Branksome graduates blaze trails and create change—and these alums prove it
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Vision To be the pre-eminent educational community of globally minded learners and leaders.
Mission Each day, we challenge and inspire girls to love learning and to shape a better world.
Values Sense of Community, Inclusiveness, Creativity, Making a Diff erence
As a top branding creative, Bernise WONG’13 is a global star in both the digital and physical worlds.
16
Mary Pat JONES Armstrong’63 has suffered challenge and heartbreak, yet it has inspired a life of exceptional community service.
20
Christina VEIRA’05 speaks out for racialized people in the hospitality industry.
Soprano Rachel KREHM’03 came to terms with loss and memory—by writing an opera.
26
Prity RUNGTA’95 has excelled in the design and construction business in New York City, but it didn’t come easy.
Pioneering cancer surgeon Dr. Sarah PSUTKA’99 has opened up her fi eld for more women.
The cover features multiple alums for the first time, highlighting the group eff ort of this issue. Clockwise from top left: Rachel KREHM’03, Ariella MINDEN’11, Jacqueline FITZGIBBON Moss’80, Christina VEIRA’05, Veronica LIU’97, Sarah PSUTKA’99, Prity RUNGTA’95, Mary Pat JONES Armstrong’63 and Bernise WONG’13 (centre).
As I prepare for a gradual exit from my role as Principal, I find myself absorbed by stories of fearless women from Branksome and beyond
BY KAREN L. JURJEVICH
In early December, I spoke in our Monday Assembly on the theme of reflection and celebration. As one who has always been intrigued by stories of women across cultures, industries and professions, a recent article in the Life & Arts section of the Financial Times (FT) featuring “The Women of 2022” caught my eye and made me think about celebrating the complexities of leadership and the women who fearlessly step up and make a difference.
So I took the opportunity to tell the Grades 7–12 students about Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, recently appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States and the first Black woman to ascend to America’s highest court in its more than 230-year history. I also described Sanna Marin, the youngest prime minister of Finland, who, aged 37, has absorbed the challenges of leading a country while dealing with the type of media outrage that tends to be reserved only for female leaders. And, lastly, it was an honour to tell the students about Mia Mottley, the prime minister of Barbados, whom the FT identified as “the designer of democracy” and who recently led Barbados to become a republic. Mottley firmly established herself as a formidable leader of her generation when she spoke at the
UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) on the failure of industrialized states to meaningfully invest to halt climate change.
As I absorbed the inspirational stories of the 24 “Women of 2022” featured in the FT, representing politics, law, human rights, sports, arts and literature, I reflected on my experience at Branksome Hall, where we are creating our own version of heroes, creators and leaders, featured here in this special issue of The READ.
The words below, which I shared with our students in Assembly, ring equally true for you, our alums:
“At Branksome, we think big and bold. We encourage voice and agency and do so in a manner that reflects informed, educated and thoughtful discourse. As I contemplate the many student celebrations from this past term, I am in awe of the wide range of skills, extraordinary talents and exceptional abilities that each of you possesses in your own individual way. I know of no group of students who is more capable to influence and to lead.”
As we think about leadership journeys, my own is in transition. I am both excited and nostalgic as I prepare to transition out of my role in June 2024 after 25 years serving as Branksome’s seventh Principal. It seems extraordinary to consider that Branksome’s next Principal will be only the eighth to serve in this role since the school’s founding, now in its 120th year.
While a year and a half may seem like a long transition, it is merely a moment in time when one considers the impact of leadership change on a venerable institution such as Branksome Hall. Like the six wise, bold and dedicated women who shaped and guided Branksome before me, I am committed to leaving the school in a position of strength and readiness for the next Principal.
There is a lot to do in the coming period. We will begin to execute our refreshed strategy, which has been approved by the Board of Governors. Its focus on IB excellence, innovation, social-emotional learning, and diversity, equity and inclusion will propel us to deliver what is most essential to unlock our students’ potential. Campus renewal will continue, with construction of our new Innovation Centre and Studio Theatre (iCAST) underway. The opening, scheduled for spring 2025, will set the stage for the next phase of Branksome’s impact in innovation on the world stage.
I am proud to lead Branksome Hall, a school that has always been future-focused and distinguished by the extraordinary people who have learned and led here. It is with a deep commitment to serve and see Branksome continue to thrive, as we look to the future together, that I thank each of you for your support, your friendship and your fierce love for this great school. R
“At Branksome, we think big and bold. We encourage voice and agency and do so in a manner that reflects informed, educated and thoughtful discourse.”CALEY TAYLOR
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
EDITOR
Sarah Baumann
EDITORIAL ADVISOR
Berton Woodward
ALUM RELATIONS
Neetu White
Cristina Coraggio
Karen L. Jurjevich
Liisa Stephenson
Karrie Weinstock
CONTRIBUTORS
Sarah Baumann
Megan EASTON’13
Jamie Day FLECK’00
Melanie JACKSON’74
Elizaveta KOZLOVA’15
Veronica LIU’97
Celia HORE Milne’78
Christian Peterson
Emily J. RAMSHAW’07
Kiana ROMEO’17
Janet Sailian
Brian Smale
Liisa Stephenson
Caley Taylor
Amy VERNER’98
Neetu White
Alums, employees and friends of Branksome Hall
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
Michael Cherkas + Associates
Branksome Hall
10 Elm Avenue
Toronto, ON M4W 1N4
Tel: 416-920-9741
www.branksome.on.ca
CONTACT
Alum Relations
alum@branksome.on.ca
Winter 2023
Volume 62, Number 1
Canadian Publications
Mail Agreement No.40010445
BY SARAH BAUMANNIjoined Branksome Hall in June 2022, quickly preparing for this, my first issue as editor of The READ. Inspired by our new school tagline, “Fiercely Independent,” we wanted this issue to showcase all the ways our alums are thought-challengers, innovators and ceiling-breakers. And we wanted it to be a group effort. Who better to make this a truly Branksome production than our alums themselves—as subjects, yes, but this time also as writers and photographers. In this issue you will read the words and see the images of these fiercely independent individuals, and, as always, learn about the achievements and life milestones of many more. A magazine is only as good as the team who puts it together, and I am proud to share what we have created. We hope you enjoy it.
