Express inspiration
None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
There is no universal Hilton College experience. Within these gates, every boy creates, shapes and carves out a distinct story. After having spent two years soaking up a richness of experience designed to coax out his uniqueness, grade 10 is when he gains the confidence to express it.
Speak your truth, at no-one’s expense.
Here, the story of a boy’s authenticity is told neither as a whisper, nor a shout. Voicing your you-ness means holding true to your principles without condemning those that disagree. During this developmental stage of early manhood we must learn discretion: How do I wisely voice the ideas that resonate within me? How do I respectfully listen to others’ expressions of themselves? How do I learn from them?
Express yourself as a visitor in a different world.
This year, boys have the opportunity to apply to go on a term’s international exchange. From Gordonstoun in Scotland to The Doon School, India, to Eton College, England and Charlotte-Latin in the US, and many other amazing schools – each Hilton exchange student encounters a new idea of himself in a foreign environment, learning to express himself as he discovers more of himself. Boys from various schools across the world also come to Hilton, enriching the lives of our grade 10s who don’t go on exchange with a global mix of new perspectives and stories.
Boys are human beings, not human doings.
A rite of passage in grade 10, the Extended Grade 10 Journey is a reflective retreat where a boy gets to meet his essence. Certainly not action-packed, it’s a quiet, unplugged and sacred space for boys to contemplate their spirituality and their deeper nature – and share with vulnerability. This is also an age where boys of all faiths can formally commit to their religion.
What does ‘just be yourself’ even mean?
Part of every grade 10’s life orientation journey is the idea of personal branding. Here every boy learns productive ways to express his unfolding identity by becoming aware of how he ‘comes across’ socially; this is a vital aspect of emotional intelligence. For example, the strength of a ‘challenger’ personality type is natural leadership abilities, but left unchecked, this type can be seen as domineering. It’s a life-skill to learn to play to the positive expression of his natural tendencies.
Watch Hlumelo Notshe talk about the profound effect the Inward Bound camp, part of the Extended Grade 10 Journey, had on him during his grade 10 year
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