I am Shawnigan
Jim Holland
I can’t imagine my life without having experienced this place.
My start at Shawnigan was really a happy accident. I was a bit shocked when I got the job because it all happened so quickly, but I do remember being excited even though I felt like I was going into a great unknown.
I was immediately struck by the natural beauty of Shawnigan’s campus and instantly felt drawn into the magic. The trees here are amazing; I have always felt they’re the best feature of the campus. I remember the feeling of stepping into the old Main Building and seeing the character and charm throughout the building. I knew instantly that this was a special place.
In my time here I have taught English, psychology and philosophy, and I also started up the Service Club, which is still running today. One of my favourite roles was doing duty for ten years in Copeman's House. I loved every minute of it, and it was the best thing I could have done in terms of helping to form connections with the students and the other staff.
However, I soon found that my biggest and most important job was just being available for people, to offer advice, a hug, or to just be there through the good times and the bad. It is something that I have always taken very seriously, and it has been an incredible honour to be able to support our community in this way.
My role as the Chaplain really evolved over the years. During the early days, there was a lot of learning and personal growth for me, especially in regards to putting important ideas into language that was accessible to everyone, and therefore making the Chapel a more inclusive and diverse place. I figured out pretty quickly what our community would and wouldn’t respond well to. Standing up at the podium week after week, I would constantly strive to make sure that the message was right for the time and that it was reflective of where the community was at. The more I got to know the community, the more I understood their needs and expectations, and ultimately it became easier for me to deliver the right messaging for whatever time we were in. I am so grateful to everyone who sat in those pews and listened with an open heart.
I always go back to the advice that I received early on in my Shawnigan career, which was to just be myself – that’s the most important thing when it comes to teenagers. Everything else is secondary. When I heard that, it gave me a sense of freedom and purpose and really shaped how I saw my role.
I came to realize that the School Chaplain is a solitary role. You provide a kind of leadership in the community, and you are doing that on your own. It was a weird experience, feeling that sense of being alone in the role, but also feeling an incredible sense of belonging in this wonderful community. Over the years, as I got to know the community better and found mentors and friends, I stopped feeling so alone in the role. I appreciate all the people who supported me along the way. Because of this community, it has not been a difficult job – it has just been an absolute joy.
Shawnigan has shaped me for the better. I feel like I am a very different person from when I first started. I am less fearful – in fact, I think that is the biggest change I have seen in myself. Just like everyone else, I have always been a little worried about what people thought of me. But I have had some amazing mentors who supported me and helped me to grow as a person and to become more confident in myself and in my role. I have grown up here in a lot of ways. It was great practice to stand in front of 600 people twice a week for almost 20 years. It’s even better than being on stage, because on stage you are taking on the role of someone else, but in the Chapel, I always had to be myself. I owe a lot to this community for helping me to grow up, and I am proud of the person it has shaped me into.
Every day working at Shawnigan, I looked forward to the familiarity, yet every day was different. Working with adolescents was great because there was always the possibility of something surprising happening. At the end of every day, something would have happened that would make me think, “Wow, I didn’t expect that.” It kept me young.
I learned something from everyone I crossed paths with at Shawnigan. I am privileged to have had so many amazing and interesting colleagues. Over the years, I was approached by other jobs, but there was no way I was going to leave this place because I didn’t want to miss out on a single day of being part of this incredible community and all the opportunities that come with it. I just appreciated how open, loving, and supportive the staff and students were. It’s a remarkable place.
I have always been blown away by the energy in the Chapel, and especially the singing. I know that Chapel was not always perfect, or even interesting, but I am so grateful for the amazing congregation that made it that much better. I always felt that people were genuinely open to learning and listening in Chapel. I hope Chapel has been a place where people have recognized that spirituality is actually a great adventure. I hope that I have succeeded in some way to provide opportunities for the kids to think about what life is truly all about and that it has helped them question what kind of person they want to be and strive to be the best version of themselves.
The Chapel itself is a very special place. There’s a special energy in there. Thinking about it, I get emotional. There’s a personality in there – a sense of its own being. It’s an incredible place and it’s warm and it's also impressive. It has a sense of expansiveness but also intimacy.
Preparing to retire has been a huge transition for me; bigger than I ever expected. Everything is changing for me, and it’s okay, because I am ready for my next adventure. But, I will sure miss this adventure, because it was a great one.
Shawnigan is not perfect, but you cannot ignore the fact that there’s something profoundly beautiful about this place. I am so glad that this is the way I feel as I prepare to retire. I am leaving with no negative thoughts or feelings – I have nothing but positive impressions.
To everyone that I have met along this journey, thank you for giving me the room to speak and the support to be able to contribute to this community – I couldn’t have done it without you.
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List of 3 news stories.
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Jim Holland
Read MoreI can’t imagine my life without having experienced this place.My start at Shawnigan was really a happy accident. I was a bit shocked when I got the job because it all happened so quickly, but I do remember being excited even though I felt like I was going into a great unknown.I was immediately struck by the natural beauty of Shawnigan’s campus and instantly felt drawn into the magic. The trees here are amazing; I have always felt they’re the best feature of the campus. I remember the feeling of stepping into the old Main Building and seeing the character and charm throughout the building. I knew instantly that this was a special place. -
Darrin Austin
Read MoreShawnigan legend Darrin Austin is retiring after 32 years of teaching at the School! In his years at Shawnigan, Darrin has held more roles than we could possibly list, including math and science teacher, coach, House Director for both Junior House and Lake’s House, Director of Athletics, Risk Management, and so much more! Thank you, Darrin, for your dedication and service to the School. -
Henri G. '23 (Co-Head of School and Head of Ripley’s House)
Read More“I am so grateful I came in Grade 8 and can be called a Shawnigan lifer. Fun fact: I actually redid Grade 8 and that means I have now been at Shawnigan for six years.Before coming to Shawnigan, I was attending a school on the mainland. I didn’t feel like I fit in, so we decided to visit some boarding schools in Vancouver and on the Island to see if we could find a better fit. Shawnigan was the last school we visited, and I automatically knew that this was the place I wanted to be – I felt like I was home.
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 West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
