A lifetime at ICS gave me many things — including my name

 

Sometimes, it boggles my mind to consider how much of my life I have spent here at ICS. I came to this school when I was just 5 years old, and now, after working all the way towards this final year of high school, I find myself just a handful of days before my graduation. So much of my life has taken place (and changed) here. 

Take, for example, my name. 

If you know me, chances are you’ve never heard me as “Gustavo,” but as “Gusty.” If I see my name, it's almost always Gusty. Even my mom calls me Gusty now. That name came from ICS, some time during Elementary School, and just stuck. I can’t even imagine how my first few years as a “Gustavo” would sound now, and all that changed because of this school here.

The most important part of ICS to me, though, has been the people in its community—especially my peers. 

Over the years, my mom has often asked me if I wanted to move to a different school, but even when I was younger, I would always say no. I didn't tell her why, but it was because I didn't want to leave my friends behind. 

Likewise, the teachers here are special—their willingness to engage with us, inside and outside the classroom have been a large part of why I’ve wanted to stay here all these years. The fact that we are able to crack jokes with teachers (sometimes at their expense!) is almost second nature here, and yet, maybe, it would seem very out of place somewhere else.

But now it’s time to close this chapter of my life, and open up a new one. 

Where I'm going for university is not 100% confirmed as of yet—I’ll either attend the University of Toronto or Imperial College London—but I know that I’m in for a drastic change wherever I go. If I’m being honest, that kind of change scares me, because I haven’t really had much experience going through transitions, having to fit into a different environment than what I'm used to. Thankfully, being a long-time resident of ICS has its perks. 

This school and community has done so much to help my ability to build and appreciate deeper connections with other people, and understand that it’s incredibly important to have those kinds of relationships to back you up during times like these.

I’m sure that I’ll probably never stop talking to some of the friends I’ve made here. It’s comforting to know that I’ll always have someone to be able to talk to, regardless of where I might find myself. I wouldn’t have that reassurance, much less those relationships (and, of course, my “name”) if it weren’t for ICS.