One Small Step…

31 August 2011Jim Ganley

Excitement. Anticipation. Anxiety. This is how I felt when I first drove through Brentwood’s front gates, nervously nibbling on my breakfast as my sisters blabbed incessantly about this, that, and the next thing. I tried to keep up, but I couldn’t: I was way too nervous. My nerves only increased as we drove up to a small tent, where a smiling woman carrying a handful of manila envelopes stood up and began walking to our vehicle. I gave her my name, she dug through the pile until she found the envelope she was looking for, and handed it to me. Mrs. Reynolds, as she introduced herself, began giving my parents directions to my boarding house; I looked down to see my name and that of my new home stamped across the envelope. If it’s in writing, then surely it must be happening! The vehicle started moving, and the jitters started again. Soon the brick front of Mackenzie House came into view, and my bags began making their way up the stairs and through the glass doors. Before stepping into the house, I took a deep breath, and let my Brentwood career unfold before me.

Since then my life has changed dramatically. I met and befriended the most wonderful and caring people, was welcomed into a community unlike any other, and was given opportunities I never would have gotten in my hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta. You truly cannot capture the essence of Brentwood until you have experienced it yourself: be it the people you get to know in your everyday life, or the crazy schedule that you’ll soon get accustomed to; your life will never be the same after you pass through those gates as a new student. Being at Brentwood will give you the courage to try new things, achieve what you once believed was unattainable, and change for the better. This is a setting where students are supported not only by their teachers but more importantly by their peers. It is at Brentwood where new opportunities will emerge and beg to be taken, and will be taken without regret. But the aspect that matters most about the Brentwood lifestyle and makes it so worthwhile to be a part of are the people that you get to know and interact with on a daily basis. Whether they are students, teachers, house parents, or the smiling faces of the cooks and laundry staff in Crooks Hall, getting to know the people around campus truly makes the difference in your Brentwood experience, and will keep you from missing your family and friends back home.

It is on that note that I give you a small tidbit of advice: become involved in the Brentwood community, get to know the people around you, and dive into each new experience with a positive attitude. Your time here will go by fast, and you don’t want to miss a single second of it. I wish you the best of luck, and confidently know that your Brentwood career will become a part of your life that you’ll never forget, or regret.

Where Students Choose To Be