Alumni Notebook - October 2024

It’s been an amazing season for our Shawnigan alumni who have gone on to pursue their athletic goals beyond Shawnigan Lake School. Here is a wrap-up of just some of the athletic achievements from the past couple of months. 

For more alumni sport updates, follow us on @sls_directorofsport or @shawniganalumni instagram accounts.

 

Sophie Miranda ’20 (Groves’) played in her first UEFA Women’s Champions League game on September 2. As a member of Peamount United (representing Ireland in this tournament), Sophie is Shawnigan’s first-ever professional soccer player.

Gabriela (Gaby) Morton ’16 (Groves’) won gold at the Henley Women’s Regatta in June with the London Rowing Club coxless four.

Ellexi Fulton ’21 (Renfrew) earned a spot on the Canadian U23 Women’s Eight competing at the 2024 Henley Royal Regatta and the 2024 U23 World Championships.

Maddie Nicholson ’19 (Kaye’s) signed her first professional hockey contract with the Uppsala Hockey Club of the Nationella Damhockeyligan in Sweden. Before joining the team, Maddie played 60 games with the Badgers at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Ben Berard ’17 (Copeman’s) signed a one-year AHL contract with the Abbotsford Canucks, the affiliate team for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.

Matthew Strilets ’21 (Copeman’s) was recruited to play with the University of Ottawa men’s hockey team in 2024. While attending the University of Ottawa, Matthew is studying Economics and Political Science.

Alex Nelson ’24 (Kaye’s) was a provincial recipient of the 2023 Premier’s Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport for ice hockey and lacrosse. Alex has started her first year at UBC with a goal to become a lawyer.

Adam Hyde-Lay ’23 (Lonsdale’s) and his Battlin’ Bears teammates won the 2024 Grob Cup at the Hilands Golf Club, winning six of the eight matches. Adam is currently attending Rocky Mountain College in Montana and is studying Business Management.

Shawnigan Iron Women alumnae Audrey Tsang ’24 (Strathcona) and Gracie Szadkowki ’24 (Groves’) have both started their first season playing with Western University’s Mustangs as part of the women’s rugby team.

Ava Ference ’23 (Renfrew) played with Rugby Canada in the U20 Women's Rugby Transatlantic Quad Series in Wales. During her first season with the Harvard Crimson, Ava contributed to the Crimson’s 15s and 7s National Championship wins. Ava is in her second year at Harvard University. 

Eloise Blackwell ’08 (Groves’), captain of the Auckland Storm rugby team, played her 150th first-class game in September, becoming the sixth woman in Aotearoa to reach this milestone. Outside of rugby, Eloise is a school teacher.

Jonty Nicholas ’24 (Lonsdale’s) played for the British Columbia U19 men’s team at the Canadian Rugby Championships hosted by Rugby Nova Scotia from July 29 to August 4 at Acadia University. Jonty is how first year at the University of British Columbia.

Maya Leader ’24 (Groves’) was selected to represent Team Maccabi Canada in the Women’s Open Volleyball Division in the 2025 Maccabiah Games in Israel. The Maccabiah Games is the world’s largest Jewish gathering event and the second largest sporting event in the world.

Shawnigan Athletic Director and longtime coach Tim Murdy was named as a recipient of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from Rugby Canada on August 25 at the Canada vs. Japan men’s international match at BC Place.

Tim Murdy has coached high school rugby for 35 years, including 18 years at Shawnigan. He has coached three different schools to a total of 16 provincial boys’ 15s championships and six provincial boys’ sevens championships, including 12 15s titles and five 7s  titles at Shawnigan. Beyond the high school level, Tim has coached in the provincial, national, international and professional ranks. Among many other honours, he is a member of the BC Rugby Hall of Fame. In addition to rugby, Tim has coached wrestling, ice hockey, basketball, track and field, and football. 

In July 2024, Jameson Parker ’06 (Lake’s) was named CEO of the Vancouver-based Lighthouse Pictures Inc. Read the full announcement here.

Rhod Samuel met with Tom Morrissey ’21 (Ripley’s) during a visit to Cardiff, UK. Tom signed with the Glamorgan Wanderers Rugby Football Club and is attending Cardiff Metropolitan University for his final year of university. 

Chelsie Wong ’21 (Strathcona) recently graduated from University College London with First Class Honours in the Institute of Education Faculty of Education and Society. Next up for Chelsie is to pursue a Master’s degree in Human Development and Education at Harvard University. Read more about Chelsie’s post-secondary milestone here.

