Hello, my name is Jay and I have spent three wonderful years at Macleans College as an international student.
I arrived at Macleans College on a bright sunny morning in January 2023, as a Year 11 student. I did not have any idea of what exciting experiences lay ahead of me, and I awkwardly sat down at the back of Mansfield House commons, and listened to House Leader Mr Davidson.
During my time at Macleans College, I chose to study many different subjects, including math, physics, chemistry, English, music and commerce. Coming from a Korean school, I was amazed and delighted by the freedom of selection from a wide range of subjects that the school offered.
On the second day of school when classes began, I had to do a bit of orienteering on the way to classes. With science block classrooms with laboratory facilities to music rooms with grand pianos, the scale of the campus was not like anything I had ever experienced before. Luckily I had a buddy named Hayden, who helped me find my way to classes and talked to me when I had no one to talk to during breaks. Along with Hayden, other people in my form class were also very friendly and they made me feel included. Playing volleyball in front of the house commons with my form class during lunchtime is one of the core memories of my life at Macleans College.
I have achieved several academic accomplishments during my time at Macleans College, as I was lucky enough to have the support and encouragement from the teachers. They have been sincere, caring, and passionate. Whenever I take over their interval breaks with my questions on classwork, they always answer me with full dedication. And when I run into them around school, they always say hello with a bright smile, even when I forget. I am deeply grateful to have been under the guidance of such wonderful staff.
Macleans College offers a vast range of extra-curricular activities and I was lucky to have been a part of many of them. From Year 11, I played with the Symphony Orchestra; in Year 12, I joined the Chorale, and over the years I have had the opportunity to be in other groups as well, from Cabaret and the Jazz Combo to the First Aid Group and Fencing. I can certainly say that most of my core memories came from these extra-curricular activities, and I truly enjoyed them all.
The school’s annual Gala Concert is an extremely exciting and fulfilling event, and definitely one of my favourite memories. Groups start rehearsals from early in the morning and throughout the day, and the concert begins in the evening, with performances from almost every single performing arts group. I am very grateful to have been at the concert every year, performing with the orchestra, the choir and the cabaret cast.
My time at Macleans College has shaped me into an open-minded person with a broad perspective. Memories like going into town for a competition and getting dinner with my choir friends, taking the evening ferry from the city after an orchestra concert, and heading down to the beach for a dip straight after a scorching mid-summer school day made graduation extremely difficult. I would like to sincerely thank my form class teachers, subject teachers, directors, coaches, classmates, music group friends, and, last but not least, the International Department staff, who have all played a part in shaping my life at Macleans College into a lifelong memory. I am truly lucky to have been surrounded by great people throughout the whole journey. As I move on to my next steps in life, I will hold on to this memory as a core segment of my identity. Thank you and goodbye!
