Robert Sharman from the Class of 1973 feels compelled to make a difference – in the lives of others and his community. That has been a constant. Robert believes Shawnigan creates and molds future problem solvers who are open, receptive and ready to enter a world that is in need of such change-makers. In Robert’s view, today’s Shawnigan graduates are uniquely qualified to make their difference, due largely to the experiences they have gained at the School.

Robert’s interest in Shawnigan has little to do with the time he spent at the School in the 1970’s. Rather, he was motivated some twenty-five years ago when he returned with his classmates for their class reunion. They returned to a co-educational school, quite different from the boys-only School they left in 1973. The female School Prefect and Deputy Head of School who conducted the school tour was so poised, so confident and so grounded. She made a huge impression. As she conducted the tour, it became evident how far the School had progressed since his graduation.

Soon after Robert bought a life insurance policy for the School and added a provision in his will.

Today, Robert notes with approval the dramatic physical improvements at the School. He joins in the tremendous gratitude we all extend to the generous donors who made this possible.

However, this takes a close second for Robert to the ongoing human connections that play such an important role at the School. The quality of the teachers, administrators and, most importantly, the students is truly exceptional.

Robert believes we can solve anything when the world’s greatest challenges are confronted by talented, educated and well-grounded individuals. He commends Shawnigan for investing in the future by shaping, developing and graduating tomorrow’s problem solvers. The world is ready and in desperate need of quality people. That is what Shawnigan delivers. To Robert, “Shawnigan is a Character Factory.”

Today, as a recently retired Senior VP and Senior Wealth Advisor for a national investment firm, Robert has more time to invest in one of his passions – helping alumni and friends of Shawnigan make a meaningful difference for the School. With this in mind, Robert is volunteering to help prospective donors sort through the complexities of estate planning.Working with an individual’s tax and investment advisor, Robert can help craft a solution which meets tax and estate-planning needs.

It is important to recognize that Robert will only be engaging in a volunteer role, in an advisory capacity, because as a retired advisor he is no longer licensed and cannot “sell” anything. This will ensure the solution fits a donor’s unique circumstances and helps produce the best solutions for the donor and the School.

Together, he aims for us to continue to make a difference. Thank you, Robert!

(If you wish to connect with Robert and/or have a discussion about leaving a legacy at Shawnigan, please contact Hilary S. Abbott at habbott@shawnigan.ca (250)715-8565 cell/text)

When I arrived at Shawnigan Lake School in Grade 11, I, like many of my peers, had no idea what my future would look like outside those gates. However, as I ascended up the hill to Ripley’s, which would be my home for the next two years, I knew that my life would dramatically change.

I have always loved public speaking and vividly remember rehearsing for speech arts with my mom at a young age. Given my background in public speaking, when the time came to pick a fine art, I decided to give Model United Nations/debating a try. During our first mock Model UN, I nervously put up my hand and said: “Mr. Speaker, we cannot have something happen again like it did in the Tiramisu Square Protests.” Everyone in the classroom laughed (I later realized that I had mixed up a popular dessert item with the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests). As I sat there beet red, Mr. Klassen (Paul behind his back), calm and collected as always, was able to draw everyone’s attention back to the very important and pressing issues we, as world dignitaries, faced. Even with a slightly bruised ego, I was hooked. For the next two years, my peers and I participated in various debates and Model UN conferences across the country. I was also given the opportunity to publicly speak in various settings; presenting a speech for Ripley’s Chapel service, acting as the MC for the annual talent show, and presenting my self-titled “Pants on the Ground” speech to the School (a tribute to American Idol superstar Larry Platt).

Even though my father is a lawyer and had discussed his practice with me many times, the idea of going into law only first piqued my interest when I took a Grade 12 Law class with Lozzy. In his class I learned that our day-to-day lives are intertwined with various laws, laws that are often changed or modified through the acts of politicians, vis a vis lawyers. However, the idea of becoming a lawyer would not come to fruition until many years later. At that time, I had become captivated with politics through debate and Model UN, which ultimately led me to pursue an Honors Specialization in Political Science at Huron University College (a college of Western University) in London, Ontario. However, after working for a summer on Rideau Street (Ottawa), immersed in politics, I knew a career in politics wasn’t for me. My passion for public speaking, debate, and discussing world affairs, however, had not subsided.

