Change Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone

BY JOSEPH ADAMO, BOARD CHAIR

As I reflect on Helen’s opening article, think through Rob Wittmann’s words and kind introduction, and consider the work the Board of Governors and senior leadership team have undertaken over the past 10 years, I am reminded of Roy Bennett’s simple message, encased in his quote that titles this piece – true change comes at the expense of sitting comfortably and still.

I should first start by sharing what is in my mind and heart – I am incredibly privileged to chair our very talented Board of Governors and to work alongside all HTS management and educators to make the future possible for our children. I am humbled by their hard work and their commitment. I am excited to know that working together, we are preparing for and changing the future.

By way of introduction, I can say that I have a deep commitment to the cause of family and education. Angela and I, married now nearly 30 years, continue to reside near HTS and live together with our twins Emily and Vincent, who have benefited tremendously from their time at Holy Trinity School. Angela is an educator in the Catholic public system, and we both have a deep appreciation for educational constructs and for the need to create flexible learners, especially during a time in the world’s evolution when the mere rate of change is increasing astonishingly by the day.

- Barack Obama

The Board’s role is to embolden our management team to meet the future head-on and press for educational transformation that impacts our children today. Critically, and as Rob pointed out, the future is now.

Current world circumstances have called our management to press our transformation into action – immediately. Rob mentioned that the Board has embraced flexibility with

strategic plans that are iterative in nature; his good work has seen to that. The fact is, we have been working on tomorrow for some time now. The result? Of the four key scenarios for possible transformation that Helen highlights in her message, I submit that the most important concept is summarized in this phrase: “Education takes place everywhere, anytime.”

At the core of our mandate, HTS endeavours to create the learner who is, above all, of high moral character, curious and adaptable. Specific to our students, we seek to craft a model of education that meets the future by providing the foundation of lifelong learning through personalization. And on a broader scale, the Board supports the HTS vision that our model should be available to all, should be welcomed equally and should give back to the community.

Flexible learning creates flexible learners. The world demands leaders who can adapt, and we seek to provide such leaders. This is woven in the HTS experience, where we acknowledge the connection between developing competencies, character and that critical foundation of curiosity and pliability. Learning never stops.

Along with meeting the requirements of today, which include creating graduates who can successfully navigate the next steps beyond the HTS circle (post-secondary education), the Board will continue to work alongside management and educators to implement new learning styles. We will be mindful of the constructs of the first 100 years of education, while casting an eye forward to the requirements of our collective, rapidly changing society. Simply stated, we have put (and will continue to put) a stake in the ground where the future of education is concerned. And critically, we will do this as we put into action our deep commitment to inclusion.

As for my involvement, I hope to gain the trust of our community through stable and pragmatic leadership. I understand and respect the “today” task at hand. However, simultaneously, I will work tirelessly to inspire and embolden our management and our educators to be curious, and to press for a model of equity and education that meets the future – today.

And so, I end this message with this one further thought…

- commonly attributed to Mahatma Gandhi

In what ways did your HTS experience transform you?

It is hard not to look back at my HTS experience without acknowledging the medical transformation that occurred during my eight years at HTS. I went from being an extremely active and engaged athlete to not being able to participate at all. Academically, I lost the ability to write and the mental fatigue made everything challenging. It is while I was at HTS that I was first diagnosed with mitochondrial disease and where my journey to understand and push back on this disease began. HTS supported me throughout this time. While I struggled to understand all the difficulties, they never gave up on me and pushed me to recognize that I could still do anything that I put my mind to. I had so much support from the teachers and the guidance department, without whom my success as a student would not have been possible. They rose to the challenge and that let me rise to meet the same challenge – one that I continue to meet head-on every day.

HTS made a difference that will forever resonate with me and makes me want to also make a difference. With the help of my family, I wanted to create awareness and understanding of mitochondrial disease. We supported the creation of Canada’s first Research Chair in mitochondrial disease at the University of Toronto – and only the second one in the world. I have worked tirelessly to try to find ways to help others who are similarly struggling with this disease and have initiated numerous fundraising drives to support research and advocacy, as well as an Instagram page (@lifesjourneythomasz) that strives to give hope and inspiration to others who struggle like me. Thank you, HTS, for allowing me to rise up and be more than what I thought I could be.