Interview with Trinity College School Alum, Lade Adeusi

TCS was very leadership focused: they really focused on having well-rounded students and students having opportunities to excel in different areas, not only academically, but with sports, arts, drama, music. I think that helped me. It helped give me more confidence in being independent with what I wanted to do, not only academically, but extracurricular-wise  I felt like when I got to university I was able to hit the ground running and find my own place there, not only with academics but again volunteering and other things as well.

One of the main driving factors for me choosing TCS was this focus on career and post-high school life. I had a friend who went to TCS and I could see that they had the resources to really spend time with us to make sure that what we wanted to do after high school could be realized and achieved. I always wanted to go to medical school, but I didn't know exactly what routes there were for me, and TCS told me about the opportunity to do medical school overseas, which I'd never heard of before. And they fully supported me through that whole application process as well.

I'm super into science, and I did the pre AP and the Advanced Placement courses in biology, chemistry and physics at TCS. The largest class size I had at TCS was 12 or 13, so I really was able to work very closely with my teachers and gain a real passion for science, especially chemistry and biology. I have only my teachers there to thank for that.

I did an international volunteering trip with TCS in my last year. We went to Kingston, Jamaica, and that was probably one of the highlights of my whole time in TCS. We were working in an inner-city school and I was part of teaching and helping assist the teachers in a class of people who weren't able to finish high school on their own. I think it gave us such a good understanding of other cultures; made us really reflect on where we come from in Canada — such a privileged position — and allowed us to connect with other people who you would never even think you could connect with.

I played field hockey for both my years at TCS, and I also played tennis both my years at TCS. I was lucky enough to be the captain of the tennis team in my final year — in Grade 12. It was amazing to work closely with some of my close friends at TCS. Being able to travel to different schools for tournaments and things like that was really fun.

I was part of Trinity Singers for both years as well, which is amazing. We did so many concerts. And we were really able to bring forward our own ideas as well, which is amazing: we were able to bring forward popular songs that were on the radio at the time, and do our own renditions of them. TCS has a lot of practice rooms where you can go and be by yourself and practice your music, which we loved as well—during after-school, just hanging out and jamming together. It was really fun.

TCS is a very international, global school. I have Nigerian heritage, and it was so nice to meet people who actually grew up in Nigeria and live in Nigeria and are coming over to TCS to be a boarder Lade was a day student living in Port Hope, and meet people from other countries who I never would have had the chance to meet before — that would be the highlight for me.

You got to know everyone so well. And I don't think more than one or two weeks went by without us doing something together as a whole school. We had a lot of fun half-days. We had a lot of fun skate days and different school dances, and you just got to know everyone so well. It really helped to foster a sense of community, and it was something different for me. I was coming from a school of over two thousand students. So to go from somewhere you feel a little bit anonymous to having your own place carved out for you was a really great feeling.

I don't think more than one or two weeks went by without Trinity College School doing something together as a whole school. You get to know everyone so well, and it helped to foster the sense of community. I was coming from a school of over two thousand students. So to go from somewhere that you feel a little bit anonymous, to having your own place carved out for you was a really great feeling.

Everyone at TCS is very driven and goal-oriented, which is amazing. Everyone’s able to find out what they like and really make that their own. You'd be hard pressed to find a TCS student who doesn’t have some sort of avenue to really be themselves and who is not taking advantage of that.

Some of my highlights of being at TCS were just those random days hanging out with all your friends in the lounge, or one of the days of the Winter Olympics when we all got the day off to watch the Canadian hockey team play. Just random bursts of fun and spontaneity.

I think the highest value of Trinity College School would be community. Coming together as a school community, but also as a part of the local community and in the global community. TCS also puts a very high value on scholarship and research. We have so many Advanced Placement courses, and so many specialty subjects, and teachers who are so passionate about different areas, so I'd say scholarship is another value of TCS. Also, creativity. TCS has such a well-built drama program, arts program, music program — anyone can find their home at TCS. You won't be looking far to find something that interests you. And if you can't find it, they're happy to help you create it.

I think Trinity College School gave me a lot of confidence. I came in not really knowing who I was or what I wanted out of life, and I think it gave me a lot of opportunities to really practice and fall on my face a couple of times, and give me the resources to kind of pick myself up and try again.

I would definitely recommend Trinity College School to other students who are looking for somewhere to be themselves and become themselves. I think TCS has so many avenues that you can explore and you can really make it your own. And I think it gives you a lot of confidence, a lot of ability, a lot of independence, which I don't think can be found in many other schools.

I think if I were to give someone a tour of the school today, I would start at Osler Hall. It's our dining hall. Everyone always says it looks like Hogwarts and Harry Potter, but I would definitely start there. It's an impressive feat of architecture, but it's also such a cozy place where you spend a lot of time with your friends. Trinity College School is a school where, even as a day student, you often have breakfast, lunch and dinner at school. So you're spending a lot of time at Osler Hall, a lot of time just talking to your friends and winding down, and you even see faculty in there as well. I think Trinity College School is a beautiful place. And it has all along its perimeter the flags of the countries, of its students and faculty. I think it's a place where you can really see TCS's diversity as well.

Advice I’d give a new student: take a deep breath. It's easy to get overwhelmed at all the things you could do at Trinity College School, and all the expectations, classes and sports teams. Take a deep breath and really enjoy your time. It goes by so quickly — not only as someone who was there for two years, but I've talked to my friends who've been there since grade five and it goes equally as fast for them. So take a deep breath. Enjoy your time.