Intellectual Humility Part 2: The Courage to Change Course
At last week's Academic Assembly, two of our Grade 12 students shared highlights from their academic journeys following Mr. Harvey's remarks on intellectual humility. In preparation for tomorrow's course selection deadline, we thought it of interest to share their journeys.
Both Vanessa Gianikos (has been at CDS since Grade 4) and Preston Baichoo (arrived in Grade 9) entered high school thinking they had "everything figured out," but their interests and what they thought they knew changed along the way. They learned that intellectual humility involves being willing to revise what you think you know about yourself and recalibrate when necessary.
Both Vanessa Gianikos (has been at CDS since Grade 4) and Preston Baichoo (arrived in Grade 9) entered high school thinking they had "everything figured out," but their interests and what they thought they knew changed along the way. They learned that intellectual humility involves being willing to revise what you think you know about yourself and recalibrate when necessary.
Vanessa was certain she would be an architect and approached every class selection and decision with that goal in mind. When her interests started to shift, she started to panic and took many classes to keep her options open. Vanessa realized the architect path was not for her and had mistaken "certainty for self-knowledge." She found that trying, questioning, and even being wrong expanded her self-knowledge more than certainty ever could, teaching her that "not being fixed is not a failure. It's a privilege."
Preston initially followed his parents' dream for him to become a medical doctor, a path he felt was safe and respected, but he was unsure if it aligned with his passion. He chose to be open-minded and explored various clubs (robotics, Model UN, DECA, debate, basketball, cricket, baseball) and academic fields (business courses, computer engineering, and computer science).
He learned that business was not for him but found coding, debugging, and designing systems rewarding. Combined with robotics experience, this helped Preston realize that engineering, specifically where hardware and software intersect, was the right path. He concludes that high school is the time to explore and that being unsure is "actually the best position to be in."
We thank these GY students for their honesty and wish our students all the best as they choose their courses for next year!
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
Junior, Middle and Senior Schools
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
