News Detail
Alumni Notebook June 2025
Alumni College Scholar Update: Marina Musleh ’24 (Renfrew)
The Advancement & Community Engagement team reached out to recent alumna, Impact Scholar, and 2024-25 Alumni College Fund Scholarship Recipient Marina Musleh ’24 (Renfrew), to hear about her first year at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
“I arrived in Fredericton, New Brunswick, to begin my journey at university. I will never forget sitting by the window on the plane from Toronto, looking down at a quiet and unfamiliar city. Unlike past arrivals, there was no one waiting for me – no familiar faces, no welcome signs. It was just me, a taxi ride, and a new beginning,” shares Marina.
One of the first people she met was her roommate, Chloe, from New Brunswick. Chloe’s kindness and support played a big role in helping Marina feel at home.
“We cheered together for our residence, Holy Cross, during welcome week – a moment that made me feel like I belonged. I had waited more than two years for this: to finally start my university classes. And I could not have been happier,” says Marina.
Marina earned high marks in her first year, with her favourite courses being economics and human rights. Taking classes at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) has inspired her to pursue a career in law. She has begun preparing for the LSAT and plans to earn a law degree while also working toward an honours degree in economics, with a major in business and a minor in human rights.
Outside the classroom, Marina is active in the Law Society Club, where students support each other on their path to law school. She also volunteers at the UNB Women’s Centre, providing hygiene products and emotional support to newcomer students.
In March, Marina organized the first Eid celebration at St. Thomas University – an event that brought together many people and reminded her of the power of community. Next year, she will serve as Executive Event Coordinator and plans to organize a fundraiser for women’s mental health, as well as a workshop focused on the mental health challenges faced by women who have lived through war and are now rebuilding their lives in Canada.
On June 25, Marina had the opportunity to share her story under the theme Lights Beyond Mountains at the Fredericton Public Library, supported by the Multicultural Association.
“From volunteering to teaching newcomer children how to ride bikes, to starting LSAT prep – this year has been full of challenges, growth, and hope,” shares Marina.
Neal Bledsoe ’00 (Lonsdale’s)
The Advancement & Community Engagement team recently caught up with alum Neal Bledsoe ’00 (Lonsdale’s), who has just finished acting in the Broadway revival of Othello alongside Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. In this profile, Neal shares his path from the campus of Shawnigan to the Broadway stage.
Leah Bracken ’14 (Kaye’s) & Rob Bracken ’11 (Lonsdale’s)
Young alumni Leah Bracken ’14 (Kaye’s) and Rob Bracken ’11 (Lonsdale’s) recently reconnected with the Advancement & Community Engagement team to reflect on their time at Shawnigan and share what inspired them to give back as mentors.
During their time at Shawnigan, Leah was Deputy Head of House and a School Prefect, and Rob was Head of House and Captain of Senior Ice Hockey.
Read their profile here.
Honouring a Beloved Classmate: The Ingrid Hanson Memorial Fund
This past May, a powerful alumni-led initiative was launched in memory of Ingrid Hanson ’91 – a joyful, kind-hearted student from Tillamook, Oregon, whose spirit left a lasting impression on everyone she met. Ingrid was a close friend of current Board members Lisa Grover '90, Ed Steidl '91 and Jorge Usabiaga '92, and close friend and former roommate of Brig Hopkins '91, a Shawnigan parent and alumna. In a beautiful tribute, Brig’s eldest daughter, Ingrid Hopkins '23 (former Co-Head of School), carries her namesake’s legacy forward.
Ingrid’s life was cut short in 2003, just a decade after graduating from Shawnigan. To honour her memory, her family established the Ingrid Hanson Memorial Fund, with the intention to build a scholarship to support a deserving student every year in Ingrid’s name. As with all endowed scholarship funds, it must reach $100,000 before disbursements can begin.