On September 6, Shawnigan Lake School hosted the Shawnigan Golf Classic “By Alumni for Alumni” at the University Golf Club in Vancouver. Over 135 alumni and community members came together for a day of golf, camaraderie and fun. The golfers competed in two divisions this year, competitive for the seasoned golfers and fun for beginners. Following the tournament, more alumni and guests joined for dinner and had the opportunity to reconnect and celebrate a successful day on the greens. Check out Shawnigan Connect to view the full album of tournament photos. 

A special congratulations to the winners of the tournaments:

Recreational Division: Martin Goodger ’77 (Copeman’s), Kim Thorne ’75 (Ripley’s), Ash Varma ’75 (Groves’) and Daryel Gough ’75 (Ripley’s)

Competitive Division:  Omar Mawjee ’00 (Lonsdale’s), Sterling Hein ’01 (Duxbury), Chris Yorath and Bud Patel ’85 (Groves’)

 

We also want to congratulate Beth Hall, past staff member for over 30 years, Bud Patel ’85 (Groves’), and Chris Cooper ’88 (Lake’s) who participated in the inaugural Honorary Starter Ceremony on the first tee and participated in a panel at the banquet hosted by Scott Rintoul.

The tournament raised over $11,000 in support of Legacy Entrance Scholarships, Shawnigan’s Well-Being Centre, and the golf program. Don’t miss out on the fun and save your spot for next year. Pre-register before December 31, 2024 and receive a discount for next year’s tournament. Click here to register now.

Thank you to the dedicated Shawnigan Golf Classic Committee members who worked tirelessly to make the tournament such a success. 

The 2024 Shawnigan Golf Classic was made possible thanks to our generous sponsors:

In collaboration with Diana Chang Consultancy, members of the greater Shawnigan community joined forces at a panel discussion, Empowerment in Sport: Building Confidence and Character in Students at the Terminal City Club in September. 

 

Shawnigan alum Simone Sandercombe ’04 (Kaye’s), Kelly Quinn ’06 (Kaye’s), and Richard Fraser ’02 (Duxbury), along with Jeff Appelbe (Collingwood High School) and Olivia Maxwell (St. Andrew's Regional High), were all part of the discussion on how lessons in sport continue to shape their daily lives, professionally and personally.

 

The event also highlighted the strength of Shawnigan Lake School's Squash program, led by Colin Whitney, Head of Squash, who spoke about Shawnigan's program, structure, and elite squash athletes. Collectively, Colin and Mike Johnson have coached several world juniors and world champions. The event also featured two charities: Women in Sports Empowered Hong Kong and Squash BC. Diana is a board member and the chair of fundraising with Squash BC and is currently raising funds for their #squashbarriers campaign to give 3,000 public school students access to squash. 

 

Connor Emeny, the world's first person to do seven Ironman on seven continents, was the evening's keynote speaker, and Friba Rezayee, Executive Director, Women Leaders of Tomorrow and Afghanistan's first female Olympian, provided closing remarks.

 

 

This July, Josef Jakubec '24 (Lonsdale's) & Dylan Chaudhry '20 (Copeman's) travelled to South Korea as past recipients of the Jason Yosung Park '05 Scholarship. The Jason Yosung Park ’05 Scholarship was established in 2011 by Captain Sam and Mrs. Jackie Park in memory of their son, Jason Yosung Park '05 (Copeman's). This scholarship includes a financial award and a trip to South Korea generously hosted by the Park family.

Thank you to Captain Sam and Mrs. Jackie Park, and Jason’s brother Joseph Park ’02 (Lake’s), for once again warmly welcoming the Park Scholars into their home, and for sharing the Korean culture, food and the legacy of Jason. This longstanding tradition and trip, dating back to 2012, is one of Shawnigan's highest honours and is a life-changing experience for the Park Scholars. We are forever grateful to the Park family for their continued generosity and support. 

Dylan and Josef shared a few words about the personal impact of their trip:

"My time in Korea and with the Park Family was truly special. Learning more about how extraordinary Jason was has left me inspired beyond words. This incredible experience has left an imprint on my mind that will last a lifetime. I am extremely grateful and still taken aback to have been selected in Jason's honour for this award." – Dylan

"This trip to Korea – and the unwavering kindness that I have been shown for its duration – has been one of the most fulfilling and unique experiences of my life.... I will never forget the places I've seen, people I've met, and the world I have experienced. Beyond that, I will never forget the wonderful person who made this all possible. It was because of his unceasing kindness, passion, and devotion that Dylan and I were able to experience this trip and all that it had to offer." – Josef 

 

Every environment has its unique scents, and that is certainly true of Shawnigan. From the many gardens on campus to the natural spaces, and from the dorms to the science labs, the School grounds are an olfactory buffet. Elliot Logan ’10 (Duxbury), takes us on his personal journey from Copeman’s House, where he is a Boarding Assistant, to the Main Building, where he works in the Communications office.

