I decided to challenge myself before I set foot in DSHA – the best decision I made. The first activity I joined was field hockey, a sport I had never played or even watched in my life. I walked on the field for my first practice, knowing no one and feeling slightly out of place and left with at least 30 friendly faces that I could wave hello to in the halls. Later, I joined the rugby team and experienced the same camaraderie. Socially, I believe that accurately reflects the supportive environment that you will end up discovering here. The girls around you will not just be teammates, bandmates, classmates, or castmates; they will grow to become your sisters.

 

This ideology of family and sisterhood extends beyond the school through opportunities of service and intercultural experiences, which have played a pivotal role in building my sense of purpose and morality. Service here has taught me how my actions can and do speak louder than my words. Extending outside of my comfort zone more and more with every service site I have been at, I have been allowed a deeper understanding of diverse human experiences. It has truly taught me the significance of compassion and being the goodness and kindness through my actions.

The summer going into my sophomore year, I was blessed with the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage to Israel through DSHA. This transformative experience is one of the many different ones that you will end up finding here. From trips to France through the French exchange program, to Italy for a pilgrimage, to Madison for the Latin Convention, Costa Rica for environmental studies, Washington D.C. for a respect life march, attending a mass in a different language, or service-based mission trips to Rwanda, Tanzania, or Togo, just to name some of the few opportunities that may arise during your time here. While right now these can sound exciting, overwhelming, and unfamiliar territory, I highly encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone because that is where the most growth will happen. On a personal level, these experiences have solidified my desire to pursue a career in medicine where I practice abroad to make a greater impact in areas most in need.

 

I encourage all of you to step outside of your comfort zone in your choice of classes and co-curriculars. Similar to many girls' schedules here, my classes and co-curriculars range from AP and honours to neither one of those. Art classes, such as ceramics (which I had never done before) or varying topics reinforced my passion for medicine, such as psychology, food chemistry, or anatomy, where we had the opportunity to experience a cadaver lab at a university. I very quickly realized that the opportunity to learn exists in everything. I joined our orchestra just last year to try something new. I also joined SMART Team which is a research-focused co-curricular; it allowed me to look at medicine more intricately. The great thing about being in this environment is that you have so many opportunities to start to find what you are interested in whether it be through classes or co-curriculars.

 

As a part of stepping out of your comfort zone, I challenge all of you to be authentically yourselves. I know that many of you are coming from co-ed school. I came from a co-ed school as well, so the unique ‘all girls’ and uniform situation might make you a bit nervous, but from my experience, this is actually liberating. In the classroom, raising your hand to ask or answer questions is encouraged. Advocating for a leadership position for yourself is commended. Holistic wellbeing is taught and practiced. You’ll find that getting ready in the morning will be ten times easier and that sweatpants and sweatshirts are staples of out-of-uniform days. For dress in theme days or spirit weeks, assemblies and rallies, we go all out. At DSHA, there is a shared community in that sense of acceptance where girls are supported in their passions, interests, and authenticity.

 

As an incoming freshman who sat where you are now, being welcomed to DSHA, I could not have imagined the path I find myself on today. I am proud to share that I will be attending Brown University and playing Division 1 Women’s Rugby next year.

Yes, I had to put in the work, I had to try new things (like rugby!). I had to build my connections, but I was able to do so with the encouraging environment, multitude of opportunities and transformative education that I found here, along with those little challenging steps of stepping outside of my comfort zone. I challenge you to push the limits of your potential. Truly engage and be present in the journey.

How do you know what you are capable of if you haven't tried?