Since the launch of this past spring's heartfelt campaign to activate the Scholarship, over $25,000 has been raised, including a generous matching gift from Lisa, Ed and Jorge, and a generous gift from Brig and her husband Fran. Contributions, large and small, have been coming in through the appeal – primarily from the Classes of 1990–1996, though all members of our community, including current and former staff, are still encouraged to participate.
Click here to donate online and designate your support in the dropdown menu to the Ingrid Hanson Memorial Fund. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Advancement & Community Engagement team, advancement@shawnigan.ca.
Every donation matters and every gift strengthens the Fund to ensure Ingrid’s legacy lives on through future Shawnigan students.
Alumni Updates
The Jason Yosung Park ’05 Scholarship, one of Shawnigan’s highest honours, was established in 2011 by Captain Sam and Mrs. Jackie Park in memory of their son. This scholarship includes a financial award and a trip to South Korea generously hosted by the Park family.
Captain and Mrs. Park visited the School over several days during Closing Week to present the 2025-26 Jason Yosung Park ’05 Scholarship to Benneit H. ’26 (Lake’s). On Saturday, June 21, a very special gathering took place as past Park Scholars were reconnected and reunited with the Parks for an evening of dinner and reminiscing.
Pictured from left to right: James Petropoulos ’18 (Copeman’s), Ben Bishop ’23 (Copeman’s), Captain Park, Mrs. Park, Benneit H. ’26 (Lake’s), Tomas Klassen ’25 (Lonsdale’s), Adam Hyde-Lay ’23 (Lonsdale's), Reid Boulter ’16 (Copeman’s), and Josef Jakubec ’24 (Lonsdale’s).
Copeman’s Alumni Present Graduating Class with House Rings
It was a special evening for the Copeman's House Grade 12s on Tuesday, June 17. Copeman's alumni Marc Strongman '83, David Beckingham '83, David Beckingham '23 and John Atkinson '83 returned to the House to present Copeman's rings and House colour ties to the Grade 12 students – a wonderful celebration of legacy, tradition, and the next generation of Copeman's grads!
Fido Fan ’22 (Lake’s) is currently interning as a Project Coordinator with EventCore, owned by Omar Mawjee ’00 (Lonsdale’s), and had the opportunity to work at the 2025 US Golf Open as an EventCore Project Coordinator.
Mila Nakonechny ’24 (Stanton) has been accepted into the United States Naval Academy Class of 2029 as a student-athlete playing NCAA Division 1 women’s soccer. Mila recently met with Vice Admiral Yvette Davids, Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, and officially received her Certificate of Accomplishment as the first Canadian appointed to any American military university.
Congratulations to Nyah Miranda ’18 (Groves’) who recently received the President’s Leadership Team Leadership Scholarship from the New England College of Optometry, where she is a fourth-year student beginning her externships with a contact lens-focused rotation at Chrycy Eye Group in Miami, Florida.
Community Gatherings: Vancouver, Kingston, Tokyo, Taipei and Shanghai
Thank you to our Shawnigan alumni, parents and friends who joined us at community gatherings across the country and beyond! We are incredibly grateful to everyone who kindly hosted the Shawnigan team during our recent international tour. It was wonderful to celebrate our Shawnigan Lake School community and connections!
Alumni Sport Highlights
Rugby
Shawnigan rugby players and coaches honoured at the BC High School Rugby Championship Coaches’ Awards Dinner
Shawnigan Lake School rugby coach Jeff Williams was presented with a Distinguished Coaching Award for demonstrating excellence in coaching rugby. He has won multiple provincial championships and has excelled as both a fully capped 7s and 15s player for Canada – and, remarkably, as a coach for Canada in both formats as well.
Shawnigan Lake School rugby coach Jeff Williams was presented with a Distinguished Coaching Award for demonstrating excellence in coaching rugby. He has won multiple provincial championships and has excelled as both a fully capped 7s and 15s player for Canada – and, remarkably, as a coach for Canada in both formats as well.
