Welcome to the Graduate Advice Column! This is brought to you by the following graduates; Logan Friesen, Olivia Nwaeze and Amber MacDonald. We interviewed teachers and Grade 12 students to learn about their experiences and involvements in the school. This was our way of passing helpful knowledge to the future Laura Secord graduates. It also allows the class of 2022 to look back and be reminded of the memories that we made in high school. The teachers also contributed to the article by giving their best advice and by sharing personal experiences from their high school years.
Students
What would you like to tell your younger self related to school?
Hannah Jamal: “I would tell my younger self to stop taking things so seriously because I used to always stress about school and think that a “bad grade” would be the end of me. But I realized now that it really amounts to nothing in the end and what you’ll remember is having fun and not stressing over the little things.”
Rowan van Dongen: “Well, I’d tell my grade 9 self that you just gotta be yourself, you know. Don’t try to please the crowd and just do your own thing and work hard. In grade 9, I was too caught up in what everyone else thought that I didn’t think about what I thought. I realized you just gotta do things for yourself sometimes and not try to please everyone else.”
Raphael Yazdani: “Honestly, one big thing that I’d tell my grade 9 self was to enjoy the time while I am here because it flies by so fast. I know everyone says that and you know 4 years seems like a long time, but it really feels like I was in grade 9 just yesterday. So, I would just tell my grade 9 self to enjoy the time and enjoy the present.”
Claire McCauley: “One thing I would tell myself in grade 9 is definitely to be more confident. I was pretty shy and I feel like I might have missed a few opportunities. It’s really important to enjoy what you do and to indulge yourself in the hobbies and extracurriculars that you like to take part in. Secord is definitely a judge-free zone and I really appreciate that in the school. Everyone is very friendly and supportive.”
Alison Kocsis: “I would tell myself to chill out and relax. Have some fun ‘cause I feel like often, school is something that everyone thinks is number one and if you don’t get good grades then you won’t be successful. Which is true in some sense but I think at the same time it is just as important to make friends and participate in extracurriculars because at the end of the day that is what you are going to remember. It is not going to be sitting in class learning about something. You know, it is going to be all those great memories from school. I would tell my grade 9 self to get involved and try new things because that is what you are going to remember.”
What have you been involved in within the school? Why were you involved and tell us a bit about it?
Hannah Jamal: “I think the thing I’ve been most heavily involved in would have to be the drama department and specifically the musical, which has been a long process. We’ve been trying to put on Mamma Mia for 2 years. But right now, I am heavily involved in that as well as student union. Those are my two main things. I did that because I went to Secord to be involved in theater, specifically the musical because I’ve always loved that. Secord offered me a space to play with my passion for theater. Student union is such a fun space for me because I get to put on events and makes other students, younger than me, feel welcomed at school. It’s nice to be a part of planning fun events for students.
“Were you thinking about scholarships when you joined these clubs?”
“I was a little bit. Being president of student council, I love doing it, but it’s not a bad thing to have on my resume. So, that’s definitely something I was considering, trying to be involved in like choir, art club. I am involved in three different choirs, so trying to accumulate those things for my resume was something in the back of my mind for sure.”
Rowan van Dongen: “I only really started getting involved in the school this year with the SHSM and the skills competition. It was something I was interested in and I am good at it. I made a swinging bench and that was pretty cool. I actually got to keep that one. I want to be a framer and a carpenter as an adult. I actually just got a job as a framer. So, I am hoping that this experience I got from SHSM and skills competitions will help me in my future career as a carpenter.”
Raphael Yazdani: “I’ve been involved in a lot of sports like volleyball, basketball and couple other things.I feel like most definitely sports are going to help me leadership wise. It’s going to help me with discipline and I think it just sets a solid foundation for your life.”
Claire McCauley: “At school I have really been involved in the music program. I have been in music since I was younger. My mom said that I was always into music, like listening to and playing music since I was a baby. I’m in band, drumline, and I love doing percussion. I think it’ll impact my life after high school because I have really built up a hobby. It is something that I do to chill out and to calm myself down. I made a lot of connections through music. I made a lot of friends, met a lot of good people, and got involved within my community through music. So, I think being involved is definitely important and I appreciate all of the experiences that I have gained.”