Megan EASTON’13, Writer
Megan currently works as a project manager at a planning and real estate consulting firm in Toronto. She graduated from Western University in 2017 and completed her master’s in planning at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2019. Megan continues to enjoy travelling, playing sports and volunteering.
Jamie Day FLECK’00, Photographer
Jamie Day Fleck is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker based in Toronto with a bachelor of fine arts in photography from Parsons School of Design and an MFA in documentary media from Toronto Metropolitan University. Her films focus on artistic process and environmental issues.
Melanie JACKSON’74, Writer
A semi-retired journalist, Melanie Jackson lives in Vancouver with her husband and very spoiled orange cat. Melanie is also a children’s and youngadult novelist, and in 2018 her young adult mystery Medusa’s Scream won a Canadian Children’s Book Centre-TD touring author award.
Elizaveta KOZLOVA’15, Photographer
Elizaveta Kozlova is a New York Citybased opera singer, photographer and Instagram influencer. She has performed in concerts at renowned venues, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Her photographic works have been exhibited in France, Canada and the U.S.
Veronica LIU’97, Writer
Veronica Santiago Liu is the founder and general coordinator of the collective that operates Word Up Community Bookshop/ Librería Comunitaria in Washington Heights, New York City, and serves as the executive director for Seven Stories Institute. Raised in Toronto, Veronica is a 20-year resident of Washington Heights.
Celia HORE Milne’78, Writer
Celia Milne is a medical journalist and corporate writer. Her articles have appeared in Maclean’s, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine and many medical publications. Her work has earned 10 national and two international awards. Celia holds an MFA in creative non-fiction from the University of King’s College, Dalhousie, and a BA from Queen’s University.
Emily J. RAMSHAW’07, Writer
Emily is a writer, editor and marketing consultant. She started her career as a fashion editor, working for Flare and Coveteur, and recently held marketing executive positions at Bumble and Mejuri. She lives in Toronto with her husband and son.
Amy VERNER’98, Writer
Based in Paris since 2011, Amy Verner is a journalist, copywriter and editor. She spent seven years as the style reporter for The Globe and Mail and now contributes regularly to Vogue.com. She thrives on the culture of Paris: the museums, galleries, local life and, of course, the croissants. R
Branksome faculty have taken home some highly prestigious awards
Everyday, Branksome Hall’s faculty challenge and inspire our students to love learning and to shape a better world. We are so grateful for their contributions, and proud to share some recent accolades.
Math Instructional Leader and teacher Edith Louie has been recognized with the René Descartes Medal, a province-wide honour celebrating excellence in classroom teaching, leadership in school and provincial activities, and mentorship to students and other teachers. Louie dedicated her award to her late mother, citing her unconditional love and values.
Jill Strimas, Director of Boarding and Instructional Leader, Language A, ESL & International Languages, and Jordan Small, former Branksome Hall English teacher who is now chair of English at Upper Canada College, had their professional partnership and
friendship recognized with the 2022 Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Advocates of transparent course design, they were honoured for “their innovative teaching approaches and uncompromising focus on student leadership, agency and success.”
And in recognition of how she uses her talents to inspire and build up others as teachers, Heather Friesen, Head, Academics and Professional Learning, was awarded the 2022 Continuing and Professional Learning Award of Excellence from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto.
Congratulations to these four school leaders whose outstanding work as educators and mentors has touched so many Branksome students and alums.
Audits
In 2021, Branksome partner Anima Leadership engaged with students, alums, parents and employees through surveys, focus groups and meetings for an audit on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). They also assessed the school’s admissions, human resources and communications and marketing areas to identify opportunities for potential growth. A common theme that emerged was great pride in being part of the Branksome community, and a recognition of the school’s commitment to working on short- and long-term DEI goals. Areas of development identified included a strong need for more diversity among faculty, as well as more of a focus on DEI education throughout the school. Presentations to community members on the audit’s fi ndings will begin in the new year, and will continue throughout the remainder of the 2022–23 school year.
Speakers
The school welcomed internationally recognized educator and author Rachel Simmons on October 27 for employee professional development and an evening talk for parents and donors as part of the Branksome Speaker Series on Well-Being. Simmons guides and empowers leaders worldwide to lead with purpose, courage and emotional intelligence. She serves on the faculty of the Google School for Leaders and was, until recently, the director of the Lewis Leadership Program at Smith College. She co-founded the NGO Girls Leadership and has served as an advisor to Oprah Winfrey and former Meta top exec Sheryl Sandberg. As a speaker, Simmons is renowned for her ability to artfully weave humour with social science research. Th is was certainly the case with her time at Branksome, as she deft ly provided frameworks for building a positive stress mindset and modelling self-compassion while also sharing stories from her own life as a mother of a 10-year-old girl and coach to leaders in the tech industry.
Mona Malone has been appointed the new Chair of the Board of Governors at Branksome Hall, effective September 2022. Malone is the parent of a past Branksome student, has served as Vice-Chair of the Board for two years, and was previously a board member for four years. When describing her experience with Branksome, Malone openly shares her admiration and respect for the school community.
“As a proud Branksome parent, it is the community I love most about Branksome Hall,” she says. “Th is is a leading, globally minded school, with so many exciting opportunities for students to connect, learn and grow. I am honoured to continue to advance the mission of Branksome, and inspired by its future potential.”
We wish to thank Jean Cloutier, past Board Chair, for providing wise guidance, dedication and profound contribution to our community during his time leading the board.
Branksome leaders were thrilled to open the Junior School iHub this fall. This innovative learning space for students and faculty also serves as a launching pad for the new iCAST building, currently under construction on campus. The Junior School iHub comprises zones dedicated to media, creation and building, coding and robotics, professional learning spaces and fabrication. Made possible thanks to the generosity of our Annual Fund donors, this hub will empower students to explore learning in various ways, such as creating a podcast around social justice or developing augmented reality scenes showcasing biodiversity in different biomes.
