I was recently offered a Round Square exchange opportunity with Hilton College, an independent, all-boys boarding school in the KwaZulu-Natal area of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

The College is located in the hills on an estate of around 4,350 acres; made up of the expansive school campus and proclaimed wildlife reserve. This makes the College one of the largest in the world. It has around 600 students spanning Years 8 to 12.

Throughout my three week stay, I experienced a range of emotions. From the moment I arrived I was welcomed as one of their own by staff and students. I was fortunate to be accepted into their version of the Student Executive, the SEC. I was integrated into Pearce, one of seven boarding houses where I slotted in nicely enjoying both similarities and differences from my own experiences of boarding at Scotch Oakburn.

The opportunity was honestly almost beyond words and has given me memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. Seeing the bonds between the boys, staff and parents in such a beautiful campus environment and enjoying the amazing opportunities was incredible. The truth is, I could have stayed the full year and still felt there was so much more to experience and learn. Hilton College has given me three of the greatest weeks of my life, immersing me in a new culture and taking me out of my comfort zone. Perhaps most importantly, I have created friendships that will last a lifetime, and I absolutely intend revisiting Hilton College in the not-so-distant future.

My three-week stay flew by leaving only one regret – not seizing the opportunity to participate in this exchange earlier! Now, I am hopeful that my exchange will pave the way for other students at Scotch Oakburn to journey out and uncover their own experiences, hopefully staying longer and making the most of their own exchange at this amazing and welcoming school.

As a Boarding Captain at Scotch Oakburn College I feel deeply inspired by the practices at Hilton College and of James Peattie, Student Head of School. I am left inspired to incorporate many of James’ inspirational vision into my leadership. The vertical connections between students that Hilton College facilitates is unprecedented in my limited experiences, and I feel deeply for the incoming Year 8 party as I wish them the very best for their future. Emotions were fraught leaving on the last day, further emphasised by the ‘game drive’ that I took part in in earlier that morning; however, I am sustained by memories and the knowledge that I have built relationships that will last a lifetime. In the words of Dr Seuss: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened”.

Jordan Keep
Year 12