I could. I learned to write scripts, produce, shoot and edit. I didn’t know when or if my big break would come. “I think there is a perception that private schools are for the rich and wealthy. While I can’t speak for all schools, I can say that I spent my six years at UTS with an incredibly diverse student body, financially and otherwise.”
Sheilana Dela Cruz, 31 Site supervisor at an after-school program Attended the all-girls St. Mary’s Academy in Winnipeg for Grades 7 to 12
“My parents wanted me to go to this school. I didn’t want to be there at all during the first year. I had to do all these things no one else I knew had to do to get into Grade 7, such as an entrance exam, an interview, write an essay about why I wanted to go, etcetera. I wanted to go to a school that all my friends were going to, or at least a school where I did not have to wear a uniform!
“I purposely tried to do badly during my first few years, so I could flunk out and maybe end up back in a school where my friends were. But when I look back at my high school experience now, I truly enjoyed it. I believe SMA benefited me greatly, both personally and professionally.
“Academically, I don’t think there was a better environment to learn. With all girls, I think we thrived — we didn’t have to worry about boys shutting us down or making fun of us. I believe SMA creates truly wonderful, talented, compassionate and successful women.”
Andrew Gadsby, 30 Partner success manager Attended the co-ed Foundations (now the Aurora Preparatory Academy) in Aurora, Ont., for Grades 1to 8
“I got to explore various facets of my capabilities that I would not have been able to do in a public school, such as acting and computers, to a much higher degree.
“It was very good for my academic and intellectual development. It allowed me to foster my talents in a way that would otherwise have likely remained untapped.
“I had a chance to grow and explore in a different way that I do genuinely believe formed the ultimate person I am now.
“Had I not, I likely would have remained a frustrated kid being pigeon-holed into a mainstream classroom.”
Sonia (last name withheld by request), 25 Marketing professional Attended the co-ed Greenwood College School in Toronto for Grades 9 to 12
“Greenwood gave us the space to figure out who we were. There were lots of opportunities for ‘personalized learning’ — the chance to apply the things we were learning to our own passions and interests. We studied Brave New World and1984, and, if I wanted to write my own dystopian short story about what would happen if mammoths were brought back via cloning, I could do that.
“The school then had a relationship with Acadia University (in Wolfville, N.S.), so I got to take Grade 11 biology over the summer. It was a great opportunity to not only learn biology in a university lab, but to explore Nova Scotia.”
“Greenwood cares about its alumni and delights in our successes. I had my brief 15 seconds of Internet fame this fall, when a squirrel Instagram account I ran went viral. Greenwood posted about it on its Facebook page. Greenwood did a really wonderful job of building self-confidence. That’s the most valuable thing I got out of the school — a really strong, well-rounded sense of who I am.”
Simona Newman, 20 Full-time student at the University of Toronto Attended and boarded at the coed Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J., for Grades 9 to 12
“Going to boarding school was more than just a high school experience. The independence of it all was so alluring at that age. Not having parents breathing down your neck about getting your homework done or being in class on time was such a relief at 14 and also instilled a strong sense of personal responsibility and self-sufficiency I wouldn’t have otherwise had.
“It’s no secret that boarding school is a strict place. Without that level of discipline I don’t know that I would have achieved as much as I have so far. Your teenage years can be a vulnerable time and I, in retrospect, can say that I really benefited from that structure (despite fighting it every step of the way).”