Meet Jordan M ’19: a Prefect who spent his Lower School years overseas. Upon joining the Ridley community in 2014 as a Grade 8 student, Jordan completely immersed himself into a range of athletic and co-curricular activities. With a keen interest in film and digital media, Jordan continuously flexes his creativity both in and out of the classroom. Read more about Jordan here:

Why did you choose Ridley?
My parents are teachers at the school, but previously they worked overseas in the international school community. As a family, we decided we wanted to move to Canada to connect with the country my parents grew up in. When searching for private schools in Canada we fell in love with Ridley, its beautiful campus, and its vision in preparing students for the future.

Did you feel prepared coming to Ridley?
To be honest, at first I didn’t really know what I had gotten myself into as it was my first time going to school in Canada and I didn’t know what to expect. But I quickly felt welcomed into the community and it soon became my home.

Who is your favourite faculty member and why?
It’s hard to name just one faculty member because there are so many dedicated and caring faculty at the school that are here to support me. However, even though there is a bit of a conflict of interests, I would say my amazing parents (Ms. Anderson and Mr. Mitchell) are my favorite faculty members at the school. They are always there to support me through thick and thin and have led me through a ton of challenges.

What has been your greatest challenge thus far at Ridley?
So far, my greatest challenge at Ridley has been doing the IB Diploma. It really makes you develop your time management skills, as well as challenges you in the classroom. With this being said, there is a great support system that has helped me through the first year of the program.

What has been your greatest accomplishment thus far at Ridley?
To be honest, being a Prefect has been a great accomplishment and honour. I am proud to be recognized by my peers and members of the community as a leader, and I hope to make the most of it in the coming year.

What has been your favorite Ridley experience?
Although I have had a plethora of truly amazing experiences at Ridley, I would have to say that the Jacaranda service trip stands out. During spring break, in both Grades 10 and 11, I went on the trip to Malawi to help at the Jacaranda School for Orphans. It was a life-changing trip and not only did it feel amazing to be able to help the people there, but I was also able to learn a lot for myself and grow as a person.

What is your favourite part of Ridley life?
My favourite part about Ridley is how diverse the community is. There are students from all corners of the globe and it’s amazing being able to learn and hear about these various cultures from my friends and classmates.

What part of being a Prefect are you most excited for?
I’m most excited about being able to develop my leadership skills in a way that will be able to better the community around me for both me and my peers. I am really looking forward to working with the great group of fellow Prefects in a way that will hopefully create positive changes to the community, as well as promoting student life and making everyone feel welcome.

How has Ridley prepared you for the future?
Ridley has prepared me for the future in numerous ways. To begin with, I believe the incredible education and support at the school will be great in preparing me for university programmes. I believe the values I have learned at the school are just as, if not more, important, and will prepare me to go out and make a change in the world. Whether this be the balance it has taught and well roundedness, global mindedness, acceptance, or any one of the other values that Ridley teaches on a daily basis.

What are your plans after graduation?
I’m still not entirely sure what I want to do after I graduate as there are a lot of things that I’m interested in, but as of now I think I want to do a programme that combines film/various digital media and business in a way. These are topics I’m quite interested in and I want to pursue them in the future.

What advice would you give prospective students about Ridley?
One piece of advice I would give all prospective students to Ridley is to be as involved as possible in the various clubs and activities that the school has to offer. Ridley has a wide selection of co-curricular activities to be involved in that you should try out. Whether it be something you’re experienced at, passionate about, or just curious about. For example, at first I was a little hesitant to join the Jacaranda service trip, however it ended up being one of my favourite experiences at Ridley and in my life in general.