On September 12, three of our students, accompanied by teachers and Karrie Weinstock, Head of our Centre for Strategic Leadership, attended PEN America’s Words on Fire forum in New York City. The forum brings awareness to both historical and modern-day instances of silencing writing and free expression through book bans, educational gag orders, online harassment, self-censorship, and the detention of journalists and artists worldwide. Our students had the opportunity to hear fi rsthand from world-renowned authors and trailblazing advocates for free speech, including Margaret Atwood and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Branksome Hall and the Munk Debates have partnered to initiate Re:Solved, a worldwide public-speaking and debate competition. The goal is to highlight global competitive public speaking and debate, and enable students everywhere to participate using our accessible, innovative db8 platform.
Open to students aged 13–18, this competition offers students engagement with stimulating ideas and judges from around the world. The fi rst competition opened in November 2022, with the top 32 students moving on to the online debate phase. A fi nal, in-person debate event will take place in Toronto in May 2023, with four students flown to Toronto. All expenses will be paid, and the four fi nalists will receive prizes to assist them with their post-secondary education.
Graduates
Number of graduates
115
Number of countries represented by boarding students
15
University of Toronto 19
Queen’s University .........................18
Western University 12
International
The
Students Fatima and Seungmyoung with Margaret Atwood.
Four 2022 Branksome graduates have received prestigious scholarships to major universities in North America. Here are brief profiles of these exceptional young alums.
BY MEGAN EASTON’13 Maria Muiruri University of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe Morehead-Cain Scholarship is a four-year, fully funded merit scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that is awarded to 75 individuals who offer distinctive purpose, principle and creativity. Maria was one of three Canadians in 2022 to receive this historic award, the fi rst non-athletic merit scholarship in the United States, dating to 1951. She was the fi rst Branksome graduate to receive it since 2006.
Morehead-Cain is designed to bring together exceptional student leaders and challenge scholars to push boundaries. It provides opportunities for travel, summer enrich-
ment programs and internships, while enabling students to maintain a rich peer network. These experiences drew Maria to apply for the scholarship and also made her the perfect candidate.
Maria—who is currently on a gap year as part of Morehead-Cain’s Gap Year program, with plans to travel to the United Kingdom and Tanzania— made a strong impact during her time at Branksome.
Among other things, she was Student Government Prefect, Diversity Council Student Life Representative and Co-Head of the Black Student Union, where she pioneered a Black student mentorship program. She also maintained a rigorous athletic career and was an outstanding debater and moderator.
Branksome enabled Maria to
“Branksome made me a lifelong learner and demonstrated that learning does not only happen in the classroom.”
MARIA MUIRURIpursue a range of experiences. She approached these opportunities with unparalleled leadership potential, paired with insight, courage and maturity. “Branksome made me a lifelong learner and demonstrated that learning does not only happen in the classroom,” she says.
Delaney Belsher Southern Methodist UniversityDelaney Belsher’s forward thinking and ambitious drive were key factors in her success in attaining a scholarship to the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas.
Bachelor of business administration Scholars are pre-selected for Cox
admission based on their application to SMU and academic performance. The scholarship is awarded to approximately 100 students, assessed on outstanding academic achievement, strong recommendations, leadership and compelling essays.
Delaney was a natural fit. Faculty at Branksome described her as a “vibrant, mature and dependable” person who was comfortable and capable of leading others. “In addition to outstanding personal drive, Delaney collaborates enthusiastically with her classmates,” they said in her application.
As a BBA Scholar, Delaney benefits from the school’s regular SMU/ Cox curriculum and has early access to the Cox School of Business, including enhanced advising and career service opportunities, and special programs and events. She will be able to study abroad and to pursue double degrees, allowing her to explore multiple academic fields. Having only been there a few months, Delaney and the other BBA Scholars already stand out as some of the strongest business applicants in their class.
Lily Eldon University of GuelphLily Eldon is pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Guelph and was a recipient of one of Guelph’s most prestigious entrance awards. The President’s Scholarship funds tuition, a summer research position and a mentorship program.
Lily’s involvement in biomedical engineering is not surprising given her undeniable love of math. Faculty at Branksome noted in her application
that she was always “brimming with ideas” and exhibited an “unabashed zeal to learn,” making her stand out as a leader. Her goal is to join her mentor’s lab on developing nanoscale biosensor and lab-on-a-chip technologies to study cancer.
Making a difference in the community has always been a priority for Lily, a practice she thanks Branksome for. At the school, she co-founded a women-in-math organization, volunteered at Sunny View school and facilitated an inter-school mental health symposium. She was also Co-Club Head of the Mock Trial Club and was a senator on the Halton District School Board Student Senate.
Lily also credits Branksome for teaching her how to manage her time and balance her emotional and physical well-being, a skill she has taken with her to Guelph. “I have yet to see such an inclusive and supportive community as Branksome, where I learned the importance of collaboration and empowering my peers to succeed,” she says.
recognizing her continued leadership in racial and social justice and various EDI initiatives. At Branksome, she was an insightful member of the school’s Diversity Council, Black Student Union and the Resilient Inspirational Sisters of Excellence program.
“I consider myself very lucky to have been a student at Branksome, because the experiences and opportunities available to me were too many to count,” she says. Ore also showed leadership in her role as Boarding Prefect. She was determined to establish a campus “family,” helping others overcome language barriers and homesickness.
Since arriving at Queen’s, Ore has attended roundtable discussions about EDI, budget meetings and academic advising sessions. She also continues to show leadership, taking on the role as the only fi rst-year resident student staff member.
Ore Maxwell Queen’s UniversityQueen’s University’s Commitment Scholars Award is offered to 10 incoming undergraduate students. It recognizes students’ demonstrated leadership and contributions to racial justice, social justice, Indigenization and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Along with providing funding, the scholarship connects students with advisors who offer guidance in career preparation, fi nancial planning and academics.
