I
have gone to Collingwood since Kindergarten and I can’t remember anything else.
My time here has been filled with memories, all of which have shaped me into
the person I am today and helped me grow into an adult ready for the next stage
of life. Collingwood has given me the opportunities to succeed and showed me
how to thrive. I have been very involved in all of the four strands throughout
my entire time at this school, but particularly in the Senior School.
In service I have accomplished
many things including volunteering each summer at diving and gymnastics camps,
travelling to Belize to build schools and clean up beaches, helping out where
needed around the school, and being involved in the Student Work and Advisory
Team at West Vancouver Community Center. My most rewarding and involved
commitment, however, has been my involvement in coaching springboard diving to
young children in the municipality of West Vancouver. This experience has taught me a lot including how to deal with
conflict, solve problems, and interact with children of all ages, cultural
backgrounds, and ability levels.
One of the most satisfying elements of this activity is watching the
young children I coach gain confidence on the boards and continue on to thrive
in the sport. This opportunity has shown me how to be more patient with others
and compassionate towards individual situations. I hope to stay involved in
this sport next year at university and be able to continue to give back in this
way.
In academics, I have achieved a
lot over the years and all my hard work and commitment has finally paid off
this year with my acceptances to university and ultimately my decision to
attend McGill next year. My rigorous academic program has challenged me and
allowed me to open my eyes to aspects of the world I would have never
understood before. I have faced some challenges throughout the journey, but I
have learned to persevere and the study techniques requires to success because
of these trials. I have been very involved in the sciences this year and am
really beginning to enjoy them over most things. There is so much to learn in
the science field and I would love to expand my knowledge and continue my
learning in this area. The four-strand system has taught me self-confidence,
ambition, and how to challenge myself in everyday situations. I believe I have learned adaptability
by encountering these different situations and having to be able to act as a
team member.
In
athletics, I have been very much a part of the Collingwood community.
Throughout my time here I have played on the volleyball team each year as well
as tried out cross-country, track and field, soccer, and badminton. This
involvement in volleyball has led me to play in club teams outside of school and
travel to Nationals for three years because of what I learned from my coaches
here. This year I even am helping to coach a younger team with my club, The
North Shore Stars. I have really enjoyed this opportunity because it has taught
me how to problem solve and see the sport from a different angle and position
than before.
Lastly,
in the Arts strand I have made significant contributions to the school in
dance, visual art, yearbook, and photography. I am not as involved this year as
I chose to focus on my studies, but I do love the arts strand and it has
provided me with a much-needed stress reliever over the years. My favourite
involvement was that in photography. I loved how I was able to capture small
moments and turn them into something great. I was happy with the art that got
into the end of year show last year also. This year I contributed to the grad
photo wall, which was a very time-consuming yet rewarding process and resulted
in a beautiful display of our grad class and was a window into their lives,
allowing the rest of the school to get to know our class a little better.
My
time at Collingwood has been nothing but fantastic. As I am excited to move
into a new chapter and experience a new city, I will miss the comforts of my
second home and all those who have made my journey what it has been. Grad class
of 2014 has finally run our course at Collingwood and we are all moving to
different parts of the world and starting new pieces of our lives. We will
always know, however, that we have somewhere to come back to when things take a
turn and we will always share the bond that Collingwood has created for us. Grad 2014!!!!
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