Radha’s Journey
Friday 14 January 2022
Since I was 9, I always had kickboxing by my side – to help me and support me when I had hard times, and to push me and help me thrive in the good times. Kickboxing and Sensei Denise taught me the value of hard work and perseverance.
They taught me how to reach for goals that seem out of grasp and, even more importantly, how to take all the little steps to reach those goals. But there are also times when a little outside help is so valuable and so valued. When I asked Sensei Denise for a reference for a school I was applying to, she said she would gladly help, and wrote me what I now know to have been a glowing reference. I had applied around this time last year, on an off-chance and with the hope of simply experiencing a proper selection and interview process. Now I write home to you all, my family at Meiji Martial Arts, from a small alcove in a library, near an old coat of armour and submersed in the smell of old books, listening to the soft patter of rain on the courtyard of a castle on the Welsh coast.
Atlantic College is an international school founded in 1962. There are about 30 British students and the other 300 are international, all between ages 15-21. More than half of us are on scholarships, and all of us have a hunger and desire to learn in a way I have never experienced before.
We study together, eat together and live together, around 50 students averaging four per room. This can be challenging, but I really have the kindest and most relaxed dorm mates. Part of living together is making sacrifices, respecting one another and each other’s personal space.
The school offers crazy experiences all the time, like caving or boating. Just last weekend I ran a half marathon with my chemistry teacher! We are also largely student-motivated, with councils and student-led events happening every single day. The principal not only invites opinions from these councils but truly considers their points of view, and is open to changing or developing his own rules or principles to better reflect the opinions of the student body on how to make our community a better place in which to live. We often discuss and vote on important issues such as COVID rules. Here we are not only allowed to voice our opinions but encouraged to do so, and to devise solutions to everyday problems. This is a great responsibility and reflects the trust the school has in us, the student body.
We study the international baccalaureate, which is an extremely competitive, challenging syllabus. Add to that the amazing extra-curriculars, school councils and mix of people getting to know each other, and there is barely time to breathe!
This school has accepted me, pushed me and challenged me in ways I have only previously experienced with my Meiji Martial Arts family. I thank you all and miss you so much! I can’t wait to see you again!