St. George's School, Vancouver - Review #2

St. George's stood out because they actually let you build stuff instead of just reading about engineering in textbooks. The Fusion 10 Engineering Cohort was this hands-on program where we designed and prototyped real solutions to actual problems, which is pretty rare for high school. I came in grade 8 focused on robotics and left with this whole framework for thinking about humanitarian engineering, which honestly wasn't something I expected to care about when I started. The VEX robotics program was legitimately competitive and taught me more about team dynamics and problem solving under pressure than any leadership seminar could. What made St. George's different was how they connected technical skills to global issues. When I wanted to research Nepal's infrastructure development or design a modular drip irrigation system, teachers didn't just say "cool project" and move on. They helped me actually execute it and think through real world applications. The school supported my summer at Tufts studying international relations in France and my volunteer work in Nepal, understanding that engineering isn't just about making things but about understanding who you're making them for.

The best thing was developing a framework for humanitarian engineering. I came in just wanting to build robots, but I left understanding how to use those skills for real problems. Leading the VEX team taught me more about leadership than anything. Projects like the drip irrigation system or my blog on Nepal’s infrastructure made it tangible. Getting into Michigan and joining the Mars Rover team right away proved the hands-on approach worked. I learned how to lead, how to iterate when things fail, and how to think globally.

I wish I’d documented my projects better from the start. And gotten more sleep during competition seasons, but that’s probably impossible. Advice? Find your people early, through robotics or whatever you’re into. Don’t try to do everything jiust go deep on what interests you. If you like building things, programs like Fusion 10 are gold. Dorm life is fun if you lean into the chaos. And if you have a project that connects to global issues, the school will back you.

The hands-on engineering support and connecting it to humanitarian work. The robotics program was exceptional and led directly to my spot on the Mars Rover team. The school gets that you learn by building, failing, and trying again. The global perspective from MUN and my volunteer work shaped everything.

If you’re into engineering or robotics, join VEX and Fusion 10 immediately. The hands-on learning is everything. Don’t be scared to start; you learn by doing. Connect your tech interests to real-world problems because the school will help. Dorm life is what you make it. Explore Vancouver. Remember, failing at a build teaches you more than getting it right the first time. Also, sleep when you can.

It prepared me perfectly for mechanical engineering at Michigan. My favorite was math, but only because the teachers showed how it applied to real engineering problems. The Fusion 10 program was the most valuable thing. You learn by doing, sketch an idea, CAD it, prototype it, watch it fail, and try again. That exact cycle is what I do now on the Mars Rover team. The workload was fine if you stayed organized. Teachers gave you the tools and the freedom to apply them to projects you actually cared about.

I wasn’t big into traditional sports; all my time went to robotics. The school never made me feel less for that. They value different kinds of achievement. The facilities looked great for the athletes. The culture seemed positive, focused on development, not just winning. I appreciated that St. George's valued different kinds of achievement, so being a robotics team leader carried similar weight to being a star rugby player. The facilities were good from what I saw. The athletic culture seemed positive and focused on development. For someone like me whose idea of physical activity was hauling robot parts around or assembling competition structures, the school didn't pressure me to be something I wasn't.

I wasn’t involved personally. My friends in music and theatre loved it though. The school supports those programs well. It’s not just a jock or academic school; there’s a real balance.

VEX robotics was everything. Leading a team of four to design and build a robot for competition teaches you more about project management and people than any class. You deal with material delays, broken parts, and different personalities. Richmond MUN taught me how to build systems that actually work for hundreds of people. These weren’t just resume fillers; they gave me skills I use every day now.

Boarding from grade 8 was great. The dorms had a good vibe. You’d have focused work time, then random conversations about robot code or anything else at midnight. Living with guys into different things from sports, music, engineeringg gave you real perspective. The house system added structure without being strict. It taught me total independence, how to manage my own time, and how to function when a 3D printer breaks at 2 AM before a competition. It was the best prep for university.

The dining hall did its job keeping everyone fed. Food was decent, nothing I'd write home about but consistent enough. There was variety to accommodate different diets which mattered given how diverse the student body was. Meals became social time where you'd end up in conversations with people from completely different friend groups. The dining staff were friendly. Sometimes the food got repetitive but honestly when you're focused on getting a robot working you're not particularly picky about what you're eating. Overall it functioned fine.

Vancouver's location was ideal for someone interested in engineering and global issues. Being in a major city meant access to resources, makerspaces, the Museum of Migration where I volunteered, and connections to organizations working on international development. The area felt safe and accessible. As a boarding student most weekday time was on campus, but weekends offered chances to explore. Vancouver's tech scene and emphasis on sustainability probably influenced my thinking about humanitarian engineering. The city's diversity connected to understanding global perspectives. The location balanced having a campus community with access to urban opportunities.

My social circle was the robotics team and MUN. We spent so much time together building and competing. The dorms made it easy to be friends with guys into totally different things. It wasn’t cliquey. People respected different kinds of hustle, whether it was sports or building a robot. Weekends were for working on projects or hanging out. It was a good vibe.