Alumni Reflection
by:  Christine McCleary
Graduating Class 2000

My name is Christine McCleary, and in the fall, I’ll be in the eleventh grade at Clarkson Secondary School.  I was part of the class of 2000 and spent two years in the French immersion program at Hazel.  I find it hard to believe I graduated from Hazel two years ago, because in my heart I don’t think I ever left.

To be honest, on my graduation night, I was really looking forward to seeing everyone else all decked out in their finest.  But what I recall the most, was the feeling of adrenaline flowing through my veins when I walked down the platform with my certificate in hand and thinking to myself that  I was leaving behind a part of my life forever. 

 To me, Hazel McCallion was the school where I was allowed to clean the slate, and become a dedicated, conscientious student. I realized that all of a sudden, not only was I a good student; I was kind of “gifted” even.  (This was a novel concept, for many of my former teachers had scoffed at the idea.)

I have a lot of good memories of Hazel, but one of my favourite memories was when, in English class, Mr. Riddell participated in a debate against a student. He chose me to be the mediator of the debate! What an honour!  The other fond memory is that of our impromptu version of “Who’s Line is it Anyway?” on the second last day of school in English class and Julia Roberts (!!!!!!!!!!!) came to my party.  And an eagle and… I don’t recall what Mr. Riddell was supposed to be, but he came to my party too.

My worst recollections of Hazel…well, I guess I regret the amount of trust I placed in certain people. Let’s just say,  this commitment of trust proved to be harmful to my health. And of course, when I think of bad memories, there’s music class.  Oh, how I detested that class. I hold nothing against the music teachers—they love what they do, but I, despite the lessons and hours of practice, was not a fan. The mere mention of the word “French horn” still makes me cringe.

When I came into Hazel in the seventh grade, it was as though I lived in a dark box, and as each day passed, the box expanded and more light came in. It grew to the point where my surroundings became sharper, clearer images and the newly formed goals for my future began to shape themselves.  The day I left the school, as an eighth grade student, was the day my box was no longer needed.  All of a sudden, I was assailed with a sense of direction.  After two years of feeling my way around essays, math tests, editorials and an endless number of projects, I finally knew how to cope with being a teenaged student. I had all the skills necessary to succeed in high school and I was ready for the next level of personal growth.

 If I had the chance to relive Hazel again…I think I would remember to treasure each day as if it were my last and to live in the moment.

 Those who need to be thanked are the teachers for their limitless reserve of patience that they used with me.  I firmly believe with the right teacher and proper instruction, one has the ability to learn anything and that nothing is out of the realm of possibility.  Because of the instruction I received, I now believe that anything is possible and what’s more important, I think for myself. Thank you to all of those teachers that contributed to that.

If I was asked to give advice to a new student to Hazel, I would simply tell them the truth; Hazel is an excellent school and that he, or she, is so very lucky to have the chance to attend Hazel.  Once they graduate and move onto high school, they will be equipped with the tools to succeed, because that is, after all, what happened to me.