Mac Flegler TGS Old Boy (2017-21) and Corfe House Boarding Supervisor
I have returned to where it all began, and I feel right at home.
My parents decided when I was very young that I would attend Toowoomba Grammar School as a boarder. Coming from a property surrounded by a small community, my parents believed that sending me to TGS would provide me with many fundamental skills needed for a young man, as well as an education that I could not get in my hometown.. Starting my journey at TGS in Year 8 as a boarder in Mackintosh, adjusting from a small country high school to one of the biggest private schools in the country, was frightening but exciting. While at TGS, although education my primary focus, I was involved in many co-curricular activities including cricket, football, rugby and track and field.
I loved my time as a boarder. Living with 56 other people probably doesn’t sound like the most enticing thing to many people; however, when you put that into the perspective of a teenage boy, it’s more like a sleepover with 56 of your mates! Over the five years of my time within Mackintosh, I was able to create many memories and make many friends which will be with me forever. I graduated in 2021 and it didn’t take me long at all to realise that I missed boarding so much, that I wanted to come back, this time as a staff member.
Currently I am studying Psychology at UniSQ in Toowoomba while also committed to playing sport for local clubs. My Psychology studies, along with my experience as a TGS boarder , means that working in the Year 7 boarding house (Corfe House), is a great opportunity to assist many of the young boys in their development into young men by providing advice based on my own experience. As a Boarding Supervisor in Corfe House, my role is to provide a supportive outlet and friendly face to make the boys feel as if they are home. From working with the boys to complete their homework, or playing table tennis with them, providing a role model or someone to point them in the right direction is essential in helping the boys to reach their full potential both academically and as young men of good character. What I enjoy the most though, is being able to create a home away from home for the boys and provide them with rich memories that will stay with them forever - just like mine.
The importance of role models for TGS boarders cannot be understated, and whom better to do this than the TGS Old Boys themselves! Being able to understand the daily routines as well as help the boys with any specific questions, whether that be directions to a classroom or which oval their sports training is being held, this help never goes un-appreciated by the boys. I would encourage any Old Boys to get back involved within the TGS community in any capacity. Our own experiences and knowledge of the School can help produce many more great experiences for countless students as they engage in their transition from young boys into good young men.
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