Interview with Royal St. George's College Alum, Puneet Bagga

If you like academics, you like to be challenged, there's a lot of opportunity, academics-wise, to just have fun and experience doing things, too. If you like anything related to engineering or computer engineering or just like to build things, ACES is the one program, and I haven’t seen any other high school ever having something like it.

I really enjoyed the ACES program, which is our computer engineering, computer hardware program. There's nothing really like it anywhere else. I really had fun with that. The skills I learned really transferred well over to my program in university, especially in the practical elements. I was a big fan of it. It's one of the reasons I chose Royal St. George's College. It was a big reason for me.

I appreciated all the freedom we got as students, having the ability to start a club, and the ability to explore different avenues. The ability to explore, and just have a good time, and having the teachers back you up on everything is something that it's very difficult to find in a lot of schools. I remember just being able to work as a TA in the ACES lab, or take responsibility as a prefect. I talk with a lot of prefects from other schools, and the freedom that we get at St. George's is unparalleled. And there's just a lot of room to explore yourself and figure out where you fit in everything.

As much as you get freedom and have fun, you're also put in your place academically. You're challenged. There's no easy way out. Especially with some of the AP courses, I remember we were struggling for good marks in Grade 12 with AP chemistry. It was still just a really good experience because we learned a lot and you experience and get challenged every day.

The school is really a leader in a lot of different things, whether it be just the general school culture, or more specifically being welcoming and open-minded. Because everyone, no matter where you're from and what experiences you've had, everyone's welcome.

As someone who has been to three different schools, this was the first time that I saw everyone in a grade being a team. You build a family in each grade, and it's a strong family. I haven't seen a lot of them for a few years, but I can go see any of them, pick up a conversation, and have a good time. It's generally just the mindset. It's the way the teachers tell you to treat your other Georgans. It's the Chapel. It's everything. It's just the whole message of ‘Treat everyone with respect’ and that we’re a family.

I remember our Georgian motto, ‘Manners Maketh Men.’ It's the value of being good men, being gentlemen, but it's also about being the best versions of ourselves and keep pushing ourselves forward, challenging ourselves, and making sure that we're also being respectful and good people at heart.

I did not expect to be so close to everyone in my Grade, but then also be a mentor to students in younger grades. The community is very strong, especially just the community of your Grade. I think something you don't expect is how strong your community is and how deep your bonds are with everyone. It was so interesting. It was so different from what I expected. So, by the end of it, it was just like, it's more than a high school. It's a family, just a big 400-student family.

I remember a lot of the trips we took in high school, especially our Grade 11 trip to British Columbia. I think that was the biggest turning point that really brought everyone together. There is that first trip in high school, where you go to camp with everyone, which introduces you to everyone. But there is also that Grade 11 trip, which just strengthens our bonds.

My time at RSGC has shaped me in terms of leadership, being outgoing, and being willing to help. It gave me the ability to grow into that character. When I was a prefect, there was a lot of leadership responsibility, as well as when I was the TA.

I don't know if there was anything I would change about what I did at RSGC. I think I took the most out of the experience. I tried my best with every aspect of school life. I joined sports teams, I started my own club, I did a little bit of everything. I think what I might change is that I might, if I were to do it again, I would join the hockey league, the Road Hockey League. That is the one thing I regret not doing.

For prospective students, I'd recommend just going to the school, just walking the grounds on a normal day, because for me that really made a big difference, just seeing the atmosphere when I went on my visit. It felt like a homey place. And talk to some students, they'll be for sure happy to talk to you.

For the RSGC students, I’d say try something new. That's all I can say. There's so many things you can try, and eventually, one thing will stick, and that will lead to a lot of other things that you can try. But make sure to try something new. Get out of your comfort zone. Even if it's just joining a small club or starting your own, just try something new.