SKHS Senior Liberis Considers Canadian College
While many South Kingstown seniors are heading off to URI next year, senior Jake Liberis has his sights set on attending a college in a country known for its maple syrup and ice hockey: Canada.
McGill University, located in Montreal Canada, is currently Liberis’ top choice school. The SKHS senior also applied to the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Canada. Liberis is an A student, an impressive athlete and a passionate French scholar. He hopes these attributes will earn him an acceptance to some of Canada’s most prestigious colleges.
Liberis said that his main motive for applying to McGill University and University of Ottawa was simple. “It’s so much cheaper to go to school in Canada,” he said. “The colleges I’m applying to are of the best in Canada, and they only cost about $20,000 for international students,” Liberis added.
This price includes tuition, room and board and student fees. A few students from SKHS make the same decision as Liberis every year. Head of Guidance, Mrs. Crudale, states that roughly one to three SKHS students apply to college out of the country every year, and about one to two apply to Canadian schools specifically. Crudale said, “perhaps six to eight [students] in the past year” attended college in Canada.
Aside from the money he’d save, Liberis sights his love for French as one of his main reasons for considering travelling abroad.
“I started taking French my freshman year and loved it,” he said. “Ever since then I have considered going to college in a French-speaking country.
“I picked Canada because it is French speaking, but is still close to home.”
Liberis said he wanted to be engrossed in the French language without going all the way to France. “I figured travelling to Canada would be the best bet to not travel so far,” he explained, “yet still experience some sort of immersion.”
As far as academics go, Liberis intends on majoring in economics. “I hope to go to law school after achieving a degree,” he added.
Not only is Liberis an above average student, but he’s been in National Honor Society since sophomore year. He has also taken many honors classes and several AP classes over his junior and senior years.
In addition to McGill University and the University of Ottawa, the SKHS senior applied to the University of Rhode Island and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. So far, Liberis has been accepted to URI but awaits decisions for the University of North Carolina. He also has been wait-listed at McGill University, and accepted at the University of Ottawa.
Mrs. Crudale has few reservations regarding Liberis’ applications and his future success. She believes that “[Liberis’] knowledge of French is impressive.”
While Liberis himself is confident in his decision to apply and hopefully attend a school in Canada, he still has reservations most rising college freshmen can relate to.
Liberis said he will definitely miss his fellow students and friends the most. “I’ve grown up with these people,” he said, “and I think it’s going to be weird not seeing them everyday.” Liberis also made many life-long friends on the indoor and outdoor track teams and cross country. “Cross country is by far the best team I’ve ever been a part of,” Liberis said. Not only has Liberis run for these teams, but he’s lead them as well. “I am the captain of both the indoor and outdoor track teams,” said Liberis.
Liberis has also made friends by participating in school government. He is one of the four social chairs of the class of 2016’s class office.
“I really enjoy the fact that I am able to help my class,” he said, “and have the opportunity to plan events I’ll probably remember for the rest of my life.” The social chair also became close with fellow peers in his class thanks to SKpades. “I feel like [SKpades] was a bonding experience for our class,” he said. “I learned a lot about people in the class who I’ve never really talked to before.”
In addition to missing his friends and teammates, the idea of a large city frightens Liberis. “I’m afraid of getting lost in a big city and not being able to ask for help. Also, moving so far away from my parents for such a long time worries me.”
Crudale offered advice to students who may share similar concerns as Liberis when considering college outside of the U.S.
“Students need to consider how far away they might be living, as well as their comfort with travel,” Crudale said. “They also need the ability to live independently with the possibility of not having all the comforts of living in the U.S.”
Crudale spoke of the some of the most important factors to consider when contemplating life in a foreign country. She said that students should think about “…their ability or willingness to learn another language, eat different foods and learn about systems in place to support international students. Financial cost of tuition, room and board and transportation should also be reviewed.”
Overall, the SKHS guidance head emphasized that “a sense of adventure and openness to new experiences is essential!”
Liberis is certainly open to new experiences in Canada, and the cold, snowy weather will not stop him. Liberis added that he is pretty accustomed to weather anomalies, living in the Northeast.
“New England weather is pretty spotty,” he said, “One day it’s super cold and the next day it’s like fifty five degrees.” Liberis said he even prefers the cold over warmer weather.
“I have a hidden obsession for hot chocolate,” he said.
