What education has meant to me

After 13 years from Kindergarten to Grade 12, Brooks 2021 grad, Tla’amin member and PRL intern Abby Francis pauses to reflect, before she leaps ahead.

Thinking back to Kindergarten, I do not remember as much as I wish I could. Most of the memories I have from the earlier days of my education are quite fuzzy. Although, there are the few moments that have really stuck out compared to others.

These moments are the ones that have allowed me to become very devoted to schooling, as well as taking opportunities to learn as much as possible. From Edgehill Elementary to Brooks Secondary, these events are not only important to me memory-wise, most of them have helped shape me into who I am today.

My first “memory” is in Kindergarten. Some of the friends I made in my Kindergarten class, I still talk to and am still friends with to this day. Which

is part of why I will always remember Edgehill as being a caring place with kind people. I remember most of my time in Kindergarten was spent either painting or putting together this one butterfly puzzle.

Abby Francis in her Kindergarten gown

I have always hated puzzles; however, I absolutely loved that one because it was a puzzle layered on top of itself showing every stage of a butterfly’s lifecycle. Every time the class got free-time, I would ditch all of the other kids to go to the painting station, bringing home a painting probably everyday. I loved it.

Another moment that has stuck with me throughout my schooling is from my Grade 3 class. I was always one of the shyer kids, however, throughout elementary school I had a big group of friends that stayed relatively the same until we inevitably split apart in high school. Which, funny enough, I am not that shy anymore, and have a bit of a smaller group with closer friends.

“I will always remember Edgehill as being a caring place with kind people.”

At the end of each school year at Edgehill, an award was given out to an intermediate, a Grade 7 student, as well as a primary Grade 3 student. These awards were for the student that best showed the school’s ‘Code of Honour’, which was: “We take care of Ourselves; We take care of Others; We take care of Our Place.” In Grade 3, I won this award. I had no clue I was going to receive it; therefore, it was quite a surprise, and the teacher wrote the nicest speech that will stay with me forever.

This is a very fond memory. To top it off, I remember when I went back to the classroom, my best friend at the time had gotten the whole class to applaud me once more. I am pretty sure that made me cry, which is something I rarely do.

One last memory that has stood out throughout my years of school, the one that has had the biggest effect on me wanting to continue on with my education after I graduate, I would have to say is not really a memory, but a class.

Abby Francis in her grad gown

This would be Photography 10, 11, 12, 12 again (yes, I did take this class twice), and the Independent Photography Study I took during this school year. I say photography because of the impact it has left on me.

Before Grade 11, I had wanted to be a veterinarian. I took all of the harder classes that were needed for vet schooling. The subject I struggled with the most was math. Due to this struggle, I had realized that vet school would not be the right match for me.

At this time I had also fallen in love with photography. I was taking pictures just about every day, going for walks to see what I could capture in nature. It was very relaxing, and the moments it has given me with wildlife encounters consistently remind me of why I love photography so much.

I decided I wanted to be a photographer, and so changed my course selections in Grade 12 from being science/math based to Photo/Social Studies based, which I enjoy much more. I also discovered my love of writing in English 12, again changing my mind to further my educational life with journalism as well as photography.

Education has always been something important to me, I have always taken it very seriously and have tried my best in every course. Over the years school has given me both good and bad memories, some of stress while others fun.

These experiences have allowed me to grow and change as a person. From Edgehill to Brooks I have made and lost a number of friends, and looking into my future of university, I am sure that this will happen again.

I cannot wait to see what I can learn from it. However, despite all of these memories, I really strongly feel my overall positive opinions on education would not be the way they are, if not for the teachers that have taught me along the way.

And for that, I really have to thank them.