So I wondered what would be a career which I would enjoy and which would help me use and expand my skills. For me, becoming a lawyer seemed like the perfect fit. After writing the LSAT, hours upon hours spent in the library, and preparing drafts upon drafts of law school admission packages, I found myself at the doorstep of the University of Calgary, Faculty of Law. At first I thought I wanted to be a litigator; dressing up in a robe and giving poignant speeches in a packed courtroom, much like the legal dramas you see on television shows like Suits or Law & Order. However, after taking various courses such as secured transactions and business associations, I learned that: (a) the practice of law was nothing like those shows, and (b) my legal career would be spent outside the courtroom.

To me, being a solicitor provides the best of both worlds. I am able to advocate for my clients, be someone they can rely on and confide in; however, it does not require me to be in a courtroom to provide that support. For me, advocating for a client means advancing their business goals and objectives, someone that will represent them as their “professional” problem-solver. As the character John Dutton once said in the television show Yellowstone: “Lawyers are swords of this century. Words are weapons now. I need you to learn how to use them.”

Now as I look back, ten years after scaling that fateful hill up to Ripley’s for the first time, I am still uncertain as to what the future holds for me. I have been called to the Bar, and can hold myself out as a lawyer. I love my job and am glad I can play a part in supporting my clients to achieve their goals and aspirations. However, I believe it is the unknown that still invigorates me; knowing that I have the tools and capabilities to confront any challenge or obstacle that comes my way. The skills I learned as a student, many of which I learned and honed at Shawnigan, paved my path to becoming a lawyer and being called to the Bar of British Columbia. It is the understanding that things take time, the necessity to put time and effort in whatever you do, and most importantly to have confidence in yourself.

Since graduating from Shawnigan in 2013, I have spent the past eight years pursuing what seemed like the biggest never-ending challenge of my life so far; becoming a lawyer. Now, after being called to the Bar, I question what’s next in my future. I embark on the boundless journey of attempting to perfect my craft, whilst also pursuing my other passions such as fishing, hunting, and conservation. To me the key is understanding that achieving your goals takes time, and requires a great deal of commitment, sacrifices and effort, and most importantly confidence in oneself and one’s own ability. Wherever my life takes me, or whatever obstacles I may encounter, I know that I have the self-assurance to deal with whatever comes my way; thanks, in part, to the education I received, the friendships I made and the experiences I was afforded at Shawnigan.

We are delighted to congratulate Shawnigan alumnus Kyle Fredrickson ’17 (Lonsdale’s) on his recent qualification for the 2021 Paralympics in rowing! He will be Tokyo-bound in August with his PR3 mixed coxed four.

After graduating from Shawnigan, Kyle went to the University of Victoria where he promptly joined the Vikes rowing team. He rowed with the university program for one semester before being invited into the National Training Centre at the beginning of 2018. He has been rowing with the National Team since then, while balancing his studies at UVic.

“Shawnigan played a huge role in getting me to where I’m today,” shares Kyle. “The facilities and coaching staff are top notch. It gave me the platform and opportunities to race competitively for the five years I attended the School. The lessons I learned at Shawnigan are ones that I hold close and shaped who I am today.”

When asked about his upcoming Paralympic experience, Kyle shared, “I’m looking forward to showing the world what Canada has to offer. The experience is very special and one I have looked forward to my whole life. I am grateful for the opportunity to row for Canada and to compete at the pinnacle level of sport.”

Kyle’s Island-based crew qualified for the Games with a convincing win in the final at the Paralympic qualifying event held in Italy in early June 2021. This year’s Paralympic Games will take place from August 24 – September 5.

Congratulations Kyle, and all the best to Team Canada!

Tristan Mandur '17 (Copeman's) recently played in the NCAA Golf Championships, tying for 17th overall. Tristan recorded the highest finish on record for the University of Utah at the championship.

Pictured is Tristan in 2015 from his time golfing at Shawnigan, and in 2021 golfing for the University of Utah.

Our alumni have recently been making waves in the rugby world around the globe, we are thrilled to share the following recent success in rugby of some of our alumni.

Djustice Sears-Duru, who plays for the Seattle Seawolves in the MLR, will soon be traveling to the UK with Team Canada to face Wales on July 3 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff and England on July 10 at Twickenham Stadium in London.

