Now in Grade 12, Hazel still fondly recalls her own tour, when she was in Grade 9 and hoping to attend Shawnigan in Grade 10. Her guide was Ingrid Hopkins ’23 (Kaye’s), who Hazel’s mom predicted (correctly) would be Co-Head of School the following year. The tour helped Hazel feel more comfortable about attending Shawnigan and excited about the choice she made. Hazel ended up being assigned to the same House as Ingrid, which further helped ease the transition to boarding school.

 

All these years later, Hazel is still in touch with Ingrid, exchanging texts from time to time, and she says Ingrid inspired her to become a tour guide herself when the opportunity arose.

 

“She showed me how important it is to help others feel at home and how a small gesture, like a smile or a story, can leave a lasting impression,” Hazel recalled. “I knew right away that I wanted to give back to the community in the same way where I can constantly be connecting with families and upcoming new students.”

 

Hazel’s favourite places to show visiting families are the rugby fields and her room in Kaye’s House, and she enjoys telling them about all the varied co-curricular activities the School offers.

 

“It gives a snippet of the well-rounded experience,” Hazel said. “It shows we are a place where personal development is valued and builds a base for when they come here.”

 

Specialized tours are offered to students hoping to enter Shawnigan’s competitive ice hockey programs, guided by members of the hockey teams who can provide their unique perspective to prospective players and their families. These visits include tours of the entire athletic facilities and a chance to meet the teams in addition to the usual excursions.

 

“You’re living the hockey experience for a few hours,” said Dawson B., a member of the U18 Prep girls’ ice hockey team. Now in Grade 12, Dawson started guiding tours when she was in Grade 10 after shadowing other guides in Grade 9.

 

“It’s so exciting to meet people from all over the globe,” Dawson related. “Everyone’s experiences are different, so everyone comes with a different perspective.”

 

Like Hazel, Dawson has fond memories of her own campus tour, five years ago when she was in Grade 7.

 

“I felt so welcome,” she recalled. “That’s something I want to create for visiting students. I always think back to my first tour and how it was neat to see what my life might look like in another year or two. I felt already connected to the school community before I was in it, and I want to do that for someone else.”

 

Dawson did tour another hockey academy that is not part of a boarding school. That tour was conducted by a coach instead of a student, and she didn’t get the day-in-the-life feeling that visitors get from a Shawnigan tour.

 

“It’s such a special part of Shawnigan,” she said. “Something that sets Shawnigan apart is the tour experience”

 

Each year, tour guides are recognized in a ceremony, receiving pins that symbolize the time and effort they put into showing prospective students and their families around our magnificent campus. This year’s ceremony was held on Friday, January 17, with 21 students being honoured: Lukas N., Reese S., Ivana W., Estelle G., Marin D., Carson A., Cayden L., Sophie H., Joshua P., Kathryn Y., Kate I., George G., Saku I., Brandon K., Kanako I., Brendan G., Zachary G., Mersaya H., Kan O., Sam P., Matthew M.,  Kennedy D. After today, 78 students have now received the tour guide pin.