Ore was selected from among 300 applicants for the scholarship,
Ore believes her unique and diverse experiences at Branksome made her transition to university easier, equipping her with excellent community leadership skills, comfort in approaching others with confidence and a willingness to embrace new opportunities. R
“I have yet to see such an inclusive and supportive community as Branksome, where I learned the importance of collaboration and empowering my peers to succeed.”
LILY ELDON
For 120 years at Branksome, they have kept well the road
BY KIANA ROMEO’17
With the pending retirement of Karen L. Jurjevich as Principal of Branksome Hall (see page 2), a new era for the school will soon begin. As we prepare to welcome our eighth Principal, get to know the seven leaders who have grown and shaped Branksome Hall in numerous innovative and meaningful ways since its founding.
Margaret was born in Dundas, Ontario. After attending the University of Toronto, she served as principal of several Toronto independent schools before founding Branksome Hall. She believed that the most important feature of the school was the development of character in the students it taught. While women at the time were expected to become homemakers, Margaret was determined to educate girls beyond domestic work to allow them the chance to be independent trailblazers, a mission that would continue throughout Branksome’s history.
Principal. She began a program of school expansion, making Branksome Hall the largest girls’ school in Canada. She was particularly interested in giving each student the opportunity to develop their potential talents to the fullest extent regardless of background.
Edith was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After receiving degrees in mathematics from Dalhousie University and Radcliffe College, she came to Branksome as a mathematics teacher and four years later became
Born in Orwell, Prince Edward Island, Jennie attended Mount Allison University and the University of Toronto. She began her career at Branksome as an English teacher and 20 years later was promoted to Assistant Principal. In 1958, she became Principal and worked to uphold the traditions and ideals of her predecessors. While keeping her students on a “straight and narrow” path, she also encouraged them to explore political and societal topics, such as civil rights, feminism and individuality.
After graduating from Victoria College at the University of Toronto, Margaret took her first role at Branksome Hall as a French teacher. Described by others as smart, fair and approachable, Margaret was well respected among the Branksome community. Upon taking the role of Principal in 1968, she strived to create a disciplined environment for the rebellious students of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Margaret retired from Branksome Hall in 1974, leaving behind a newly introduced democratic policy where students could campaign for leadership positions and vote their peers in.
was for Branksome to grow as a result of student involvement and community building. She encouraged students to run their own clubs and committees, and to get involved with as many initiatives as they could. She also spearheaded the construction of many new buildings and spaces, such as updated residence quarters, a double gym and science wing in the Senior School, and an entirely new Junior School.
As an alum with a master’s degree in education from the University of Toronto and comprehensive knowledge of the public school system, Allison brought a fresh perspective to her role as Principal. Her goal
Born in Wales, Rachel obtained her undergraduate degree in modern languages from the University of Oxford and her PhD in Latin American literature from the University of Kentucky. She was passionately committed to excellence in girls’ education and widely recognized as an outstanding educator. Described by her peers as frank, funny and companionable, she challenged traditions at the school that seemed outdated, and encouraged all students, teachers and staff to speak out on topics they found important.
Karen is a lifelong learner and leader. She is a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she completed the Stanford Executive Program, and has received diplomas in Integrative Thinking and Financial Literacy from the Rotman School of Management. Karen holds a Master of Education degree from the University of British Columbia and both a BA and BEd from Western University. During her time as Principal, she successfully transitioned Branksome to become Toronto’s only all-years, International Baccalaureate World School for girls; co-founded Branksome Hall Asia on Jeju Island, South Korea; led the redevelopment of the Toronto campus, including the completion of the Athletics and Wellness Centre; and championed the creation of the Chandaria Research Centre. Karen currently serves on the boards of directors for the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools and Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. R
BY AMY VERNER’98 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIZAVETA KOZLOVA’15
On a late Friday morning in early November, the Ivy Soho Brasserie in a bustling part of London, England is thrumming with activity. Nearby, young businessmen can be overheard talking about Bitcoin and foreign markets, while well-heeled diners at other tables are digging into indulgent breakfasts or have moved onto lunch with Instagram-worthy burgers and fries. Bernise WONG’13 is nibbling on her second miniature pastry when she points out the graphic wall panels behind glass and the chairs upholstered in a palm leaf fabric. As someone who is constantly questioning and drawing inspiration from the visual world, she notices details that might be unremarkable to the rest of us.
“I walked in here and thought, ‘Look at this interior design; look at what you’re wearing; look at how they’re displaying the jams,’” she
says, noting the tiered tea tray beside us. “But someone with a business mind would be like, ‘How fast can they turn the tables?’”
Bernise, who lives in New York City but has family in England, returned to London aft er spending a few weeks recharging her creative batteries around Europe. She says the downtime was long overdue, having accumulated several vacation days while deep in work as head of brand, creative, at Saysh, the community-driven lifestyle brand conceived by and for women.
Founder Allyson Felix is America’s most decorated female track-andfield Olympian, according to Time magazine. She is also known for standing up to Nike, her then sponsor, in seeking protection for female athletes against penalties tied to performance that she experienced personally while pregnant. When Felix decided to launch her own brand of athletic shoes in 2019, Bernise was the fourth hire, after meeting her via Zoom.
(continued on page 14)
As a top branding creative, Bernise WONG’13 is a global star in both the digital and physical worlds
(continued from page 13)
Once on board, she and her creative partner began to conceive how the brand would speak to women motivated by various qualities at once: “an ethical conscience, an aesthetic sensibility and an athletic mindset.” For Felix, who is Black, there was also the broader and ongoing intention of ensuring that the brand would undermine inequality through its design and communications.
Bernise says she was guided by her own values as they corresponded to those established at Saysh. “I hold ‘design for good’ as my principle and goal,” she notes. In more handson terms, her role has never entailed shoe design (credit for this goes to Natalie Candrian). Rather, Bernise has overseen essential creative development, such as the logo, the label, the packaging, the brand campaign, the retail environment in Los Angeles and more.
