The text below is an except from Jeremy '24's community talk.

I grew up in the UK. I spent 14 years there. Secondary school in the UK was completely different. There, you get separated into bands according to how well your academic performance is. And everything is about that: academic performance. The curriculum is pure memorization. Collaboration doesn’t exist. School became a torture for me.

My experience of Rosseau was like light and dark. Diversity of learning is celebrated. If you want to do a podcast, do a podcast. If you want to do a presentation about this really specific thing that you like, great. Instead of just the old test, test, test, exam, exam, exam. There are tests [at RLC], don’t get me wrong, but how you learn, how you do best, that’s what matters here. Being able to express your knowledge in so many different ways.

And experiential learning. That doesn’t exist back home. [There] you just stay in class and you sit on a chair, you do your work and you go home. Here, we’re going out and building bush shelters, we’re playing in the snow, we’re going canoeing. Stuff that I would only see on TV in American movies. But now I’m doing it. Instead of reading about history, I’m actually walking in Wasauksing, talking to the Elders. Meeting people who have actually gone through this, and to see it with my own eyes.

Rosseau also allowed me to grow outside of the classroom, and I thank Mr. Krocker for a lot of that. For example, being able to go to the nursing station and volunteer. Because I was encouraged to do something that allowed me to grow as an individual, I have some of the best memories. Going there, seeing what health care was actually about, reignited this passion in me to pursue medicine.

The teachers at RLC—that is also something that is very special. In the UK, teachers are superior. Having a normal conversation with them doesn’t exist. At Rosseau, they are there for you. They are your friends, and they stay after class to help you with things. That’s just crazy, it’s such a valuable resource that you have at your fingertips.

There’s a quote from Einstein that I really like, which is “I have no special talents, I’m only passionately curious.” And I think it’s the philosophy of Rosseau Lake College that helped me to reignite that burning curiosity, and that enjoyment of learning.

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