 

To mark the 100th birthday of Bernie Dinter on September 24, the School was proud to lay a wreath by the giant sequoia planted on campus to commemorate the contributions of Herr Dinter and his wife, Gertrud. Herr Dinter, who died in 2007, dedicated 22 years of loyal service to Shawnigan, establishing exquisite gardens with the help of students – although his contributions went far beyond that – and he was respected by all in the School community.

On September 3, the Advancement & Community Engagement team hosted 20 alumni for lunch with the Head of School, Larry Lamont at the Union Club of Victoria.

Jack Colbourne ’83 (Lonsdale’s) and David Schieldrop ’82 (Groves’) cheered on the Shawnigan Lake School women’s quad at the 2024 Henley Royal Regatta in July. They are pictured above with Grace Shepherd '24 (Kaye's). 

 

Chris Wisbey and Ian Darnell competed against our Shawnigan Lake School rowing crew at the 1969 Henley Royal Regatta. The two competitors shared memories with our rowing coaches, Julie Platt and Jennifer Parfitt, and even brought Shawnigan bunting they received from our team back in 1969.

Every summer, the Advancement & Community Engagement team reconnects with alumni, former staff and past parents from across the globe. Check out the photos below for a snapshot of some of the alumni who we met this past summer:

 

Pam Piddington, daughter of Jamie Piddington ’32 (Lake’s) visited campus in early September. Two year-end awards honour the Piddington name: the Jamie Piddington Award, named after her father, and the Peter Piddington Award, named after her uncle, Peter Piddington ’36 (Lake’s). Both Jamie and Peter attended Shawnigan in the 1920s to 1930s and were killed in action during WWII.

 

Suzanne Finlayson ’98 (School House) is currently a teacher at Mulgrave School where she has taught for the past 19 years.

 

Minsuk Seo ’16 (Copeman’s) visited Lisa Venoit, past Shawnigan staff member, this summer before heading back to Korea to work for a software company. Minsuk recently graduated from UBC where he majored in computer science.

 

This past August, the Shawnigan Physics Department hosted a two-day physics teacher professional development day at Shawnigan. Physics teachers from all over the Island and Mainland attended, including Stephen Lane ’67 (Grove’s), retired Shawnigan Head of Science and teacher of 42 years, and Freddie Mullin ’04 (Lonsdale’s).

 

 

Mike Kent ’73 (Ripley’s) with Head of School, Larry Lamont, during a visit to Washington State.

 

Roy McIntosh ’59 (Lake’s). Roy was gifted oars (dating back to the 1956 Royal Henley Regatta) from Shawnigan Lake School as a token of appreciation for his many years of service as a Board of Governor.

 

Rolfe Swinton ’88 (Lake’s) and his family with Joseph Tanaka-Campbell ’19 (Ripley’s) and Seiya Tanaka-Campbell ’21 (Ripley’s). 

 

Ji Na Park ’08 (Kaye’s) and her family visited Shawnigan from Seoul, South Korea this past summer. 

Mariel Gariepy ’04 (Kaye’s) and Sean May ’05 (Ripley’s) and their family 

Megan Olson, past Shawnigan Staff member and her partner, Parker Shaw, welcomed a baby boy, Jack, on June 29.

 

Ian Manly ’06 (Copeman’s) and his partner, Abby, celebrated the birth of their son, Rhodes.

 

Owain Samuel ’09 (Ripley’s) and his wife, Courtney, welcomed their first child, Ella in July.

 

Struan Robertson ’06 (Copeman’s) and his partner, Laura, celebrated the birth of Isabelle Millie in July 2024.

 

Chris Linn ’08 (Ripley’s), son of current Shawnigan teacher Graham Linn, wed Georgia Quinlan on August 24 in Victoria.

Avasta Farboud ’14 (Lake’s) married his wife, Erin Farris, on July 27, 2024 at Shawnigan Lake School. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this section we recognize those members of our alumni and greater community who have passed away. Please reach out to Rhodri Samuel at rsamuel@shawnigan.ca if you have information or updates you would like to share with our wider community.

Melody Tuinman-Love ’92 (School House) 

 A celebration of life was held at Shawnigan Lake School in August.