Put another way, Bernise possesses a wide spectrum of brand-marketing expertise in both digital and physical realms. Asked how she would describe this—to a seatmate on an airplane, for example—she replies, “I’m a creative.” Note the shift from adjective to noun, a reflection of our multidisciplinary times. “I’m a product designer; I’m a graphic designer; I’m a campaign art director—whatever that is.” She continues,“It’s 2022; if you’re creative and you’re interested in being in tune with culture and being relevant, this could come in many different expressions.”
As 2023 gets underway, Bernise will be starting a new position—and it’s a significant leap. For contractual reasons, she is keeping the news under wraps, but her excitement is palpable. She feels grateful for her time at Saysh —“They will forever be part of my family”—but the anticipation is sinking in, and a smile stretches across her face. “It will be a really big job—I cannot wait.”
Perhaps most impressively, with a decade of experience on both the agency and brand sides, Bernise has also maintained a fair degree of professional independence. She has co-founded and built two companies, MMM Studio and Notation, that specialize in different creative offerings—including brand identity, campaigns, packaging, digital
products (websites and apps) and metaverse development. Populated with “non-conforming creatives,” each studio takes on freelance projects ranging from more conventional typography work to motion graphics and NFTs, or digital artworks. Among past and current clients are McLaren, the luxury automotive manufacturer, watchmaker Audemars Piguet and a CBD oil start-up.
Her time at Saysh, meanwhile, led to her appreciation for mission-driven brands, where all messaging must be conveyed with authenticity. “You don’t want to talk down to people or talk to people, but “with them,” she explains. “As a designer, I think that is beautiful because it’s a responsibility.”
Some designers have an identifiable style or aesthetic. While Bernise calls her approach
“very playful but extremely well-disciplined,” she insists there is no single signature. “I think creatives or designers are problem solvers. The fi rst rule of thumb is that they should not design for themselves,” she explains. “So it’s not about me, and I will always take a lot of time to understand the brand. What does it stand for? What do they want from the brand? What story do they want to tell?”
When telling her story, Bernise underscores the value of nurturing one’s strengths. Even before attending Branksome for four years as a boarder, she knew she would end up in a creative career. While still attending school in her native Hong Kong, Bernise met with then Deputy Principal Karrie Weinstock, who was interviewing prospective students at a local hotel. As Bernise tells it, “It was 6 a.m., and when
“People think you’re a workaholic, and as a creative, every time you put your work out there, you’re putting a piece of yourself out there again and again and again. It’s personal. It’s a bit too vulnerable.”
I saw her, I was so nervous. I thought she was going to judge me. But she didn’t. She was so warm-hearted. She asked questions like, what inspired me, what I was passionate about. And then she looked me in the eye, and she said, ‘Let’s try.’ And I was like, ‘Are you sure?’”
To this day, she seems in awe that Deputy Principal Weinstock took a chance on her— not only ahead of her arrival at Branksome but also during her time there. “I would not be where I am today without her. She’s my greatest mentor and inspiration of all time.” Thanks in part to such unwavering encouragement, Bernise excelled in an area that was also her passion, receiving the Pippa Harris ’78 Memorial Prize for Visual Arts. Additionally, she was the recipient of the Branksome Hall’45 International language award (she speaks five).
At the School of Visual Arts in New York, Bernise further expanded on her creative interests. “It felt like I was speaking my language,” she says (worth mentioning: she also paints colourful, abstract compositions as a pastime). She received scholarships for her outstanding ability, and her final year portfolio was ranked in the top 10 per cent. She graduated with a BFA in the advertising and interactive design honours program. Bridging these skills, she came to understand how brands and people can communicate stories with impact and purpose. Among the questions she seeks to answer on an ongoing basis: How can
you bring different perspective into things? And, how can you speak inclusively?
Th at she is 27 puts her at the centre of a desirable demographic. Yet clients will simultaneously imply that she is too young to arrive at broad insights. “In my industry, there’s not a lot of women; there’s not a lot of Asians; there’s not a lot of young creatives. So you’re constantly being asked, ‘How old are you? Do you have the experience? And do you have the years?’” When she needs reassurance, her various mentors inevitably remind her that experience matters more than age—that she has accomplished an impressive amount in a relatively short time.
During her Installation speech, equally poignant and personable, she noted how her contributions to Saysh (including a Maternal Returns Policy and an NFT project that funded child care for current and aspiring athletes) represent a natural progression of the inner strength she developed at Branksome. “Th is is a story about being fearless,” she told the audience. “Th is is a story about bravery, courage, [resilience]—values that I hold true to my heart, values that I exercise, that Branksome here has taught me.”
With her mother acting as a stable presence in her life, Bernise seems at ease with change elsewhere. “Home is mum, where mum is. And that’s all that matters to me. Location doesn’t matter,” she says. (Her father, who lives in Hong Kong, is unable to travel for health reasons.) Asked where she sees herself in five years, Bernise offers an open-ended answer: “I don’t know, which is exciting. I love uncertainty.”
But she also knows that uncertainty in today’s world has contributed to her peers feeling a particular and ongoing unease. In this way, taking time to travel allows her to discover new sources of inspiration, while also putting life into perspective. “Having a worldview is so important. Once you have that worldview, you can speak inclusively.” Her success can also be attributed to direct experience and taking care of herself. “I have been away from home since I was really young. I love being shocked by culture,” Bernise says, suggesting that even happiness involves a certain amount of work. “I have put a lot of effort into committing to being happy.” R
Mary Pat JONES Armstrong’63 has suffered challenge and heartbreak, yet it has inspired a life of exceptional community service
Mary Pat JONES Armstrong’63 is the consummate volunteer. Eager to help people, especially children. Not the cookie-baking kind of volunteer—although goodness knows she has done that countless times—but rather the kind that figures out what needs to be done, collaborates with others, leads the whole campaign from start to fi nish, raises millions of dollars, and creates organizations where none existed before. By doing what she does, Mary Pat improves lives, now and in the future.
