Brain Cell Banter: Farewell BCB, Farewell WPGA

by Stephanie Hai ’22 & Katrina Sun ’22

Dear Brain Cell Banter Readers,

In our last edition, we’re laying it all down. These last two years of our column have been the greatest gift; from k-dramas, racial reconciliation of our Asian-Canadian identity, love affairs, and more, we’ve truly enjoyed every moment of writing this sensational column. 

Grade 12 is strange. Four years of high school spent preparing for this one year, and all of a sudden, you just leave. Like. What? Firsts really become lasts. Last VYMUN, last council meeting, last glassroom argument, last off-campus lunch, last laugh attack session with Boland and Bendl, last year-end snack party, last day of high school. This final letter won’t tell you that high school flies by because, in a way, it’s not the school that changes so fast. It’s really who we were as people—who we came to be friends with, and who are grade 12 selves ultimately were—that was the quickest to change. 

To the ‘23 Grads: You will face burnout. And you might not know if you can bounce back. The halls of WPGA are supportive, but it’s really your independence that can propel you through a week of AP exams and final assessments. WPGA instills this to you at the core. For those of you who will embark on the treacherous journey of US university applications, have faith in yourself.

Before you know it, you’ll be running down the hallways celebrating your first university acceptance. And, for many of you, your second, third, and so on…until it becomes so normal that you’ll even forget how stressed you were at the beginning of the year. For any WPGA student, excellence comes with ease. Support each other like you always have, and cherish each other for all of your unique characteristics—the same qualities that will be loved by the universities you go to. Don’t lose your purpose of why you attend WPGA; although getting caught up in academics is inevitable, this school is really the backbone of your life. Always take gratitude in this environment, from the teachers who never give up on you to the friends who support you through your emotional breakdowns, WPGA truly is a special place. Enjoy your grad year and live your life. This moment will truly never come again. 

To the ’24 Grads: Congrats on completing half of high school! Shoutout Tommy and Henny (don’t miss us too much). In the next half of your high school journey, take it easy. You might feel some early-onset university stress, but you will be fine. Grade 11 will simultaneously be the most rewarding and most tumultuous year of your life, but to be fair it is arguably the most important year of high school. Back in the day, when we were in grade 11, it was a different, more covid-filled time. Now, as we step away from pandemic restrictions, embrace all the moments that pass you by—even those that feel excruciatingly mundane. In the blink of an eye, you’ll find yourself reaching all the milestones that the grades before you did. 

To the ’26 Grads: ⅕ of highschool done! P.S. Daisy and Sheree, you better keep the Intercultural Club alive. 

To the ’27 Grads: Welcome to high school. Your years will be filled by seemingly insurmountable amounts of teen angst, academic distress, and of course some grade-wide drama, but those will not be the moments that you remember. By the end of your journey at WPGA, only the good memories will remain. Forge your own path and find your own niche. No one else can dictate your goals or take credit for your accomplishments, so create your own WPGA legacy. In five years, the school’s narrow halls will be filled by an entirely different set of people than when you were little grade 8s. And, most frighteningly, you’ll be an entirely different person too.

Our final words: be grateful for your high school experience, and find solace in knowing you’re well prepared for the future. Time will fly by regardless of how many people tell you this, but from your first step into these wild halls to your last step of the Chan Center stage, remember that you’re bound to inevitably change. Your grades, friends, and teachers will all accumulate to what you remember from school—but take pride in your character development.