Shawnigan Lake School’s experienced guidance team is on-hand to help our students prepare for their post-secondary journey. By creating strong relationships between our students, parents and post-secondary colleagues, the Guidance Office encourages students to seek innovative, personally challenging and engaging post-secondary opportunities, both nationally and internationally. Our experienced team of counselling specialists offers an unparalleled service that provides students with the tools to navigate the world of Canadian, U.S. and international university applications and select a course of study that will prepare them for an exciting and fulfilling future.
In the Guidance Office, university and career counselling forms an intentional part of our unique and intentional Grade 8 to 12 Shawnigan Journey. Shawnigan advisors work one-on-one with students starting in Grade 8 and 9, helping them discover, explore and pursue their passions. Our Guidance staff support Grade 10 students as they manage the choices available in course selection and begin to carve their own path forward. Students in Grade 11 are then assigned to an individual guidance counsellor who works closely with them over the next two critical years throughout the process of post-secondary program research and selection and growing leadership opportunities on and off campus.
In addition to meeting with our students on a regular basis, the Guidance Office at Shawnigan is a full-service department that helps students with essay writing, interview preparation and university selection. Shawnigan is a popular destination for visits, which are facilitated by our office, from post-secondary institutions from around the world. In addition, our guidance team arranges a number of information sessions each year on relevant topics such as scholarship applications, university applications, and many more. Furthermore, the university preparatory experience at Shawnigan encompasses a number of aspects specifically designed to promote curiosity, initiative and ambition, including the rigorous AP Capstone diploma program and our inquiry-based, student-led projects on SOULo Fridays. This comprehensive intellectual and psychological preparation is supported and complemented by a holistic and progressive focus on social and emotional wellness.
Our mandate to combine specialized support with student personal initiative ensures that our graduates are thoroughly prepared for the wealth of exciting local, national and international post-secondary opportunities that await them beyond Shawnigan’s gates.