A Voice in the Wilderness Archive
An Inspiring Global Exchange
In recent weeks, Grade 10 students taking part in Shawnigan’s Global Exchange program have fanned out to high schools in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to experience life as students in those countries. They will study alongside their peers in those nations while living with host families or in boarding houses at their respective schools. Jackson Froese travelled to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa last year as part of the Global Exchange program, and reflects here on his life-changing experience and how it inspired him to make a difference.
When I first heard about the Global Exchange program opportunity in my Grade 9 social studies class, I was instantly hooked. Without fully knowing what I was getting into, I called my mom and said I wanted to go to South Africa. She insisted I could go anywhere else – but not South Africa. She soon realized that if South Africa wasn’t an option, I wouldn’t want to go at all. After months of discussion, convincing, and a year of waiting, I found myself on a plane crossing the Atlantic toward a life I couldn’t yet imagine.
Until that moment, my decision had felt easy. It wasn’t until I was in the air that reality hit: at 16, I was traveling over 15,000 km to attend Hilton College, an all-boys boarding school in a country I had never visited. Fear, uncertainty, and excitement swirled together. There was no turning back, and in that moment, I truly understood what it means to take a leap of faith.
Living in South Africa became a journey of self-discovery. I learned independence, resilience, and humility. Through Hilton’s community outreach program, and with the guidance of Mr. Kingsley and Dr. Du Bois, I had the chance to volunteer at Thembelihle Primary, a school for underprivileged children. I helped prepare meals, taught sports, and spent time with the students – many of whom didn’t own proper sports shoes, making participation difficult and unsafe. This experience stayed with me, and since returning home, I’ve worked with Hilton College to raise awareness and funds to provide these students with proper sports shoes. With the help of the boys back in Hilton, we are working to organize events to raise money for the students. Some of the things we are doing are a 24-hour run at Hilton College to raise awareness, and a fundraiser dinner at Shawnigan this coming April. With the help of everyone we are aiming to raise $10,000 for the students of Thembelihle, to give them a safer life.
This exchange is an experience I will never forget. What remains most powerful is the realization that friendship transcends borders and cultures. Despite our differences, we are deeply connected as human beings. I am profoundly grateful to Shawnigan Lake School for creating this opportunity – one that has shaped who I am and will stay with me forever.
Jackson Froese is a Grade 11 student at Shawnigan Lake School.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
