Joanne Ross - A Parent Remembers
Red & White - Spring/Summer 2004

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As a parent of two recent graduates, I consider myself a graduate parent of SC and feel entitled to join the ranks of the Alumni. Over the course of the past few months, I have returned to the College and these visits have inspired me to share with you what Stanstead College has meant to me over the years. 

My reckoning with Stanstead came while I was dating my husband who was a Stanstead grad himself. Very early on in our relationship about 30 years ago, I came to learn of the friendships and strong ties he had made during his 18 months at the College.

It seems only fitting that our children also came to know Stanstead at a very young age.  Our eldest received a mini version of a Major S sweater as a gift in his first year and, funny enough, it became a legacy he lived up to! We have pictures of our two boys on the sidelines at alumni events such as the Charity baseball games and the Red & White Alumni hockey game where they took on the important roles of water and stick boys or just participated in the locker room talk. What an initiation!  As their mother, I could see their attraction to the camaraderie and sense of belonging.

Our sons attended the College over a period of five years. In that time, they were exposed to diversity, authority, sportsmanship, discipline, varied cultures, close relationships, art, new languages, high academic standards, and life in a close-knit community supervised by dedicated teachers and mentors. I will never forget what one teacher said to me: “At this school, each and every student has the opportunity to shine.” I have been a witness to this on many occasions. Stanstead students have the chance to discover their hidden talents in a very supportive environment.

How did I benefit as a parent? I found that Stanstead was a wonderful place to meet new friends and to be exposed to so many wonderful people. So many other parents shared the same vision and sense of community. Other parents like myself, chose to pioneer a Parents’ group to become more involved in campus life.

I really learned to know the meaning of an extended family when school breaks found our Montreal home filled with international students and our food bill skyrocketing. Their smiles and words of thanks as they headed back on the bus after their breaks, made it all worthwhile.

          This being our first year with no dependents on campus, I feel somewhat lost and rather nostalgic. As I go back on campus where the students are always welcoming, I see fewer familiar faces but I feel my own sense of belonging. I cherish the wonderful memories of the Christmas carol service, Baccalaureate ceremonies, the spring scavenger hunt, Easter brunch and fashion show, the Slovakian hockey trip, Windsor station goodbyes, the Silent Auction, the countless hours in arenas or on the playing fields cheering, the Soccer ‘snack shack’, the Can-Am festivities, Parents’ Day interviews, engaging students from all corners of the globe, dedicated faculty & staff and most of all … my ‘new’ best friends.

          My wish is that we will stay connected as our children move on and maybe … just maybe we will meet again at Baccalaureate, cameras in hand, when our grandchildren are called to receive their diplomas.

         Until we meet again, God bless and keep well!

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Joanne Ross is the mother of James Daniel “JD” Ross `00 and Peter Ross `03 and wife of James Dugald “Dugie” Ross `70.  Dugie’s father Donald A. Ross was also a graduate of Stanstead College and Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1980 through 1987.