Alison Kocsis: “There are 3 that stand out to me. The first two are cross country and badminton. I have done them every single year that they have been offered at Secord. Those were a lot of fun because there is stuff that you do outside of school, so you get to meet a whole bunch of new people. Specifically with cross country, it is like a team. It is such an individual sport, but at the same time it is a team sport, but you meet people who are not in your grade. So, it’s not like 11 and 12, it’s 9 through 12. So, you get to meet some pretty cool people. With that specifically, it’s so hard and when you are running you are miserable right, so it is kinda nice to be miserable together. Assistant head prefects is another thing. That's great because you get to interact with so many people outside of class that you don't have classes with. Not only that, but you get to get involved in activities that go beyond yourself, which is pretty cool. I think that for me the reason that I joined was to push myself a little bit. I tend to be more reserved, so I thought taking on a leadership role would be a good step in pushing the boundaries a little bit. But for scholarships, yes, it helps because they are often looking for leadership skills, and community and school involvement, and with prefects that’s a big part of our job.”
What are a few things that you are going to miss the most about Secord?
Hannah Jamal: “Honestly, the teachers. I think we have really good teachers here. So, I’ll definitely miss that and their guidance. I’ll miss the general feeling of Secord. I think it’s generally a really welcoming, kind space. There’s so much creativity, so many different students coming from different backgrounds, interested in different things. So, there’s always something going on here and it’s exciting to be surrounded by so many different people.”
Rowan van Dongen: “There’s a lot of things. I am going to miss the teacher and the majority of the people. The teachers are good and I like them, they are alright. Stand-up teachers, I guess you could call them. I am going to miss the routine. Sometimes, I am just better off in a routine to get stuff done better. Grade school was much more hodgepodge, mix-mash elementary. You had different classes every day, but this is routine order. It teaches you some responsibility, timing, all that stuff. I feel like that is really important for the real world, especially the line of work that I am going into.”
Raphael Yazdani: “I’m gonna miss all my friends, they’re gonna move away. I am going to miss the environment really.”
Claire McCauley: “One thing I'm gonna miss about Secord is definitely the energy and the community. Everyone at secord is super nice and it's a very supportive school in terms of students and staff. The faculty really try to help you get to where you wanna go. It was definitely a positive experience being there which is really important because you're here everyday and it's basically your second home and even when you're not at school you're still doing homework and working on school stuff. All the teachers have been really supportive and all the students are really nice and it was just a really good experience. I’d rather be at this school than any other school really.”
Alison Kocsis: “Oh, the environment and the people, that is the number one thing. I don’t know any other school that gives you as many opportunities as Secord. This year, I tried field hockey for the first time and that was a lot of fun. I am doing the mock trial with Logan, and I am not even going to be a lawyer, but still it is so much fun. I feel like at Secord, if you mess up, it is not the end of the world, people are pretty understanding. It’s okay to make mistakes and try new things and it is encouraged to try new things. Which I know not every other school likes. The environment is very accepting and optimistic. You feel very welcome at Secord, which is super important because it makes you want to come to school and have a good time.”
Teachers
What is some life advice for those graduating this year?
Miss Boland: “I think like as I’ve gotten older, I’ve kind of reflected on these periods of time where you have everything in front of you, like all the realm of possibilities of what you can do. So, I feel like at this time, I would suggest to high school students to really explore the big variety of things that you’re interested in or the things that you wanna do, like travel for instance, or try a new sport or hobby. This period of your life is the perfect time to do that. As you get older, you get busier and you’re less willing to take risks, so my advice is to try things, to be bold and to go for something new. Don’t feel like you have to make up your entire life right now like you have to make all of your choices because I think we put that pressure on high school kids. We put pressure on you to make up your mind for your whole life like choosing what career, university, or college you’re going to. It seems like you’re making all these decisions now, but I think it’d be better if you see the idea that you’re just beginning. This is the time to make mistakes and totally mess up and completely change your mind.”
Mr. Sirianni: “Don’t take anything too seriously.”
Mr. Williamson: “My life advice… floss your teeth every night, wear a hat in the sun and in the cold, wear sunscreen if you have skin that is going to get skin cancer when you get older. Don’t smoke, don’t drink too much, don’t smoke too much pot, stay away from all illicit drugs. Put your phone down and use it about 75% less than you use it now. Read some books, read some good books and kinda follow your heart's desire. If there is something that you are really keen, curious and interested in, pursue it. Even though it may not be a so-called job opportunity kind of profession, oftentimes those ones will indirectly lead to interesting work anyway. You guys are in the front-line battle against climate change, which is the all-consuming problem. So, lifestyles are gonna need to change and probably will require some sacrifice, but I think you will have more meaningful lives once you actually adapt and mitigate to what we are going to have to do, ‘cause we can’t keep burning up fossil fuels ‘cause it is just not sustainable. I think you find more joy and fulfillment in life by recognizing that we are all connected as part of this planet. You guys have the technology that my generation didn't have to explore down rabbit holes. If you’re interested in the subject, you have access to far more information than ever before. Avail yourself of that information, but check your sources and be constantly vigilant in terms of the biases of who’s telling you what to do. Often, they may not be giving you good advice that is in your own best interest and you’re citizens, not consumers. You’re not on this planet to buy crap. You’re on this planet to you know do some good stuff and enjoy life.”
