When Abhishek Vaidyanathan’s family moved from Mississauga to Toronto, it meant switching schools. For the 17-year-old, the idea of starting over in a new environment was less than thrilling. To make matters worse, his new school was all boys.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “But I can tell you I was not happy about it.”

Over time, as Vaidyanathan negotiated the corridors of Upper Canada College (UCC), he began to reconsider the move. Without the pressure of impressing female students, he was left to explore activities he would scoff at if it were a co-ed school.

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