My Favourite Stanstead Moments

Her question kept coming back to me the whole day, as I wasn’t happy with my first answer. Therefore, I have decided to complete it. Here is a list of my favourite moments and what I’ve learned from them:

1. When the junior girls basketball team lost the ETIAC banner by 1 point after a crazy season filled with improvement and effort. We huddled in a corner to talk after our defeat and cried. It wasn’t a fun moment or one that filled me with joy, but it showed that as a group we cared very much about something, that we wanted something and had united together to get it. That season, through ups and downs, we all became family, and some of the friendships I made then are still my most valuable ones.

2. When Charlotte, Patrick, Phil and I went to the UN debate in New York. The first night we were exhausted and nervous and instead of going out to any of the great restaurants one can find in New York, we ate halal from a cart on the floor of our room. We had a great time all getting to know each other, swapping stories and laughing. It taught me that things don’t have to be complicated to be enjoyable. A cheap meal on the floor can be the most awesome thing ever if you’re in good company.

3. When Mr. Grenier awarded me the Sportsmanship Award for soccer (the only athletic award I’ll ever get, I know). It made me understand that maybe being the best isn’t always what’s most important. Maybe being there for others and working together to achieve something greater matters more than being the star. I have always won sportsmanship awards and they never used to make me feel good, but now I’d rather get that than an S. Being the best is great, but I’d just rather be positive and be someone my teammates can rely on.

4. When we took the bus to Ottawa and I happened to sit in the seat next to this very annoying girl named Juliette. I didn’t like her very much; can’t say I felt ecstatic about sitting near her. I felt like I was losing some of my closest friends to her and therefore wasn’t her number-one fan, but then she started talking to me, and it felt like I was having a conversation with myself. Turns out we’re basically the same person and have been inseparable since then. I can’t begin to tell you how lucky I am to have her as a best friend and roommate. Don’t judge people too quickly; more often than not they will surprise you.

5. Also, in Ottawa when walking back to the hotel BJ stopped at a wedding reception and went to dance right smack in the middle of the dance floor. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much. That night, without even knowing, he taught me that letting go and not caring what you look like doesn’t have to be bad. It can also be really funny and make people bond.

All those moments on their own don’t mean much. After all that’s all they are: moments and not very exciting ones at that. They’re just little snippets of my life but when I think about them, they are what defined my Stanstead experience and made me the kind of student and person I am today.

I came to Stanstead with one goal in mind: get into Yale. That unfortunately won’t happen for me, so when people ask me if I got what I wanted out of Stanstead I am forced to say no. But as it turns out, I got so much more. Here is hoping that you enjoy all those little moments this year, and for you graduating class, lets make sure that this last one is the best one yet!

Hear more about Rose's experience!