Each year, starting with the 2021-22 academic year, the Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship will bring an outstanding local, national or international educator to Shawnigan for one year. The mission of the fellowship recipient is to inspire our community, provide fresh perspectives on education, encourage innovative and interdisciplinary approaches, expose students to high level academic pursuits, and uniquely contribute to their experience of The Shawnigan Journey.

Shawnigan’s English Department will host the Fellowship’s first recipient, social justice educator and English teacher Lisa Jokivirta. On hearing news of the hiring committee’s decision, the Bruce-Lockharts expressed their delight in the selection of Ms. Jokivirta. As a former teacher of social justice herself, Mrs. Bruce-Lockhart noted that she was particularly excited to hear of Ms. Jokivirta’s deep commitment in that direction.

Originally from Vancouver Island, Ms. Jokivirta is a first-generation Canadian with Finnish heritage. She graduated from the University of Victoria with a double major in political science and French, and went on to pursue an academic and life path that led her to postgraduate studies at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. As part of her intensive study of Indigenous literature for her doctoral studies, Ms. Jokivirta lived for over 7 years in the Sámi Indigenous communities of northern Finland. In addition to previous work at the UN-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica, and current role as teacher of English at United World College Red Cross Nordic, she has also held research and teaching fellowships at the universities of Cambridge, Arizona State, Lapland, and Greenland. To each institution she has brought her passion for social justice education, inspired learning, writing, advocacy, empowerment and diversity, as well as a deep-rooted belief in the critical importance of connections and community.

“It is a true honour to be selected for the Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship for Academic Excellence in support of Shawnigan’s deeply inspiring educational mission,” Ms. Jokivirta shares. “Shawnigan’s fully-immersive educational model deeply resonates with my background in and commitment to holistic education. I feel like I am coming full circle, back to Vancouver Island, and am thrilled to have the opportunity to ‘give back’ as a Shawnigan teacher, advisor, colleague and community member.”