At the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, I asked students what mattered most to them in their Shawnigan Journey. A significant majority said the following word: "representation."

 

Over my five years here, it has been without a doubt my greatest pleasure to create "Paths of Passion," Shawnigan's first student-run article series focusing on the student extracurricular experience. Our voices are the most essential tool we have at our disposal. When we amplify them, it creates the foundation of a stronger community. What better way to start building that than through our extracurriculars – Shawnigan's 360 programs?

 

I came to Shawnigan without a clue of what I wanted to do. The pandemic was then at its peak. I was away from home for the first time in my life, and everything about the School was strange to me. It wasn't until I found myself in the observatory that I finally established my footing in what would become my home for the next five years. My 360 experience shaped me into who I am today, and it was vital for me to share my lessons with the next generation of Shawnigan students.

 

Shooting stars and lunar eclipses, galaxies and nebulae, clusters and planets – each object that I saw through a telescope had a story of its own. Whether we acknowledge them or not, they remain out there waiting to be revealed, each shining brighter than the last. My time in the astronomy 360, beginning as a first-year student and ending as the program's student lead, gave me a chance to see the importance of uncovering the hidden stories that surround us at all times.

 

In astronomy, we uncover the tales of stars, but there is a larger purpose at Shawnigan: to represent the voices of our peers. It has been an incredible privilege to serve as a Prefect in my final year here, and as the representative for 360, I took it upon myself to create a resource that allows others to see themselves reflected in the incredible range of interests and talents they have developed throughout their respective Shawnigan Journeys. The concept was simple: all you needed to do was pick up a pen and write. “Paths of Passion” is the product of that, and in its inaugural year, six students had their articles featured. Each edition featured a different theme and 360 program, but my team and I ensured that the core mission of the project remained constant: to amplify the student's voice.

 

At Shawnigan, there are 550 students divided into 32 different 360 programs. As one of the core pillars of the School, our co-curricular resources are often what shape our future careers. The six students we featured this year have all become individual ambassadors for their respective fields of passion, inspiring younger students to follow in their footsteps and share their stories. I am confident that future writers will continue to shine a light on the amazing talents we have in our student body. Additionally, none of this would have been possible without Mr. Nigel Mayes's guidance for me over the years. His constant support for my initiatives pushed me to inspire others and share my own story – as I do at this very moment.

 

After all, the best stories are the ones that inspire others to share their own.