Stepping out of your Avatar

Melissa St Amant, Communications Officer
Sarah welcomed everyone back from March Break with an inspiring message that encouraged students to challenge themselves by stepping out of their ‘avatar’.

Sarah asked students, “What comes to mind when I say the word avatar?”

Not many people would immediately think of
avatar as a term used in Hinduism for a material manifestation of a deity. In other words, the belief in a God transcending to Earth and appearing in human form. The Sanskrit word avatar literally means transcend.

If anyone is a fan of the James Cameron film Avatar, then the amazing blue creatures from Pandora may come to mind. This futuristic film shows the use of a Na’Vi body operated from the brain of a remotely located human, so in a way, the word captures the essence of the Sanskrit meaning of avatar. Perhaps the most common use of the word “avatar” today is when referring to the digital versions of ourselves we design for use in our virtual lives.

Earlier in the year, Sarah had the opportunity to listen to Oscar Winning actress Viola Davis speak. She shared highlights and lowlights of her life story and also shared a breakthrough moment towards greater happiness when she stopped trying to be, as she described it, some avatar of herself and just started being her true self.

Sarah encouraged students to think about their personal growth as they become adults and to celebrate their uniqueness. She ended her address by challenging students to be themselves, step out of their avatars and venture further.
 
Back

Greenwood College School

443 Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto, ON M4S 2L8
Tel: 416 482 9811
We acknowledge with gratitude the Ancestral lands upon which our main campus is situated. These lands are the Ancestral territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabek and the Wendake. The shared responsibility of this land is honoured in the Dish with One Spoon Treaty and as settlers, we strive to care for the land, the waters, and all creatures in the spirit of peace. We are responsible for respecting and supporting the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. When away from this campus we vow to be respectful to the land by protecting and honouring it. We will create relationships with the people and the land we may visit by understanding the territories we enter and the nations who inhabit them.
Copyright © 2022 Greenwood College School