What makes the graduating class this year special?
Miss Boland: “COVID. It’s sad, but it’s true. The experience you guys had is really unique. I think each generation has these unique moments that happen to us, but growing up and coming of age during a pandemic is going to impact you in the future. When I think about this graduating class, I think about the challenges and the adaptability. I find that what you all had to go through in grade 10 and 11 prepared you for grade 12, of course, but also the future even more in the sense that you had to do a lot of independent learning. You had to polish your self-regulation and organization skills independently, without your teachers guiding you and reminding you daily. I think the way you experienced your education really impacted the way that you’ll move through the future. in some negative ways where you lost some socialization moments, or you didn’t get to celebrate your 16th or 17th birthday with your friends. Those are all sad points, but there is strength in the idea that you’ve gone through this really challenging experience as a very young person. The pandemic was really hard for adults, but even more so for students. You have collectively shown how resilient you actually are by rising to the occasion and taking your lives into your own hands. Especially, educationally being able to push forward and still find success even during isolation periods. It feels negative, but many positives have come out of it.”
Mr. Sirianni: “I think the fact that you guys have endured so much, and yet you are still coming to school with smiles on your faces makes you special.”
Mr. Williamson: “Well, you have had to become flexible and resilient, dealing with COVID, which are irreplaceable traits to have. On the other hand, you have probably missed picking up some knowledge, but most of the good learning you are going to do is going to happen outside of school anyway. You guys come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, and I don't mean like physically. I mean emotionally, and academically, and intellectually. It's hard to define it and I am probably not as in touch ‘cause we missed a couple years of high school life. So, you’re a little bit of an anomaly to me ‘cause I didn't get to know you like other graduating classes perhaps. But, life changes once you get out of high school. You’ll go separate paths, but retain some friendships and connections with friends you made at Secord. I still have life-long relationships with group of people that I graduated with. So, I think you need that and it's a good support system to be able to communicate with each other and of course, you have the technology to do that too. Every graduating class is a little bit different from one another.
What did you learn as a teacher that you wish you knew as a student?
Miss Boland: “Often as a student, I was looking to escape. I was waiting for the moments to get to go home or get to do what I want. I felt that in high school a lot was being dictated to me about what I could or couldn’t do. Looking back as a teacher, there was a lot of opportunity for me to grow as a person, had I put myself in those situations. If I had tried out for a team, and even if I wasn’t going to make it, or thought I wasn’t going to make it, trying out is still part of the process. There are some memories that I watch all of you have and the things that you’ve done that I never tried to do because I was afraid of failure. I felt like I was more comfortable just forgetting about things like that and just going home instead. I was quite shy, so getting into social situations, I really pulled back a little bit. So, I think as a high school teacher, getting to see the way all of the opportunities that you have in front of you. I am often trying to encourage my students. Like, you should try out for Mamma Mia!, even if you’re in grade 9. Go in and take that opportunity, even if you don’t think you’re gonna be successful. I think that’s something as a teacher that I thought about. The way that high school opened you up to so many opportunities and I wish I had taken more myself.”
Mr. Sirianni: “I think that something I learned as a teacher that I wish I knew as a student was that learning can be fun. It doesn't have to be this thing that is painful. While we grow from those kinds of experiences, they are not scary. I think something else I learned as a teacher is that taking risks is one of the only ways to know your worth and if you are not willing to take a risk is anything really worth it?”
Mr. Williamson: “To not procrastinate, to tackle projects, assignments as quickly as you can, not put them off ‘cause it just gets harder when you leave stuff. Use your time wisely. Writing takes a lot of hard work and practice, communication in general. For some people, it comes naturally, for me, it didn’t. So, it required extra work. If you have a short attention span like me, you have to persevere and read things many times through often. Just to get a deeper understanding or comprehension. To become a good writer… I don't know why I am talking about writing so much, but you gotta read. What did I learn as a teacher that I wish I knew as a student? It's about hard work. It's not always the smartest people who are gonna be successful. There's lots more to success than raw intelligence, IQ. Diligence, perseverance, resilience are the characteristics that are gonna be the most important factors for you. Don't give up. Oh, and don't assume that everybody out there is good ‘cause there's lots of people that aren't good and aren't gonna be nice to you. You’re probably going to be rejected on occasion. You just gotta pull yourself back up and keep on fighting. Love you guys, take care!
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