2015-16 Atlantic Canadian Scholarship Winners

Each year, King’s-Edgehill School awards two renewable scholarships to new KES boarding students from Atlantic Canada. The Atlantic Canadian Scholarship is worth up to half the cost of board and tuition.
Jacob Evans of Halifax and Tea Racozzi of Fredericton were the 2015 recipients of the scholarships and went on to successfully complete their first year and have returned for another year.

We recently asked last year’s scholarship winners, Jacob and Tea, questions about their first year at KES and here is what they had to say:

Jacob Evans 

Started at KES: Grade 11, now entering Grade 12

1. What did you like most about your year at KES?  I think the part I enjoyed most about KES is how it's such a tightly knit community. At KES you have all this cultural diversity, but people still all know each other and get along really well, despite being from different parts of the world.
2. What was most unexpected about your experience?  I think what was most unexpected about my experience was how different the educational environment was compared to public school. After finishing my first year of high school at a public school in Halifax where you had 35 kids in one class, it felt pretty weird walking into a classroom with 15 people and having it considered "big". I now prefer this setting because it creates a sense of individuality in the classroom. At King's you have a unique and personal relationship with each of your teachers, which makes you more interested and active in the classroom, directly translating into stronger grades. 
3.  What sports did you play last year?  Last year I was a member of the hockey team, which counted as my fall and winter sport. In the spring I decided to try yoga. A lot of people teased me about trying yoga, but it instantly helped with my training and on ice-performance in hockey and it will most likely be something I continue to do.
4. Was it hard being away from home? Any tips to other future boards?  There were definitely a lot of tears from my mom when I left for school, but fortunately KES is only 45 minutes away from my home in Halifax so I was able to come home on the weekends I wasn't away with the hockey team. This helped a lot with adjusting to the new atmosphere and made it a lot less hard to be away from home. The best advice I can give anyone coming to KES is to get involved in the community as quickly as possible. Being a member of the hockey team allowed me to instantly meet new people and make friends, which made the transition seamless.
5. What opportunities did you have at KES that you wouldn’t have had otherwise?  KES gave me the opportunity to learn and practice new languages. I had been in French immersion since primary, but never had the opportunity to really speak it until I met some people from Quebec. KES also gave me the opportunity to practice living independently. The boarding experience greatly depends on you taking care of yourself with the guidance of the school. You are responsible for managing your time and money, and it really helps prepare you for life after school.  
6. Share a favourite memory from the year.  Although very simple, some of my favourite memories from my year at KES were spent in the Athletic Centre playing basketball with my friends. I never had access to facilities like KES back home so it was really exciting to be able to play one of my favourite sports every day after supper. It was a great stress reliever and oddly enough is one of the things I'm most looking forward to in the upcoming year. 
7. What would you tell somebody who is considering coming to our school?  Something I would tell someone considering coming to KES is that if you work hard, you will enjoy your experience. If you stay on top of everything, you will enjoy life at KES a lot more and will get the most out of the experience. The school has a lot to offer so make sure you make the most of your opportunity while you're lucky enough to have it. 
8. What did it mean to you to receive the scholarship? Receiving the scholarship meant that the school placed enough trust into me to represent them throughout the year. KES is a very respected school with high standards and knowing that they wanted me to become part of their community meant a lot to me. Hockey was what opened the door to KES, but it was my character that allowed me to walk through and it is an accomplishment I will never forget. 

Tea Racozzi

Started at KES: Grade 9, now entering Grade 10

1. What did you like most about your year at KES?  This year was a big year of growth for me as a person, an athlete and as a student. I was really struggling being away from home at the start of the year but being on the senior soccer team was a turning point for me. It helped me in so many ways by giving me friends and something to look forward to after school everyday no matter how my day went. Sports are really where I found my place and soccer being the first sport of the year, was a big part of that.

1. What was most unexpected about your experience? This year I didn't expect to love living in dorms. I met most of my friends because I lived on campus. You are living with a bunch of your best friends and you get to know them on such a different level then I know my friends back home. The house parents are also amazing. I can’t explain how much they have done for me and they are just endlessly supportive whether it be helping with dorm problems or even listening to you when you just had a bad day. You develop such a close bond with them and with all the girls in the dorm.

1. What sports did you play last year? Last year I played on the senior girls soccer team during fall, then during the winter I started out on the snowboard racing team. I later joined the wrestling team and in spring I was on the girl’s rugby team.

1. Was it hard being away from home? Any tips to future boarders? The first two months were the hardest, which I didn't expect at all. Now, I couldn’t imagine living at home 12 months a year. I love being able to do my own thing and living with my friends is so great. My top thing I wish I had done, so it’s my advice to future borders, is to be open to everything from the moment you step foot on campus. Don't think about what you're missing at home because you will probably miss a lot that’s happening at King’s. I met a lot of my close friends later in the year and if I had been as open as I should have maybe I would have met them sooner. Be yourself and don't wish your time away.

1. What opportunities did you have at KES that you wouldn't have had otherwise? If I had stayed in Fredericton I would not have wrestled or played rugby. I would not have volunteered at the hospital like I did. I also would not have had as big of a support team as I did, to help me when I needed it and to make sure I understood everything completely. I would not have joined a music class voluntarily or had the opportunities to play actual shows with a band. Without KES I wouldn't have made as many international and even national friends as I did and I definitely wouldn't have had as much success in school and sports.

1. Share a favourite memory from the year. There’s too many memories to pick just one, but my top memories would be all the overnight soccer trips and wrestling competitions, all the rugby games, team dinners and the weekends spent in Halifax or even just on campus.

1. What would you tell someone who is considering coming to our school? Be open and be ready to try a lot of new things. Be sure to get involved with all the activities and be on as many teams and a part of as many clubs and bands as you can because that’s probably where you'll meet your friends and have fun.

1. What did it mean to you to receive the scholarship? I was very nervous about the idea of a brand new school and brand new people, but the scholarship gave me the push I needed to try KES. It gave me so many opportunities and without it I would not have been able to come to KES and discover new sports that I love and meet new people. I couldn’t imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't received this scholarship. I am so appreciative of everything this scholarship has given me.

King’s-Edgehill School would like to once again congratulate Jacob and Tea on their scholarships! KES encourages students from abroad as well as those who may live near the school to board at KES because of the unique opportunities afforded to students who live on campus. Boarding students have a healthy balance of free time and structured time and access to modern athletic and arts facilities right on campus! They also have access to academic resources and teachers outside the regular school day. KES prides itself on its welcoming community and offers every student the warmth and kindness of a home-away-from-home.   

We are now accepting applications for the 2017-2018 Atlantic Canadian Scholarship.  Tell us about yourself in a 3-minute video! It’s part of your application for our new King’s-Edgehill Atlantic Canadian Scholarship Programme Deadline is May 15th. Download the Guidelines and Application now.