So extraordinary is Mary Pat’s dedication to her community and to people in need, she was awarded the Order of Canada in December 2017. She still gets choked up when she describes what it felt like to tell her family. “It was very overwhelming,” she says. “I was not expecting that.”
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The roots of her volunteer leadership stem from her early days at Branksome, her training as a nurse educator, and being a mom to daughters Marion, Sally, Jenny and Ali.
Mary Pat, 78, and her husband Bob are disengaging from their working lives, or hoping to—hers as a volunteer leader and his as a money manager. They now split their time between homes in Toronto and Caledon, as well as Orchid Island, Florida. Mary Pat stays active playing tennis and golf, using her elliptical trainer and doing long walks in the country (she runs up the hills).
While Mary Pat says it was her parents who gave her an incredible gift to believe in herself, Branksome gave her “the confidence to jump in and follow my passion.” She started at the school in Grade 9 and graduated in the Class of 1963. “I loved it from the day I walked in the door,” she says. “I had small classes and teachers who really cared. I also had leadership opportunities and was a Clan chieftain and prefect.”
Branksome, she says, also taught her organizational skills and a strong work ethic.
After high school, Mary Pat went to the University of Toronto and obtained a BSc in nursing and a registered nurse designation. After getting married to Bob in 1967 and starting a family, she went back to school for her master’s in education. “I did all my papers and reading between five and seven in the morning and between eight and 10 in the evening because I had little kids,” she says.
Bob and Mary Pat moved to Montreal, where she taught nursing at McGill University and then Concordia University. Many years later, in 2017, her alma mater, the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
at the University of Toronto, awarded her the Distinguished Alumni Award to recognize her dedication to serving her community.
Over the course of two interviews about her life and volunteerism, the expression Mary Pat probably uses most often is “I am so lucky.” She says it about her education. She says it about her parents. She says it about her country. And she says it about her family.
It is a way of looking at a life that has also involved extraordinary challenges.
Mary Pat and Bob’s fi rst daughter, Marion, died of leukemia at age five and a half. At the time, their second daughter, Sally, was four. She remembers Sally saying, “Where’s Marion?”
Knowing that 46 years have passed since that day does not blunt its rawness for the listener. “It’s a vivid experience, and it’s important to look it in the face as much as you can,” says Mary Pat about dealing with loss. Her grieving process included writing, running, talking about Marion and turning the family’s tragedy into helping others.
A year or two after Marion’s death, Mary Pat and Bob received a phone call from Marion’s oncologist, Dr. Peter McClure. He wondered if they would like to help build Canada’s first Ronald McDonald House.
They loved the concept of a house near the hospital where families could stay while their children underwent life-saving therapy. “While Marion was alive and we’d go to the hospital for her treatments, I saw so many families that were also in crisis and distress,” says Mary Pat. “When I left the hospital, I had a 10-minute drive to get home, but many families had to drive two hours to get home—or they went to a hotel. I could see and appreciate the importance of having families together at these times.”
Mary Pat helped spearhead the fundraising effort, and Canada’s fi rst Ronald McDonald House opened in Toronto in 1981. She was the inaugural chair of the board of directors. Since then, 15 more Ronald
McDonald Houses have opened from coast to coast. “It turned my grief into positivity,” she says.
She still visits Ronald McDonald House. “It has grown so much since the fi rst one we began, and I’m grateful to the donors. I still fi nd it extremely emotional talking to parents with their little ones and seeing that they are together. It can bring me to tears.”
people with intellectual disabilities who are entering adulthood. She knew from watching Jenny that it is a particularly difficult time of life when you see your siblings go off to university and then into their own apartments, while you stay home.
Mary Pat’s formidable energy was next focused on founding Camp Oochigeas, a camp for children with cancer, now known as Campfi re Circle. With a group of like-minded volunteers, she helped start the camp in 1983. Back then, it ran for only one week each year; nowadays, it runs all summer. “It is so rewarding to see those kids get off the bus and throw off their wigs and just be happy.”
Mary Pat’s family life was the impetus for another important theme of her volunteer efforts. Her third daughter, Jenny, has intellectual disabilities, and Mary Pat has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of those with such disabilities and their families. In 1999, she was involved in kick-starting a technology project called ConnectABILITY, which provides online training, peer interaction and educational opportunities. It is now used by educators throughout the province.
More recently, Mary Pat wanted to do something meaningful for
In 2003, Mary Pat and Bob had been able to buy a house for Jenny to live in, along with two housemates and a live-in caregiver. But Mary Pat knew that many families needed help to set up their loved ones in similar independent living arrangements. She set to work establishing LIGHTS, a charitable organization that fi nds appropriate housing for those with intellectual disabilities, matches them with roommates and helps families fi nd fi nancial supports.
Mary Pat was the visionary behind the charity, rallying government support, partnering with Community Living Toronto, establishing procedures and policies, and setting up a board of directors. She says there are now 85 young men and women living independently in the community, and fundraising is ongoing, thanks to LIGHTS. She hopes that, ultimately, the Ontario government will take over most of the cost.
“Part of what I do with LIGHTS is advocacy,” says Mary Pat. “Th is population cannot do it. Our daughter Jenny probably has more friends than anyone else in the family. She is adored by everyone she meets. She’s totally non-judgmental. She has no fi lters. She’s very engaging. But she’s not about to go down to Queen’s Park and stand there and say, ‘Our population needs a lot of money and a lot of help.’”
Mary Pat’s volunteerism seems to know no bounds. She volunteered at Branksome, where two of her girls attended, as well as the Conference of Independent Schools. She sat on the board of the Toronto Children’s Chorus, and was on the board of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. She also sat on the Human Subject Review Committee at SickKids, an ethical review board.
When Mary Pat does a fundraiser, she doesn’t just bake the cookie dough, she assembles the funds and the people needed to build the kitchen. An example of thinking bigger is how she and Bob supported the Trans Canada Trail, an adored piece of Canadiana that winds its way near their place in Caledon. When asked to get involved, the Armstrongs didn’t just send money; they agreed to match other people’s gifts, dollar for dollar, to ensure a greater impact.
