Katie Ross, MVP

Katie Ross is the youngest child in her family, and the third to attend HGS. Her oldest brother, Adam, decided in grade 8 that he wanted to go to a different school. He did his research, and presented his results to his parents: he would like to commute from their Bedford home to the Halifax Grammar School, please. 

 

Adam did attend Halifax Grammar, graduating in 2008. He now has his BBA and lives with two other HGS alum. Brother Jason followed Adam to Grammar the following year, and Katie joined her siblings there two years after that, for grade seven. 

 

Katie recalls her early days at Grammar as academically challenging. "I remember my first English class with Mr. Laffoley. I didn't even know what a clause was." She says extra help and the friendliness of the school brought her through the transition in no time, and by grade nine she felt confident, academically, again. 

 

Athletically, there's been no such transition for Katie Ross. With brothers like Adam and Jason (basketball and soccer MVPs, respectively), it may have been a foregone conclusion that Katie would be playing both sports almost from the time she could run. She has been a crucial player on Grammar's teams throughout her years here, as well as on club teams, provincial teams, and the Canada Games soccer team, and has a robust collection of medals, trophies and titles to show for it (most recently, as of this writing, HGS senior female athlete of the year, as well as soccer and basketball MVP). 

 

And she is about to become a crucial player for Acadia University's basketball and soccer organizations, we predict. Katie was recruited by multiple schools, including some in the US, but wants to stay close to her family and friends, and thought Acadia was the right fit. She looks forward to a competitive year with both teams, and particularly to competing against her Grammar teammates who are going on to other AUS schools. 

 

She will do more than play sports at Acadia, of course. Katie will be studying science, and received an academic scholarship to do so. She credits both coaches and teachers at HGS with the strong focus on balance that has enabled her to excel both in and out of the classroom. "Coach Huck and Coach Spurr are both always monitoring how you're doing in class, they want to know how you did on your tests, they make sure there is a quiet space and downtime on trips so that you can get your schoolwork done. And the teachers are the same. They'll let you write tests before or after a tournament. They like to follow how your season is going. Just recently at one of my IB exams, Mrs. DeGrasse noticed my Canada Games soccer jacket and asked me if that meant I'd made the cut, which was just two days before." 

 

She had made the cut, as she does, and as she will continue to do. We'll be watching and cheering you on, Katie.