Observations from the Royal St. George’s College community showcase how the school instills values of kindness, respect, and mutual support, creating a nurturing environment that defines its character.
Royal St. George’s College turns boys into gentlemen — from the basic focus on manners, to punctuality, to how to make your community a better place. I think these are all positive characteristics that take Royal St. George’s College from being a school, to a rich community that I’m quite proud to be an alumnus of.
I think they focus equally on being successful and being kind, so their success does not get in the way of giving back and being kind and remembering who they are as gentlemen. So, as my son was making decisions about what schools to go to, he reached out to a number of RSGC alumni, and the boys he reached out to, at a range of schools, really took the time to give him advice and gave him rich, thoughtful insights. So, that mentoring and that kindness continues even far long after they graduate.
I think what would surprise families about Royal St. George’s College is the level in which everyone is invested in one another. The level of community at Royal St. George’s College and the focus that each individual within the community has on one another is something that is unparalleled, and something that, when I think back on my days, many years ago there, still shines through. The number of times that people were willing to go out of their way to help me, I don’t think that I’ve ever had that in other aspects of my life.
Kindness is such a big part of the school’s identity, and it is something that is taught continuously throughout your time there. Royal St. George’s is a school that breeds really kind, respectful young men. I’d say that’s absolutely the most common trait amongst everyone, and it’s a really amazing environment to be in. Even now my closest friends are all still from St. George’s. And I’m really proud to call them friends because they’re really great young men.
First and foremost, it’s kindness and respect and doing the right thing that are the values of Royal St. George’s College. That’s something that they do teach continuously throughout your time there. When you leave in Grade 12 and go out into the world, I think that’s a common trait that defines all alumni of the school, the fact that we all really value respect and kindness. Getting taught that at a young age is something that carries forward for the rest of your life, and something that I felt personally.
When I started here, we had five or six ‘Legacy’ kids, and now we have about 25. These are students whose dads went here, and in many cases, I grew up with their dads. I think it’s a small-school thing. It’s certainly been an evolution in terms of the number of people, among our small population of alumni, who are bringing us their sons.
The community is something that I really appreciate now. A bunch of guys who I am still good friends with all these years later, and I've known them for a very long time now. I think it was a big part of the school, when I was there as well, just the nature of the community.
It’s a small-school thing: there is such an esprit de corps about ‘being a Georgian’. With the alumni, there’s a hope to be able to give to the current students what was given to me. Especially with my young guys currently at university, there is always a great reach-back to the Grade 11s and 12s. Early in the Grade 12 year, we’ll have alumni who are currently at university come back to talk to current students, and we’ll do it in a room without adults so they can really talk about their experiences.
When we have our alumni dinners, everybody loves being back on campus. It’s hard to find anyone who didn’t love their experience here, certainly in the last 30 years. There’s really high engagement. Does it turn into big fundraising? No, but that’s not really what we’re after anyways. It’s about staying engaged, helping out — when you’re at university, reaching out to the students still in high school — and if you can, bring me your son.
I’ve been surprised at how strong the alumni community is [at Royal St. George’s College]. I still feel very much a part of the Royal St. George’s community, even though I’m four years out from since I have graduated.
