Alumni News

Alumni Notebook - February 2020

John Lander ‘24
On Remembrance Day 2019, Headmaster Lamont spoke in Chapel of a Shawnigan alumnus (John Lander) and gold medallist in rowing at the 1928 Olympics, who the School honoured with a special Old Boys' Roll of Honour plaque. Lander was killed on Christmas Day, 1941, during the Battle of Hong Kong. His son, Gerry, a two-year-old at the time of his father’s death, has recently written to say how touched he is that his father was thus recognized. In addition, Rhod and Gaynor Samuel recently laid a wreath on Lander's grave in the Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Hong Kong, on behalf of Shawnigan.



Daniel B. Johnston ‘76 (Ripley’s) and Stephen D. Johnston ‘06 (Ripley’s)
Headmaster Lamont and Hilary Abbott (Advancement) stopped in at COCO Cafe in Cedar, BC recently for a visit with Dan Johnston and his son, Stephen.

COCO’s was largely started nine years ago by Dan’s wife, Trish, along with friends, to create employment and socialization opportunities for their children with developmental disabilities. As Dan explained, the cafe provides a much-needed place for them to work and learn within their community alongside peers. Stephen’s younger sister Carolyn has Down Syndrome and is a COCO employee.

COCO Cafe and the Nanaimo Association of Community Living (NACL), where Dan is president, share a similar philosophy when it comes to inclusion and employment for individuals with developmental disabilities. COCO and NACL have partnered together to increase supported-employment opportunities within the greater Nanaimo area.

Also of interest was Stephen’s University of British Columbia doctoral research on west coast salmon migratory patterns and how these are possibly impacted by ‘catch-and-release’ fishing practices.

Headmaster Lamont was in his element, chatting with two very avid anglers keen to share their knowledge of west coast fishing, the rivers, the runs, and the best methods for salmon fishing – all the more relevant because of the School’s planned August 2020 Port Renfrew fishing derby, where alumni and other contestants will learn more about the fishery and help support research by aiding in a tagging event while competing.




Nick Milliken ‘97 (Ripley’s)
In October 2019, Shawnigan’s Film Production teacher, Neil Trafford, and Manager of IT, Steve Beaudry, travelled to New York City to support two recent Shawnigan graduates at the All American High School Film Festival. While walking through Central Park proudly wearing their Shawnigan jackets, they were approached by Nick Milliken ‘97 (Ripley’s), who was visiting NYC at the time. He couldn’t help but notice the Shawnigan logo on their jackets, and felt compelled to introduce himself! Nick currently lives in Calgary, AB, where he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in April 2019 and was elected one month later to serve as Deputy Chair of Committees.




Diana Chang ‘06 (Kaye’s)
Diana Chang ‘06 (Kaye’s) is a proud Shawnigan alumni who has worked from Hong Kong as a Relations Associate for the School. Her two brothers, father, two uncles, and a cousin are all Shawnigan graduates.

Diana, an international admissions consultant, recently shared her ‘Seven Life Lessons from Boarding School.’ She says: “In hindsight, being dropped off [at Shawnigan] and waving goodbye was the best thing that ever happened to me. How I operate and live my life today is a direct result from my boarding years.”
  1. Never Cut Corners: “Our headmaster would call out students who cut across the quad and trampled on the freshly-cut grass. My first lesson was thus two-fold: 1) Never take shortcuts and 2) Never disrespect someone else’s work or effort.”
  2. Be on Time: “Punctuality isn’t just about time-management or self-discipline: more importantly, it signifies that you respect the person you’re meeting.”
  3. Be Presentable and Mind Your Manners: “This still boils back down to respect: if we make an effort in our appearance, exercise, and concern ourselves with proper self-care, it correlates to our own level of self-respect.”
  4. Blood is Not Always Thicker than Water: “...At boarding school, I was able to grow my ‘family’ exponentially through shared experiences, mutual elation and disappointments, championships and competitions.”
  5. Give Back: “Above all, Shawnigan’s character-centric education taught me to think of others and give back in whatever way you can, to make the world a better place in your own way.”
  6. Exercise and Make Art: “Shawnigan isn’t just about academics. It’s a balancing act… Shawnigan prepared me for the real world and reminded me to manage my time in such a way that I would be able to achieve my version of balance, and a full life…”
  7. Singing is Cool: “Expressing yourself and creating music together is one of my fondest memories at Shawnigan, and I always try to visit on a Chapel day because I miss ‘There’s a Voice in the Wilderness’.”
Thanks for the Shawnigan life lessons, Diana!




Brendan Cook ‘08 (Ripley’s)
Brendan Cook ‘08 (Ripley’s) currently lives in Glasgow, Scotland, where he works for Brown-Forman’s three Scottish distilleries, GlenDronach, BenRiach, and Glenglassaugh, as the apprentice master blender (whiskey maker). In October 2019 he was back in Canada for the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship in Langley, BC. He shares, “I created the domestic league in Scotland for box lacrosse and my role with the national team is general manager.” After the tournament was over, Brendan was able to make a quick visit to the Island, where Rhod and Gaynor Samuel caught up with him at a gathering.




Marika Pelham ’13 (Groves’)
Marika recently spent five months hiking from near the Mexican border to Manning Park, British Columbia, on the Pacific Crest Trail, a distance of over 4,200 kilometers. Read more




Derek Douglas '12 (Copeman's) & Blake Dickson '12 (Copeman's)
In November, third-year Bachelor of Commerce students Derek Douglas (far left in photo), Sebastian Stewart and Ye Wang earned a spot among the top ten teams selected to travel to Vilnius, Lithuania, to compete in the annual Creative Shock (WHAT IT IS) case competition finals. The three Peter B. Gustavson School of Business students, along with School alumni and fourth teammate Blake Dickson (far right in photo), ended the competition with an impressive fourth out of more than 400 international teams. Read More




Chris Kaumeyer ’14 (Copeman’s)
Chris Kaumeyer ’14 (Copeman’s), currently an undergrad at the University of Toronto, was selected by the university’s mathematics department to present a ‘model theory’ paper at an important University of British Columbia symposium. ‘Model theory’ is a branch of mathematical logic “which shows how to apply logic to the study of structures in pure mathematics.” Judy and Stephen Lane report that they were fortunate enough to attend Chris’ presentation. Those who remember Chris would not be surprised to hear that his talk on Model Theory showed his deep grasp and passion for the topic.




Ben Berard ’17 (Copeman’s)
Ben Berard ’17 (Copeman’s) a freshman at Cornell University, was awarded ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week in November. ECAC Hockey is one of six conferences competing in NCAA Division 1 ice hockey. Playing on Cornell’s team, Berard (who is from Duncan, B.C.) regularly squares off against players from such institutions as Yale, Princeton, and Harvard. Ben was recently interviewed for a Cornell newsletter, answering questions about Shawnigan, what players he models himself after, and the time he broke his back and learned “how boring life is without playing hockey.” Read more




Olin Webb ’17 (Lake’s)
Olin Webb ’17 (Lake’s) is in his third year of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and is also finishing a double work term at EAS Power in Victoria, where he has been helping convert a double-decker tour bus from diesel to electric. What great hands-on experience for a future engineer: making future transportation systems cleaner, quieter, cost-effective, and more eco-friendly. In December, Olin headed to Australia for some well-earned downtime with his brother, Jerome, before returning to his studies at UBC.


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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.