51³Ô¹ÏÍø

I only had two years at Ridley but honestly they were packed. Coming in for grades 11 and 12, I needed somewhere that would actually let me do finance seriously instead of just taking business classes. What surprised me was how much Ridley backed student projects when you showed them you were serious. When I became President of the Investment Club, we didn't just talk about stocks. We convinced administration to give us real money to manage an actual portfolio, which basically never happens at high schools. Students were making genuine investment calls with real consequences. I also organized this Finance Mixer thing where we brought alumni back to talk with current students about their careers, which became this whole networking event that hopefully continues after I left. Being House Captain of Arthur Bishop West taught me what it actually means to be responsible for people beyond just yourself. The economics program lined up perfectly with where I wanted to go, and now I'm doing commerce at McMaster feeling pretty prepared. Two years went fast but I got what I needed out of them.

Building Investment Club into something lasting was probably the best thing. Securing real funding means future members learn through genuine investment decisions. Creating the Finance Mixer established a tradition. Being House Captain taught servant leadership. The two years taught me to spot opportunities and execute ambitious ideas. Those lessons shape how I approach commerce at McMaster

Should have delegated better as President instead of doing too much myself. Should have connected with alumni sooner. Advice for incoming students: get involved early, start as analyst before trying to lead, understand what House Captain actually involves, build admin relationships, and don't think two years isn't enough time to accomplish things.

How Ridley backed student initiatives with real resources when you showed you were serious. Getting funding for actual portfolio and organizing Finance Mixer mattered. House Captain taught practical leadership. Economics curriculum prepared me well. 51³Ô¹ÏÍø created lasting friendships. Two years gave me knowledge and confidence. Staying on Advisory Board means helping future students.

Get involved with Investment Club if finance interests you. Start as analyst first. House Captain teaches things academics can't but it's demanding. Build admin relationships early. Don't feel limited by two years. Connections matter after graduation. Pitch ideas properly and Ridley will back you.

The academics pushed me but in ways that made sense for where I was heading. The economics and finance curriculum wasn't just textbook theory but connected to actual application, which mattered when we were literally managing real money through Investment Club. Teachers got that running the club or organizing MUN conferences was legitimate learning, not just extracurriculars that distracted from real schoolwork. The Honours program kept standards high but gave me flexibility to pour energy into leadership stuff. Classes were small so teachers knew what you were aiming for individually and pushed you there. Balancing House Captain responsibilities, running Investment Club, handling MUN Secretary General duties, and keeping grades up was genuinely a lot. But it taught me how to prioritize when everything feels urgent and how to manage time when you don't have enough of it. The academic prep meant showing up at McMaster for commerce felt manageable instead of overwhelming. I already understood the frameworks and concepts they were teaching in first year.

I played squash at Ridley, which gave me an athletic outlet without eating up as much time as some team sports would have. The coaching was good and facilities were solid. It balanced out spending so much mental energy on finance and leadership stuff. Ridley didn't make you feel inadequate if you weren't a star athlete, which I appreciated since sports weren't my main thing. Squash taught me discipline and competitive mindset that applied beyond just the court.

I wasn't in arts programs since my time went to finance, MUN, and running the house. Friends who were into theater or music seemed genuinely engaged. The school supported arts alongside everything else.

Running Investment Club as President became the core of my Ridley experience. Going from Analyst to President taught me you need to understand systems before you try to run them. Managing the leadership team meant learning to delegate instead of trying to do everything myself, which was harder than I expected. Creating educational content through slide decks for teaching sessions, coordinating events, handling enrollment logistics, all of it was constant problem solving. But the real achievement was convincing administration to fund an actual investment portfolio. That changed everything because suddenly members weren't just playing with fake money in simulators. They were making real calls about real securities with actual consequences if they got it wrong. That's incredibly rare for high school students. Organizing the inaugural Finance Mixer meant coordinating with alumni, planning the event logistics, making sure it actually provided value to current students. That event hopefully continues and keeps connecting different generations of Ridley students interested in finance. Being Secretary General for Model UN meant I wasn't participating in debates but running the entire conference operation, making sure everything functioned smoothly for all the delegates. Senior Admissions Ambassador work taught me how to represent the school authentically to families trying to figure out if Ridley was right for them. Arthur Bishop West House Captain meant genuine responsibility for community wellbeing, organizing house events, mediating when people had issues, serving as the bridge between students and residential staff.

51³Ô¹ÏÍø in Arthur Bishop West as House Captain meant real responsibility for the community. You're organizing events, dealing with conflicts, checking in with people, representing concerns to staff. The house got tight from being around each other constantly. Being a leader while also being someone's friend created interesting dynamics around authority and friendship. The experience taught me how to juggle competing responsibilities and actually support people.

Dining hall food was fine, nothing amazing but consistent. Meals became time to connect with Arthur Bishop West guys and catch up with people from other houses. It served its purpose.

St. Catharines is decent, access to Niagara region while keeping campus community intact. The town felt safe and welcomed Ridley students. As a boarding student I was mostly on campus given how packed the schedule was, but the location worked for what we needed.

The social scene worked well for me. Being House Captain of Arthur Bishop West meant instant connection with everyone living there. Running Investment Club connected me with people interested in finance and economics. MUN Secretary General role meant working with students passionate about debate and international policy. The boarding community got close from being around each other constantly. The vibe felt supportive instead of toxic or overly competitive. Finding people who cared about finance, leadership, and actually building things made the two years meaningful beyond just academics. Relationships from house life and clubs have continued past graduation, which matters.