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Mr. Gary Dukelow

"I have always loved teaching, and I have never had a better job then I have now. So I am finishing with the best job ever – how lucky is that?
 
I first worked at Shawnigan from 1988-1991, after I came back from Japan. That first year was super interesting, as it was the first year that Shawnigan went co-ed. I have some great memories of the School during those three years.
A decade later, I was really interested in starting an External Program at Shawnigan for a few reasons – mostly because I was attracted to starting something at the School that would open up our gates to the outside community to create good relationships.
 
When I first started running the External Program, Mr. Robertson gave me lots of creative freedom and that’s when I realized how lucky I was to be at a school that trusted me to be creative. That was a very special time, those first six years back at the School (2001-2007). It was an awesome opportunity for me to be a leader and to manage people and resources throughout the year.
 
I was able to go from the External Program to the House Directing job in Duxbury, which was probably the best educational experience I have ever had. When you get into the world of House Directing, you realize that education goes way beyond the classroom. Those six years were an amazing experience and I learned some great life lessons that I carry with me to this day.
 
The service club was something I always wanted to do from the beginning of my Shawnigan career. I eventually found myself in the service club and at the end of the day, the service club has probably been more important than anything else I have done.
 
I have been happy to see the development of the kids in the club. Because it definitely happens, in a very quiet and subtle way. We focus on the areas of poverty and loneliness, and it creates a heart-to-heart connection for the kids. Leaving the School, they would be quiet and burnt out after a long day of classes, but coming back there was always an incredible energy, and that’s what made everything so worthwhile.
 
Part of my goal with service was to make sure that those kids had an experience that made them feel really good about themselves. They may not have won a national title, but they did something that was just as valuable, if not more.
 
For me, education is not about getting kids to graduate at the top of their games, it's about where they will be ten or twenty years down the road. I think service is one of those things that’s in everybody. When you are exposed to it you discover a whole new inner strength, I really believe that. I really think every kid should have a service experience, and that’s something we definitely try to do here at Shawnigan.
 
I also believe that every kid should have an entrepreneurial experience. When you allow kids to have ownership over something and really run with things, and you get to watch them grow, that to me is the real education. It excites me to see the core competencies align with that. When you find things that really work, you become even more passionate about it. I am leaving at a time where I have never felt more committed to what I am doing – but that’s a good time to go, because I still have energy to pursue some other things.
 
The Shawnigan students have always been just incredible. They are very down to earth. They are amazing and resourceful and respectful – everything we want in a kid. I have never had a year where I have thought at the end, “those are bad kids.” In fact, every year I always say, “this is one of the best groups I have ever worked with.”
 
Shawnigan is resilient and compassionate. There are so many committed people here. It’s inspiring to work around people who are that committed.
 
I will miss the challenges, and certainly the people and the community. Shawnigan is a magical place. I lived on campus for seven years, and lived here throughout the entire year, experiencing all the different seasons. Somebody once said to me that there’s something magical about the trees here on campus, you can feel it… and I believe that this is true, that there’s a spirit here that doesn’t exist anywhere else and that comes from the voice in the wilderness. There’s something about this place that’s always going to be in you.
 
The experience of working at a place like this for 22 years has been special. Once Shawnigan is in your blood, it’s there. There were times when I thought about moving away and working somewhere else, but I just couldn’t leave.
 
Shawnigan isn't about individuals. It’s bigger than that, bigger than ourselves. It's about the collective energies that come through and I think that’s something we have to continue moving forward not only at Shawnigan, but in the world.
 
The unique aspect of my final role in the Stag Cafe is that it brought all of the experiences that I have had at Shawnigan together. I was able to use my entrepreneurial spirit from the External Program and Prep School, along with my House Director experience and the CASE mindset (which I believe needs to be expanded). I looked at the Stag Cafe as the House of Houses. It was brilliant to witness students getting over themselves, their homework, and their Houses and see them interacting in such a positive and healthy way. What a gift that was for me. Thank you Shawnigan, I will forever be grateful for my time here. "
 
- Mr. Gary Dukelow (22 years at Shawnigan)
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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.