“My philosophy is really to make the world a better place than we found it,” says Mary Pat. Although she has faced deep sadness, she never feels sorry for herself. “I am passionate about giving back to a world that has been good to me.” R
When Mary Pat does a fundraiser, she doesn’t just bake the cookie dough, she assembles the funds and the people needed to build the kitchen.Mary Pat and Bob supported the Trans Canada Trail, an adored piece of Canadiana that winds its way near their place in Caledon, with a matching donation to ensure a greater impact.
“
Ithink it’s really funny that my entire life is social, because I’m a naturally shy person,” says Christina VEIRA’05. She’s not kidding about the social part. It is her life. It is also her career. These days, everywhere she goes, you’ll fi nd Christina embodying the defi nition of social: hosting, mixing drinks and building a community.
She’s a part-owner of Toronto’s ultra-trendy Bar Mordecai on Dundas West, but like many millennials, she’s a true multi-hyphenate—with a hospitality spin. On any given day, you’ll fi nd her bouncing from Bar Mordecai’s karaoke rooms and Wes Anderson-inspired bar, to consulting for a bevy of liquor brands, to teaching a range of hospitality seminars, to judging mixology competitions and attending conferences all over the world, to whipping up cocktails on talk shows, to making drinks in her bathtub for a very passionate Instagram audience. Social, unquestionably. High-flying, dynamic and busy too. “Shy” is just about the last descriptor that comes to mind.
When she was a student at Branksome from Grades 9 through 12 and passionate about the debate team, Model UN and drama, a career in hospitality wasn’t what Christina envisioned, but she credits the school all the same. When she graduated, she went to the University of Toronto to earn a degree in mathematics, with English literature and philosophy minors. But it was working part time at restaurants that she found her calling. “Pretty soon in, I knew that I loved hospitality and eventually wanted to own a restaurant,” she says matter-of-factly. “Some people end up in hospitality almost by accident. For me, I knew this was what I wanted to do. And I knew I wanted to be a proprietor.”
A university student working at a restaurant where, as Christina puts it, “you always get a free meal and it’s social,” is a common enough story, but going from a math degree to setting your sights—at the ripe old age of 22, no less—
on ownership, not so much. The way Christina tells it, that’s where Branksome comes in.“I was always in awe of the confidence that so many people from the school had in their capabilities,” she explains. “I always felt that the school tended to produce and attract people who were more entrepreneurial. And that’s something I identify with.”
She goes on: “I think about me in university working in support staff roles at a restaurant, thinking, ‘I can own one of these.’ Why did I think that?” Christina describes a forthrightness and intention she sees often in her fellow alums. They’re qualities she clearly has herself. “We had a whole adolescence where we were always allowed to talk; we were always allowed to have opinions—we were supposed to. Whether or not we knew how hard some things could be because we are women, we were always told that we could do well if we worked hard.”
That Branksome confidence has given Christina a kind of fearlessness in an industry that, through the global pandemic, has at times been downright scary. She became a partner at Bar Mordecai in August 2020 after the founders reached out to her (the spot opened in January of that year). It was a time when many of her other gigs had dried up.“I woke up one day and had lost all my contracts,” explains Christina. “It made me spend a lot of time with myself: Is that what I want to do? Should I do something differently? Is this a time to restart? Am I going to do something else or am I going to stay?”
Suffice it to say, she stayed—and Bar Mordecai has flourished. More than that, through the pandemic, she never forgot what brought her to the hospitality industry to begin with: community. It’s something else Christina learned the value of at Branksome, and it’s what she’s dedicated herself to building in her profession. It’s the uniting force behind her many business ventures. Pre-pandemic, Christina was known to donate all of her tips on a given night to local women-focused charities, but through the pandemic, she took that community-building proclivity online.
During the two-plus-year period when we were all glued to our screens, Christina used her platform and authority to speak out. “Compared to 2007,” when she started, says Christina,“if someone asked me if the industry is better, I would have to say yes. Is it where it should be? No. But it’s drastically better than it was 15 years ago.”
Notably, there’s the diverse representation she’d like to see in Toronto’s restaurants and bars, both among staff and customers. “Now you see more women in authority positions,” she says. “You see more of those women being women of colour. It’s still not at the proportion that reflects society or reflects the city. Toronto is over 50 per cent POC and I don’t think the authority figures in spaces or liquor brands even remotely reflect that.”
Christina herself is subject to these racial
biases, though their ugly manifestation has changed as she’s moved up in the industry. “You become very aware of how you manage people’s expectations,” she explains. “At Mordecai, our guests are awesome, but many of them, when they’re talking to me, don’t think I’m an owner. Usually most of them think I’m a manager at the most. Even with journalists, my partners will be like, this is our partner, Christina, and then they’ll print something and it will say, ‘head bartender, Christina…’”
While Christina continues to do daily battle for herself and her community, the industry has celebrated her—undoubtedly in part because of her willingness to speak out. In 2022, she was named Industry Icon by The World’s 50 Best Bars, a global organization that recognizes the best of hospitality. And her many appearances in the media and at conferences and competitions are illustration of how keen her industry and city are to spotlight her.
But she’s quick to call out that her individual success doesn’t necessarily mean that the industry itself is advancing at the same pace. “I know that when I’m in a room, I’m always going to be absorbed as a Black woman,” she says. “But I have an educated Canadian accent, I have an educational and class background that helps, I’m attractive enough… these are all things that get you into a room and help you stay in a room. Even though I’m often the only Black woman in that room, it’s still important to think about those things that are making me more acceptable to the people in this room. It’s not like: I’m here, so this is a triumph. All sorts of different people have to be here.”
Christina’s confidence in her own capabilities made her restaurant proprietorship come true, but it’s her willingness to use her platform and authority to speak truth to industry structural challenges that has made her someone worthy of a title like “Industry Icon.” It’s that Branksome-made belief that one’s opinion is worth voicing—with an intention and directness that makes others want to listen. Despite her own self-description, Christina certainly won’t be called shy anytime soon. R
PRE-PANDEMIC, CHRISTINA WAS KNOWN TO DONATE ALL OF HER TIPS ON A GIVEN NIGHT TO LOCAL WOMEN-FOCUSED CHARITIES, BUT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, SHE TOOK THAT COMMUNITY-BUILDING PROCLIVITY ONLINE.
