Interview with St. Michael's College School Alum, Michael Tighe

One thing St. Mike's did really well was get you thinking about the bigger concepts. It encouraged you to think about who you were as an individual and what you wanted.

Understanding who you are as an individual is hard enough in high school, and I think St. Mike's did a good job of encouraging that process.

You definitely saw some overlap between athletics and academics. Many of the strongest athletes were successful on multiple teams, and some of them were also very academically inclined.

There was a lot more flexibility as you moved into the later grades. I was able to choose the courses that interested me while still completing the mandatory courses required for graduation.

My grandfather on my mom's side really loved St. Mike's, and both he and my dad had heard great things about the school, so they decided it would be a good fit for me. I remember that my mom's dad and his brother had both attended St. Mike's, so it was something of a legacy school for our family.

St. Mike's really tries to live by its motto of Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge. It sounds a little corny when you first hear it, but it genuinely is something they work hard to instill in their students.

The school does a good job of recognizing where students are at that age and what they need to support their growth and development… St. Mike's focuses on instilling principles like working hard and understanding the importance of philosophy and religion.

Being an all-boys school also has an impact… Having an all-boys environment creates a strong focus with fewer distractions. There's a real emphasis on academics and athletics, and many students take both very seriously.

The school creates a strong structure for personal growth and development. It instills important values, and the all-boys environment contributes to a culture that's very focused on learning, athletics, and personal development.

Some private schools become known for attracting students from very exclusive socioeconomic backgrounds, but I think St. Mike's did a good job of avoiding that. There was still a healthy mix of students from different backgrounds, and I think that was important.

If I had to describe the student body, I'd say it was boisterous, confident, and athletically inclined. There was a certain attitude at St. Mike's, especially among students involved in sports, and I think that culture rubbed off on everyone who attended the school.

The school's motto was built into the curriculum, but it was also reflected in the attitudes and character of the faculty.

You find your place, and you build a good group of friends. Candidly, I'm still in touch with many of the friends I made there. A bunch of us even lived together at Queen's.

The relationships developed naturally, and that's what made them so authentic. Part of the appeal of a private school is the opportunity to build a strong network. What surprised me was how organic that network became. It never felt forced or contrived.

The more time passes after you leave the school, the more differently you think about the experience. As you get older, you have more respect and understanding for what they were trying to do at the time.