collegiate: a great place to hang your hat
The interview had gone well, and as I walked the teaching applicant to the front door, she posed a question that left me fumbling for just the right words.
What, she asked, separates Collegiate from other schools?
OK, I thought, be careful with this one.
She’s asking me to compare, and I don’t really have a good frame of reference.
I have definite opinions, of course, but I’ve been around here forever and bleed green and gold, so reeling off a list of reasons from a biased perspective might not be appropriate.
All schools have their strengths, I began, and none are perfect
Thankfully, though, Collegiate has worked for a lot of people.
May I tell you what makes it very great place to hang your hat?
Please do, she said.
Well, I said, we have great facilities that are getting greater as we speak.
We’re embarking on a massive renovation project that will make the North Mooreland Road campus a garden spot.
As with any building project, there’ll be inconveniences, but I have no doubt that everyone will work together so no one will feel too imposed upon and, when the last bulldozer has been hauled off, the result will be well worth the wait.
Plus, the Goochland Campus, now the Robins Campus thanks to the incredible generosity of the E. Claiborne Robins Jr. family, has all the land and amenities we need for our athletic program.
We have incredible tech resources and support, academic freedom, great food in the cafeterias, and all the free coffee you can drink.
Our sports teams have had very good success in their leagues, at the state level, and against the strongest public school programs we can find.
Most important, our kids know how to compete, and that includes preparing, playing the game itself, and dealing with the outcome in a sportsmanlike manner.
Our fall musical, The Music Man, sold out four straight nights and drew rave reviews, and somehow all the kids figured a way to balance their rehearsal schedules with their academic responsibilities, athletics, and otherwise having a life.
We have all sorts of service learning projects going on, our students’ artistic and literary accomplishments are outstanding, and kids pretty much get into the colleges they want, move on to be vital members of society, and look back to their time here as positive.
Many even say “thank you” to the teacher when they leave the classroom.
OK, she said when I finally came up for air.
You’ve talked about things you can see, things you can measure. Tell me what Collegiate is really about.
I took a swig of coffee and continued.
When I came here back during the Nixon Administration, the term “family school” was very much in vogue. I interpreted it to mean that if you had a relative here and had a pulse yourself, you got in.
It didn’t take me long to understand what “family school” really means: a community of friends – all Collegiate constituencies – celebrating accomplishments and, more important, providing a support system in time of need, sometimes even grave need. Stay here long enough, and you’ll find yourself on both sides of the caring.
So, she said as we parted company, Collegiate isn’t just about buildings or computers or championships or AP scores or even free coffee. It’s about the people, isn’t it? You’re saying that the best part about Collegiate is the people.
Yes, I replied, that’s exactly right.
The best part about Collegiate is definitely the people.
