JOURNEYING WITH YOUTH
By Mark Tannock, Principal, St Aloysius’ College Milsons Point
Recently I was in the audience for the Sydney Theatre Company production of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’. It is a beautiful musical that delves into the complex world of adolescents and their relationships with their peers, their siblings and their parents. Evan, the title character, is a young man with social anxiety who pursues an unexpected and unethical path to being discovered by others and becoming known. All boys want to be found. All of them want to be understood.
Some boys find that life comes easily to them. Their natural gifts are manifested early. Some don’t have this comfort. For them, life is a struggle.
Some boys are well-planned and organised. The hectic nature of their schooling at St Aloysius’ is mitigated by their level of organisation. Some boys don’t have these skills despite their good intentions.
Some boys have a smooth transition into the Senior School. Some boys don’t. The largeness of the Senior years is contrasted to the intimacy of the Junior School. They miss that environment.
Some boys make friends easily. Their friendships begin early and are a constant. Some boys find friendships difficult. They lack confidence and are not sure how to be vulnerable in order to cultivate trust.
Some boys get the opportunity they are seeking. Some boys miss out. Their time will come.
Some boys are good at sport. Their athletic ability is an obvious gift and they generate the admiration of their peers through their physical capacity. Some boys aren’t good at sport. It doesn’t come easily to them. They are there to participate as much as they can.
Some boys are academically strong. They learn at pace and have a deep, abiding commitment to scholarly achievement. Some boys don’t have these gifts. Learning is a challenge for them, especially in an academically oriented school. They do their best.
Some boys are natural leaders. They possess a charisma that draws others to them and they are natural choices for student leadership roles at the school. Some boys want to be leaders, but are not recognised as such. Their time to lead will come later.
Some boys find their place at the school – in Drama, Music, Public Speaking, Cadets, Debating, Clubs and Societies. They find their people and their identity within that enterprise. Some boys don’t find it. They’re still searching.
Some boys, as they grow, are comfortable in their sexuality. They know who they are. Some boys are still figuring this out.
Some boys have both of their parents in their lives. Some boys don’t, and that is a source of sadness or anger.
Some boys sail through the trickiness of adolescence and maintain an overwhelmingly positive relationship with their parents. Some boys don’t. They revolt against the perceived authority of their parents who wait for them to come out the other side.
Some boys have close relationships with their siblings and might even call them their best friend. Some boys find these relationships challenging. They love their siblings, but they don’t necessarily like them.
Some boys have to be at Bradfield Park or in Dalton Hall at lunchtime. They have an inherent need to run around. To play. Some boys are drawn to the solitude of the library. They prefer their own company and that of a book.
Some boys know what they want to do after their time at St Aloysius’ concludes. Some boys don’t.
Some boys believe in God and Jesus. Some boys are not sure.
For all of these boys, God is with them. Especially in the challenges. In the tensions. Jesus finds them in their pain and their uncertainty and offers them His love and His hope.
Saint Ignatius taught his companions to find God in all things. I find God in the boys of St Aloysius’ College, Milsons Point.
This article was originally published in a recent edition of ‘The Gonzagan’ newsletter for St Aloysius’ College, Milsons Point.
Banner image by blueorangestudio, Canva.