Here’s what our wonderful Mansfield House Captain Zoey thinks about the question “what does Macleans mean to you?” Read on for her little slice of wisdom!
School has been a huge part of my life and Macleans in particular has played a key role in making me who I am today. It’s where I have made many friends, learnt new skills and gained both knowledge and confidence. Simply put, Macleans is somewhere I feel like I belong. But what does that really mean?
Firstly, I’m really grateful for the whanau house system. In the beginning, Mansfield was just a building on campus where I often stayed for class and lunch. Soon, it became a comfortable place and the foundation of my college experience. I quickly became eager to support my house in the many competitions that I soon discovered. As a Mansfieldian, I just love telling everyone that Mansfield is the best house.
Most of the friends I’ve made are from my house and we share memories and jokes that come from our time together as a whanau. It’s hard to explain, but I love that feeling of togetherness that comes out of having strong house spirit and pride. It makes things more exciting and belonging to a house makes our time in college so much more enjoyable. I know that in Mansfield, I will always have friends around me and someone to sit with.
Besides that, I’m thankful for the many extracurricular opportunities. Just like the house system, extracurriculars have given me the chance to make lifelong memories as well as improve my skills, discover new hobbies and meet people who share my interests and values. This is such an integral part of school-life and it would be so difficult to get through college without the sense of belonging and community that extracurriculars bring. As humans, we live for that. We live for those connections.
I never really had a sport or activity to be a part of until I came to Macleans. Since the very beginning, way back in year nine, I was encouraged to get involved by many teachers around me. Thanks to them, I was able to discover so much in the last five years. I value and appreciate the amount of opportunities we have access to so much, and it truly wouldn’t have been the same without their presence at Macleans.
Five years. The perfect opportunity to build friendships that will last for years to come and make memories that will remain in our hearts and minds long after we graduate. Sure, we might (hopefully) remember what we learnt in class, but school, and Macleans specifically, has taught me things that have shaped me as a person. I’ve learnt how to be more confident and find things that make me happy, rather than dwelling on things that I can’t change. This is what Macleans means to me.
31st July, 2024
Written by Zoey Milne, edited by Hope Zhang
Photo by Kanishk Soni