Eddie Evans ’81 (Lake’s) was presented with an Honourary Membership in the BC Secondary Schools Rugby Union for a lifetime of supporting high school rugby through the Friends of Rugby scholarship program, which he co-created with Shawnigan’s Director of Sport, Tim Murdy. His company, X-Treme Rugby Wear, has also generously supported the Provincial Championships. Evans was further recognized for his storied career as a three-time Rugby World Cup player for Canada.
Walter van Halst ’84 (Lonsdale’s) was presented with an Honourary Membership in the BC Secondary Schools Rugby Union for his leadership of BC high school rugby. He has served as Commissioner of the BC Secondary Schools Rugby Union (BCSSRU) and Chair of the BC School Sports Rugby Sports Advisory Committee. During his time as Commissioner, he created the Stadium Series to raise the profile of high school rugby, launched the Junior Boys Provincial Championships, the Premier League, and the AAAA Division, and helped usher in the combined boys’ and girls’ sevens and XV Provincial Championship format adopted in 2022. He credits his Shawnigan coaches – Derek Hyde-Lay, Ian Hyde-Lay ’75 (Lake’s), and John Davies – for their mentorship.
Congratulations to Yuri Huisamen ’24 (Duxbury) for representing the Valley Fort Rugby Football Club in their victory over the Hong Kong Football Club at the Hysan Premiership U18 Boys’ Sevens Tournament at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens showcase event.
A reunion of Shawnigan exchange student alumni took place in Whitianga, New Zealand earlier this spring. Pictured from left to right: Cherry Wood ’10 (Strathcona), Chelsea Finnerty ’15 (Renfrew), Lily Hare ’14 (Strathcona), Tori Shirley ’12 (Groves’), Tia Ngataua ’15 (Groves’) and Harmony Kelsall ’15 (Renfrew).
The exchange program between Mercury Bay Area School in Whitianga and Shawnigan Lake School has welcomed many female rugby players.
“There was a mini get-together of some of the girls that have been lucky enough to experience the Shawnigan year. Several had not played rugby for years, and they send their regards and thanks to the staff and students that made their stay away from home so memorable. Shawnigan featured prominently in their conversations and after match speeches,” shared Ron Morgan, former teacher at Mercury Bay Area School.
One of the first Mercury Bay exchange students was Eloise Blackwell ’08 (Groves’), who went on to captain the New Zealand Black Ferns in 2020.
Congratulations to Jeffrey Young ’22 (Duxbury) on being named in the Rugby Canada extended squad list for Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s 2025 matches.
Congratulations to Ava Ference '23 (Renfrew) and Canada's U20 Women's Rugby team for their wins against Ireland in Dublin this spring. Read full story here.
Henri Gave ’23 (Ripley’s) and Finn Gargan ’24 (Copeman’s) played in the Collegiate Rugby Sevens tournament in Boyds, Maryland this past April, representing Duke University and Babson College, respectively.
Congratulations to Dylan Thygesen ’23 (Copeman’s) and the California Golden Bears rugby team for defeating the Life University Running Eagles 55-38 in the Division I-A championship final on May 4 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Hockey
Eli McKamey ’26 (Lonsdale’s) recently signed a WHL scholarship and development agreement and will make his Victoria Royals debut in the 2025-26 ice hockey season. Read the Victoria News story here.
Kieran Kenny ’22 (Lake’s), assistant captain and defenseman with the Philadelphia Hockey Club in the Eastern Hockey League, has committed to play NCAA Division III ice hockey in the fall of 2025 for the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Trailblazers who play in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference. Read full news article here.
Three Shawnigan ice hockey alumnae, Morgan Jackson ’24 (Groves’), Mikayla Boarder ’22 (Kaye’s) and Alix Walchuk ’25 (Kaye’s), were selected in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) All-Time Female Fantasy Draft. Read the full story here.
