Young Minds Compete in National Reach for the Top Finals
Moncton, New Brunswick – The halls of Bernice MacNaughton High School and Wabanaki School are buzzing with intellectual energy this weekend as students from across the country gather for the national finals of Reach for the Top. More than just a competition for a trophy, the event fosters a vibrant national community among young scholars.
Beyond the Trivia: Building Confidence and Connections
For Grade 12 student Alexis Reid, representing Fredericton High School, Reach for the Top has been a transformative experience. “It has boosted my confidence,” Reid shared. “When I first started, I was very introverted; I wouldn’t talk to people or speak up if I knew something was right or wrong.” Now, those hesitations have vanished, replaced by a newfound self-assurance.
Reid highlighted the profound impact of friendships forged with teammates and the opportunity to connect with students from diverse backgrounds nationwide. This sentiment is echoed by many participants who find value in the shared pursuit of knowledge.
A National Gathering of Sharp Minds
The national finals bring together twenty-three teams at both junior and senior levels, with five teams hailing from New Brunswick. Natasha LeBlanc, coach of the Bernice MacNaughton High School team, emphasized the significance of hosting the competition. “Attendance numbers are dropping all over the country since the pandemic,” LeBlanc noted. “If you’re involved in something, you feel a responsibility to come to that team, to go to that practice.” She believes this weekend is less about the ultimate victory and more about the shared experience and enjoyment.
Fostering Community Through Competition
Jeevan Singh, a Grade 12 student from Rothesay Netherwood School, echoed this philosophy. “I think the ability to bring us to like-minded individuals creates this almost vibrant, national community that we can then create and foster relationships over multiple years,” Singh explained. His teammate, Peter Jollymore, joined the program to expand his understanding of the world. “To be able to apply that [enjoyment] and then make it competitive really pushes me to keep learning and keep understanding the world around me,” Jollymore stated.
For Wabanaki School’s Grade 7 student Lucie Rosenberg, the ability to share knowledge has been a key to building connections. “I’ve connected with so many people on questions that are… meaningful to me and we’ve actually made friends that way,” Rosenberg said. “I think it’s just really cool and a really amazing opportunity to be able to connect with people in such a way and also compete with that knowledge that we have.”
