Interview with Kingsway College School Alum, Christopher Pierro
- Name
Christopher Pierro - Grades (year)
Gr. 7 - Gr. 8 - University (major)
Wilfred laurier university (Bachelor of Business Administration ) - Gender
Male - Enrolment
Day student - Job/Career
BMO- process and change management analyst
Christopher, an alumnus of Kingsway College School, reflects on his time at the school, saying that his balanced education at KCS had a lasting impact on who he has become as a person, as an independent thinker, and as an entrepreneur. He also likes being part of a warm community of friends and teachers at KCS, and said the welcoming atmosphere of KCS, maintained by the thoughtful teachers, contrasts sharply with his experiences at other schools.
Highlights from the interview
I think the school definitely taught me to be who I am today. They taught me to dream bigger, to think bigger, and that allowed me to be an entrepreneur, and do the things that I'm doing now. I also got good grades, because they taught me it's important to do both sides of things, that you have to do well academically, but you can also dream big and do what you want besides that. And, the way that they taught us was amazing, the academics, the gym class, even yoga, the music class, they taught us a ton of different areas and a bunch of different avenues that allowed us to expand our minds and knowledge.
The way they taught their curriculum, I thought, was just amazing. It truly felt like one-on-one, despite you being in the classroom, you could ask the teacher anything. They would help you with anything, they would help you with even personal issues.
Honestly, there's nothing really that I thought they could change. I felt everything was there, at least for me, especially coming from a school that really chewed me up and spit me out. I think they really welcomed me and made me feel like I was a part of something.
At KCS, I felt like I was really part of something, a really positive community. I felt happy every day. I wanted to go to school, which was a change from never wanting to be at school. At my previous school, I was actually largely bullied. Every day, I'd be going to school, I'd be bullied, and I'd come home crying. When I moved to KCS, the difference was night and day. I remember just on the first day, every single kid there wanted to be my friend. I wanted to drop out despite being in Grade 6. But in Grades 7 and 8, I actually wanted to go to school. I wanted to talk to the teachers, the people there.
The teachers promote lasting friendships, quality time, and working with others in a group. I think it's largely the teachers that allow us to connect with each other. When I first came to the school, they assigned me someone to help me learn about the school and see what it's all about. Then, they put us in group work and they foster friendships throughout the whole school. I think their values that especially resonated with me are respect, manners, and trying your best. I could definitely feel those three things every day going to that school and even after sticking with me.
The most surprising thing, for me, was just how welcoming the school felt since day one. I’d been in a couple of schools before that. I definitely noticed that at that school since the first day, I was welcomed immediately and I felt like part of the community. It didn't take a week to feel like I knew a couple of people. The first day I was there, the first minute walking in, everybody wanted to be my friend and wanted me to feel welcome.
Looking back at it now, I have noticed just how supportive the school was and just how much they cared for each individual student. Every teacher at KCS wants you to succeed, and they truly mean it when they say that. Not that I took it for granted at the time, but I never really realized how supportive and how amazing the school was. Just everything they did just felt like they were nurturing us and supporting us through the whole process of school.
I would choose to go to KCS 10 times out of 10. It was an amazing experience and it was an amazing time for me. Whenever my friends talk about their middle schools, it's like, ‘Oh, I'm so glad I'm out, or I'm so glad I've passed that.’ But for me, I would love to be back.
Another reason I’d recommend the school is just because of the extra things that they give to us. So the carnivals and the different events that they'd hold, they really wanted us to have fun.
Choosing KCS is something that you would never regret. It’s an amazing option. Choosing it would be one of the best things for your kids, as it allows them to grow, and they will just have fun all the time. They will want to go to school. They will make such amazing, lifelong friends. It's just an amazing school that nurtures you and allows you to grow.
I'm in university now, and I'm years away from KCS, and I still have friendships with many of the people who went there. And if I ever see anybody who went to KCS, on the street or wherever else, I know I can talk to them, as if we just talked two days ago.
