A Journey Worth Looking Back On

When Ayo Brodie-Mends '24 left Lagos, Nigeria for Rosseau Lake College, he had no way of knowing just how much the next two years would shape him. Today, he's entering his third year at McMaster University, studying Economics.

"I didn't really know much about the school before I arrived," Ayo admitted. "I was just grateful for the opportunity."

He remembers landing in the middle of a Muskoka winter, before most students had even returned from break. Everything felt unfamiliar: the country, the climate, the community. It didn't stay that way for long.

"It was the people who made the biggest difference," he said. "Everyone helped me settle in."

That kind of welcome isn't accidental. At RLC, making sure every student feels known, valued and cared for from day one is something the school takes seriously, whatever country they're arriving from. With small class sizes and a deliberately limited student population, teachers get to be more than instructors. They become mentors and coaches who take the time to understand who a student is, and who they're working to become.

For Ayo, arriving in the dead of winter, that culture is what turned an unfamiliar campus into a community. Whether a student is coming from the next town over or from halfway around the world, RLC is built around finding common ground: campfire conversations, team challenges, student-led initiatives and school-wide traditions that bring people together. It's a place where students are encouraged to have a real voice, not just to fit in but to help shape the community around them.

As our conversation went on, one thing kept coming up: you don't always realize how special something is until it's behind you.

"When you're there, you complain about the little things," Ayo laughed. "But afterwards, you realize those were priceless moments."

Coming from Lagos, Outdoor Education was unlike anything he'd experienced before. Camping, canoeing, days spent outside on Lake Rosseau. At the time, it just felt like another part of school. Now, it's one of the first things he talks about.

"The conversations on Outtrips, sitting around without your phone, just bonding with people... those moments are truly special."

Those experiences taught him more than he realized at the time. Living away from home, balancing school, sports and residence life, and figuring things out for himself built a kind of confidence that stayed with him long after graduation.

"I think RLC prepared me for real life," he said. "It taught me how to manage my time, be independent, and deal with challenges on my own."

Soccer became another big part of Ayo's experience. He remembers believing the team had something special. Win or lose, what mattered was how everyone showed up for each other.

"I believed we had so much potential," he said. "On match days, nobody was afraid. We just kept trying."

It's not the scores he remembers now, it's the teammates, the bus rides, the feeling of playing together.

The people around him left just as much of an impact. When Ayo talks about RLC, he quickly starts naming teachers, house parents and staff members who helped him along the way.

"They showed so much compassion," he said. "Even now, I still have so much respect and appreciation for them."

Today, that same independence and steadiness have carried into university. Ayo says the transition to McMaster wasn't automatic, but it was easier because of the foundation RLC gave him.

"Nobody really prepares you for life after high school," he said. "But the experiences I had at RLC definitely helped me."

That preparation started before his final year. From Grade 9, RLC's guidance team works with every student on identifying, preparing for and planning their post-secondary path, and Ayo was no exception. By Grade 11, he was working through his own strengths, interests and ambitions, meeting one-on-one with RLC's post-secondary advisors to help find programs that genuinely fit who he was, not just where he could get in. By Grade 12, the process tightened into ongoing communication between Ayo, his parents and his teachers, application workshops and dedicated planning classes, to make sure nothing was left to chance.

It's part of why RLC's graduates land at such a wide range of Canadian, American and international institutions. For Ayo, that groundwork is a big part of why he ended up studying Economics at McMaster.

When asked what advice he'd give to another student from Nigeria considering Rosseau Lake College, his answer was simple.

"Be open. Everything is going to be different, but embrace it. It might feel difficult in the moment, but you'll appreciate it later."

Students making that same jump won't be starting from scratch, either. RLC typically has 3 to 5 Nigerian students enrolled at any given time, a small but steady community that helps ease the transition for whoever comes next.

"The water, the views, the classes outside... you don't realize how special it is until you've left."

For Ayo, RLC wasn't just where he finished high school. It was where he built lifelong friendships, discovered a new level of independence, and found the experiences that continue to shape who he is today, not just where he ended up, but the kind of person he became along the way.

Sometimes, the places that change you the most are the ones you only fully appreciate once you've had the chance to look back.

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