Torch - Spring 2018

COGNITIVE Wellness

Skills-building to boost life beyond Havergal

Old Girl Stephanie Higgs 2017 uses the skills she learned at Havergal in her post- secondary school life.

O ld Girl Stephanie Higgs may have graduated from Havergal in 2017, but she still uses the supports she learned in her new life as a first-year undergraduate in Communications Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. Arriving in Grade 7, Higgs chose Havergal in part for the supports offered for her diagnosed learning disabilities. She quickly threw herself into a range of co-curricular activities that, over the years, included badminton, tennis, skiing, field hockey, swimming, spirit leader, school council and Middle School Prefect. Long-standing activities included volunteering for sports camp Jumpstart and leading Best Buddies, which pairs Havergal students with intellectually challenged students from area schools for activities from baking to movie nights. Higgs took over leadership of Best Buddies

At university, Higgs has brought her confidence with her. “I learned to have the authority and the voice to say, ‘You know what? I am struggling with writing this paper, so I’ll go to the writing centre,’ or going to my professor’s office hours, asking for help from any of the older students or adults. That’s definitely how Havergal helped me transition to university,” she says. She also hopes to carry the giving she learned at Havergal into a career in marketing at a non-profit organization. She already volunteers at Laurier with Right to Play, a non-profit that supports kids to play sports in developing countries. As representative for Class of 2017, Higgs carries fond memories of her high school years. “At Havergal, they really do value listening to you, whether it’s an idea you have or something you’re struggling with.”

in Grades 11 and 12 and she is still in touch with her partner student today. Higgs was elected as one of the Middle School Prefects in Grade 12, a full-circle moment. “Ever since I started in Grade 7, I looked up to the Prefects. I knew I wanted to not only be a Prefect, but I was also interested in working with the Middle School students ideally because they made my transition so much easier,” says Higgs. “As someone needing a lot of support in my learning and academic experience, I felt like it was a way to give back.” Higgs says she’s also helped immensely in university by habits established under Havergal Learning Support teacher Carrie Steele, who she recalls visiting almost daily. “I would have comfort in knowing that I was cared for and looked out for. There was always going to be a solution,” she says.

TABLE OF CONTENTS | SPRING 2018 • TORCH 25