Congratulations to Joshua Polak ’24 (Lonsdale’s) who was selected by the Lincoln Stars, a Tier I junior ice hockey team in the United States Hockey League.
Dylan Compton ’23 (Copeman’s) was nominated as a finalist for the United States Hockey League Defenseman of the Year award. Dylan plays with the Waterloo Black Hawks.
Alumni Connections
From our campus to around the world, we meet Shawnigan Lake School alumni almost everywhere we go. Below is a collection of photos from recent visits with Shawnigan alumni.
A group of recent alumni returned to Shawnigan Lake School to share their first-year university experience with this year’s Grade 12 class. Pictured from left to right: Dave Paquette ’24 (Lonsdale’s), Jaelyn Milne ’24 (Strathcona), Josef Jakubec ’24 (Lonsdale’s), Ava Simpson ’24 (Renfrew), Abby McIntosh ’24 (Strathcona), Georgia Brown ’24 (Groves’), Grace Shepherd ’24 (Kaye’s), Colton Banks ’24 (Lake’s), and Draysen King ’24 (Ripley’s).
This spring, the Guidance Office also welcomed back other young alumni to campus to connect with students, including Alexis Welch ’18 (Renfrew), Josef Jakubec ’24 (Lonsdale’s), and Ally Tuttle ’23 (Strathcona).
The Class of 1975 came together in Vernon, BC to celebrate their upcoming 50th reunion. Pictured from left to right: Jim Witter ’75 (Ripley’s), Ron Fretwell ’75 (Ripley’s), Ashok Varma ’75 (Groves’), Peter Clarke ’75 (Groves’), Daryel Gough ’75 (Ripley’s), Charlie MacLachlan ’75 (Lake’s), Kim Thorne ’75 (Ripley’s), Nick Banks ’75 (Lake’s), Richard Millyard ’75 (Ripley’s), Doug Knight ’75 (Lonsdale’s), John Sinclair ’75 (Groves’), and Ken Thorne ’75 (Ripley’s).
John Kaye ’54 (Groves’) visited the campus to see the Schieldrop Amphitheatre project in progress in the Kaye Gardens. Pictured with Max Hedley of Shawnigan Grounds Crew, John Davies, Larry Lamont, and Rhod Samuel.
Members of the Class of 1972 attended the 2025 Scholars’ Reception in May to celebrate the Spirit of ‘72 Scholar, Carson U. ’25 (Copeman’s). In the photo: Hamish McIntosh ’72 (Groves'), John Oakley ’72 (Copeman’s), and Jim Kerr ’72 (Groves’).
Groves’ House Director Kat Cholack caught up with recent Shawnigan graduate and Michael T. Waites scholar Yangchen Tamang '24 (Groves') during a trip to Ontario in April. Yangchen is currently studying nursing at Trent University.
Shawnigan Lake School hosted many alumni back on campus for the 2025 Mike Johnson Squash Classic Saturday Social in the Derek Hyde-Lay Pavilion in April.
Births
Congratulations to Cameron Oliver ’09 (Ripley's) and his wife Jessica, who welcomed their son, Harrison Jack Oliver, on April 9 in Vancouver, BC.
Passages
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.
Pat MacLachlan, 1928-2025
Pat MacLachlan, passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 20, 2025 – four days after his 97th birthday! Pat was a teacher at Shawnigan from 1961-68 and Headmaster from 1968-72.
Pat’s sons Martin ’74 (Lake’s), Charlie '75 (Lake's) and Patrick '79 (Lake's) asked us to share this news with the Shawnigan community. They have been inundated with lovely messages and stories from his friends and Shawnigan alumni, and we are happy to collect and pass on any messages and stories to them.
There will be a memorial service at Shawnigan Lake School Chapel on Saturday, August 23 at 2:00 PM followed by a light reception in Mitchell Hall.
Robert Whetham ’63 (Copeman’s) passed away suddenly while hiking - one of his beloved pleasures - on June 17, 2025 at the age of 80.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
