Interview with The Bishop Strachan School Alum, Nikki Kumar
- Name
Nikki Kumar - Grades (year)
Gr. 6 - Gr. 11 - University (major)
Universities of Toronto, Windsor, Columbia (Law) - Gender
Female - Enrolment
Day student - Job/Career
Lawyer
Nikki, an alum of The Bishop Strachan School, shared her perspective on the diversity of opportunities, nurturing culture, and lasting sense of warmth that shaped both her experience and her daughters’ decision to attend.
Highlights from the interview
- It was just an incredible experience to not only be exposed to all this diversity of opportunity but also the diversity of the student population.
It was just an incredible experience to not only be exposed to all this diversity of opportunity but also the diversity of the student population.
BSS has something called the signature of a BSS girl, which is all about nurturing, encouraging, and creating an environment of education where there is a set of personal attributes that they really focus on… BSS was so intentional about how they wanted to encourage kids at the school to really become the best version of themselves, but not just from a personal standpoint, but also from the standpoint of being global citizens and caring for others and developing that empathy and passion for others as well.
They have a pretty diverse curriculum… I took Latin, which I don't think a lot of schools in Toronto were offering at that time. I've noticed when applying to BSS for my two daughters that there is a huge range of courses, and it's not just what typical students would be taking.
Their extracurricular programming was outstanding for me, at least. I really jumped into extracurricular programming head-on. I was in junior choir, I was in senior choir, I participated in sports, and I also participated in the plays.
I thought the teachers were amazing. Of course, you had one or two teachers that were very strict and that you were scared of, but I would say overall, the teachers really encouraged you to think, to take risks, to go beyond what you were used to, to push yourself. And they did it in a way that was very supportive and very safe.
The student population was pretty diverse. We had students from all sorts of socioeconomic statuses, all sorts of races. We were essentially who we were, and it was acceptable to be who we were, and it was embraced, and it was a pretty positive environment.
The facilities were outstanding… The school is beautiful. It is architecturally just gorgeous to look at from the outside and inside.
BSS is just able to really bring that warmth, that nurturing, that care, despite it being such a large environment.