On June 16, Oliver Nott signed with the Toronto Arrows of the MLR for the rest of the season. The former 1st XV captain will be joining his former Shawnigan teammate Guiseppe du Toit who is already playing for the Arrows. Other Shawnigan alumni playing in the MLR include George Barton (Seattle Seawolves), Nik Hildebrand (Houston Sabrecats), and Djustice Sears-Duru (Seattle Seawolves).

Hazel Bice was recently featured as she heads into her junior year at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. Hazel is studying nursing while also playing on the women’s rugby team.

Hazel shared the following with the Alumni Relations team: “I’ve really enjoyed my nursing and rugby journey at Quinnipiac. It has had its fair share of challenges but that is part of what has made it such a wonderful experience. It was a very big and scary decision but I’m so glad I took the leap.”

Read the article here.

Congratulations to Shawnigan alumni (and brothers) Patricio Falcon Izquierdo ’17 (Ripley’s) and Nicolas Falcon Izquierdo ’20 (Ripley’s), who have been selected for the Mexican National Men’s Sevens rugby team which will be participating in the World Rugby Sevens Repechage Tournament in Monaco later this month. Team Mexico will be competing against nine other countries for the final Olympic berth for the Tokyo 2021 Games which will be taking place this July.

Team Mexico has drawn into Pool A along with Samoa, Ireland, Tonga and Zimbabwe. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the knockout stage, with the final two teams competing for the one remaining qualifying spot.

Both Patricio and Nicolas were on Shawnigan’s 1st XV when they were students at the School and their selection to Team Mexico represents a big step in their rugby journeys.

Good luck, Nico and Pato, and all the best to Team Mexico!

Supporting Local Indigenous Rugby
We want to take this opportunity to share with you a local initiative focused on Indigenous youth and introducing the sport of rugby to Indigenous communities. As an institution we proudly support Thunder Rugby, and invite you to do the same. Thunder Rugby is currently raising funds to tour British Columbia to find Indigenous youth to learn to play rugby, who could then possibly join Thunder Rugby on a tour to New Zealand in 2022.

You can find the link to donate here. More information about the current fundraising efforts and the program in general can be found here.

Shawnigan alumna Enyo Edeh married now-husband Etienne in Arizona on April 18, 2021. The wedding was recently featured in Martha Stewart Weddings. Of her wedding day, Enyo shared with us the following:

“My wedding day was more than I ever dreamed. It was a beautiful spring day in Arizona with so much greenery and flowers blooming. We were surrounded by our closest friends and families and it was stress-free. It was so good to have a great support system from all stages of my life. Sarina [Soetarjo '16 (Stratchona)] who was my grade 12 roommate was one of my bridesmaids and some of my Shawnigan family were present virtually too.”

Ian Ritchie joined Shawnigan in 2008 as a member of the Transportation Team and was a deeply valued and respected member of staff. During Closing Week 2021, he was awarded Shawnigan’s first ever posthumous Stag Award. The citation for his Stag Award reads as follows:

“The purpose of the Stag Award is to recognize appreciatively all those who have contributed to the life and well-being of Shawnigan Lake School so that it can be said that Shawnigan is a better place in consequence of the contribution they have made.

Ian Ritchie was a constable with the Saanich Police Department for 22 years before joining Shawnigan in 2008 as a member of the Transport Team. Shawnigan is extremely fortunate to have an outstanding team of drivers and Ian was a deeply valued and respected member of the team.

Ian was a storyteller and we loved his sense of mischief and the permanent twinkle in his eye – on school trips, down the corridor (sporting his hand-knitted Cowichan sweater), as Shawnigan’s Santa Claus last December. He had the gift of making students and staff laugh and always lifted the spirits of those around him. He was often found, between shifts, reading quietly in our library or giving an impromptu guided tour of the campus to a visitor he had just met.

To our community, he has been an inspiring colleague, loyal friend, ambassador extraordinaire, avid supporter of Cops for Cancer and Tour de Rock, and proud Shawnigan parent with Alasdair and Gordon graduating in 2010 and 2013 respectively. He delighted in driving sports teams to the BC provincials and tournaments – and even further flung places, like California. He would make lunches, wash sports kit and give his full support to the teams from the sidelines. My last adventure with him was to Mount Washington for the last of the ski trips.

Both professionally and personally, he made a significant difference to the lives of others. We will miss him dearly.

It can truly be said that he was Shawnigan and the School is a better place in consequence of the contributions that Ian gifted to us.”

Read obituary