From Lagos to Lake Rosseau

When Temi Bamgboye ’24 arrived at Rosseau Lake College from Lagos, Nigeria, everything felt different right away—the quiet, the cold, the trees, even the pace of the days. She remembers thinking she had landed somewhere completely new, and that was exactly the point.

She had come from a British curriculum school in Lagos, where studying abroad was a natural next step. As she explored several schools recommended by her educational agent, something about RLC stayed with her. “From the pictures alone, it looked different from what I was used to,” she explained. “I wanted something beyond the regular routine, something new.”

That sense of difference was immediate.

Winter in Muskoka was the first real shock. “I didn’t think it was possible for it to get that cold,” she laughed. Being away from home for the first time added to it—everything was new at once. What made it easier was the people around her. At a school of just 150 students, you do not stay unknown for long. Teachers checked in. People noticed when you were figuring things out. That mattered.

Outdoor education was something she did not expect to connect with at all. “I tried to get out of Outtrip,” she said. “I had never camped before, never canoed, I wasn’t a water person at all.” But she went—and it became one of the most memorable parts of her time here.

She likes to tell her university friends about one canoe trip in Grade 12. After a long day on the water, she stepped out of her canoe expecting solid ground, and sank waist-deep into mud. “I remember Mr. Kerr holding me with one hand while I was holding onto a tree, completely covered in mud,” she recalled. “And I was just smiling.” It was chaotic and funny and completely RLC at the same time.

Seeing the Northern Lights for the first time was another moment she still describes as “wholesome,” especially because she experienced it with friends. It was one of those moments that stays with you—not because it was planned, but because it wasn’t.

Her Grade 12 Discovery Day project was another highlight. Temi organized and hosted a fashion show, bringing her creative interests to life in a collaborative setting within RLC’s small community. With support from peers and teachers, she learned how to take an idea and turn it into reality. “It didn’t feel like I was doing it alone,” she said. “Everyone showed up.”

That same support showed up in the classroom. Teachers in RLC’s small community pushed her to try new things and trust her abilities. “They pushed me to do things I wouldn’t have done on my own,” she said. Over time, she became more confident, more open, and more willing to take risks.

Now studying at Toronto Metropolitan University, Temi continues to explore her passion for fashion. Recently, she organized her own pop-up fashion show, bringing together designers, artists, and performers. “It felt like everything I had learned built up to that moment,” she said. “I knew what to expect, and I felt confident doing it.”

Her advice to future students reflects the mindset she developed at RLC: “Be willing to try new things. That’s where real growth happens.”

For Temi, choosing Rosseau Lake College was more than a decision to study abroad. It was the beginning of a journey that helped her discover her confidence, creativity, and independence.

At Rosseau Lake College, moments of challenge, discovery, and connection in a close-knit community continue to shape students long after they leave campus.

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