TORRIN PRICE Creating connections through kindness, loyalty and empathy
Grade 7 student Torrin Price values the importance of friendship and regularly makes an effort to be the kindest person he can be, accepting everyone for who they are. In Middle School, students spend a lot of time learning about themselves and how to become aware of the differences identified in one another while emphasizing what makes each person unique. “We talk a lot about how to be ourselves, and I’ve realized that your friends will always be nice to you for who you are as a person, you don’t have to be somebody you are not.” With a strong academic interest in history and science, kindness, loyalty, and sharing similar interests are only some of the traits that Torrin is drawn to when it comes to the friends with whom he surrounds himself. “When we are interested in the same things, we help each other, and when we have different interests, we are learning new things from each other,” he says. “We are making each other better people.”
“I always think about what this person is experiencing, what it’s like to be them, and what can I do to be nicer; I put myself in their shoes.”
With many opportunities to make connections at Pickering College, Torrin appreciates the classroom activities, group discussions, field trips, and even the simple pleasures of recess. “Pickering College is very inclusive. There’s a lot of group work which allows you to get to know everyone better, there’s recess which allows everyone to come together rather than being alone, and in classes like phys-ed, there is a lot of teamwork and collaboration.” Outside of school, Torrin enjoys camping, kayaking, and fishing with his family. He also plays both rugby and hockey and enjoys running. “I also play the bagpipes at home, which is really fun!” But among all his interests, his favourite thing is being surrounded by people he cares about and seeing them smile. “I love making people laugh, I love making them happy.”
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