Rachel KREHM’03 isn’t just a Canadian opera singer. She’s an opera advocate. The soprano’s mission: bring more people to opera by shaking it free of its misleading stuffy stereotype. A not-so-impossible mission, she believes. As well as traditional operas, Rachel produces and performs in fun, friendly operatic shows. For example, as co-founder and general director of Toronto’s Opera 5, she’s partnered with Gazelle Automations on the irresistible puppet production Threepenny Submarine, available for free on YouTube. Energetically trilling out songs to music by composers such as Rossini, Wagner, Debussy and Ravel, Rachel as Lydian the Vixen and fellow soprano Caitlin Wood as Iona the Cockatiel plunge their sub into the deep on one wacky ocean adventure after another. Not very Wagnerian, perhaps, but leagues of fun.
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“The goal is to appeal to families as a free alternative to other children’s programming. Opera 5’s aesthetic is about whimsy and embracing the silly, which is what you fi nd in the world of puppetry,” says Rachel, whose bright auburn hair matches the vivid tones of Lydian’s fur. “Gazelle Automations has a particular interest in how great music enhances fi lmmaking, and all of us also have a love of science fiction. On top of that, it is just so believable for a puppet to break into song. What could be more natural?”
Indeed. And thanks to support by the Canada Council for the Arts, this year fans of Threepenny Submarine can dive into brandnew episodes.
But Rachel’s greatest work, and one that’s intensely personal for her, grew out of family tragedy.
On November 17, 2012, Rachel’s sister, Elizabeth KREHM’08, died at age 22 of drugrelated causes. “Losing your only sister when you’re 27 is pretty catastrophic,” recalls Rachel. “What made it even worse was that, because of Elizabeth’s addiction, she and I didn’t have the easiest relationship.”
Her first reaction was to bring down the curtain on all their memories. The family coun-
sellor wasn’t surprised. In many ways, the loss of a complicated relationship is harder to process than the loss of a happy one, the counsellor said.
However, as someone with a clear memory for detail, Rachel soon found herself feeling disoriented. Her late sister was becoming fuzzy and blurry to her. Who had Elizabeth been, really?
Answers began to emerge when Rachel read writings by Elizabeth their mom had kept. These included journals the younger sister had poured confidences into. For example:
They thought I was strong, the unsinkable Titanic
Little did they know the iceberg was within me.
“Amazing journals fi lled with raw, young writing—very powerful,” says Rachel.
And powerfully proving that a person isn’t defi ned by their addiction. “My sister was in many ways far more talented and artistic than I am,” Rachel recalls. “She played piano better. She was a violinist. Th roughout elementary school, she was a member of the Toronto All Stars Steel Orchestra.”
Writing. Music. In Rachel’s own creative imagination, an idea stirred. A way to bring the memories of her wonderful, tortured, complicated sister back: set the poems to music.
“I thought about how to turn Liz’s writings into a song cycle that would explore grief and relationships,” she says. Through her husband, Kingston Symphony music director Evan Mitchell, Rachel approached award-winning composer Ryan Trew. “Ryan agreed to take on this incredibly difficult, emotional project: to start the cycle travelling through puberty, then end with Liz’s shocking, prophetic, yet somehow hopeful poem about herself looking down from the sky.”
If you’ve ever felt like you wanted to cry, Just close your eyes and look to the sky because in the sky everything’s calm everything fits in the size of your palm. Come up with me and soar; up here there’s so much more no one’s sad or mad
Up here, everyone’s glad!
The resulting orchestral song cycle, Come Closer, struck deep chords with audiences when it premiered in 2018. So, during the pandemic shutdown, Rachel began working with Ryan on a libretto to expand Come Closer into a chamber opera. (As a song cycle, Come Closer presents the poems in song form. Come Closer the opera has a plot.)
The resulting story explores memory. Big Sister discovers Little Sister’s journal. As Big Sister reads, Little Sister appears. “In the epilogue, the two girls connect by joining in a duet,” says Rachel. “The opera is a processing of grief, of what happened with addiction and Little Sister’s death. I came to realize that relationships continue even after one person has died.”
She notes also that the sisters in the chamber opera are unnamed. “Th at anonymous
“The opera is a processing of grief, of what happened with addiction and Little Sister’s death. I came to realize that relationships continue even after one person has died.”
sister relationship is important in terms of the concept of the piece, since this isn’t just my story or Liz’s. None of us is on an island by ourselves; grief is universal.”
The opera is about two-thirds written, with Amanda Smith, “a good friend in Toronto’s indie opera community,” set to direct. “Of all of the directors out there,” says Rachel, “Amanda can make sense of the abstract. And this is a work that’s very abstract, bouncing from memory to memory. Amanda brings clarity and focus. We can’t wait to share it with the world!”
The Krehm family also pays tribute to Elizabeth with a memorial concert on each anniversary of her death. Proceeds go to the Intensive Care Unit at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. So far the annual concerts have raised more than $200,000.
As for Come Closer the opera, watch for its premiere most likely in 2024. In the meantime, Rachel’s schedule is at a presto pace again— featuring similarly innovative projects.
Perceived stuffi ness isn’t opera’s only challenge. “It’s also seen as elitist,” Rachel says. “Operas are often long and in different languages. If you don’t go in with knowledge of the show, what’s happening onstage is not always clear. Th is is such a missed opportunity for people who could really enjoy it!”
Enter Opera Cheats. The entertaining se-
ries, free on YouTube, is a fun, fast—about three minutes max—primer on both opera in general and individual operas. Opera 5 put up the fi rst videos, hoping to garner maybe 500 views total. In the fi rst week they got 3,000.
Another tongue-in-cheek resource is Canada’s only opera improv team, Whose Opera Is It Anyway? With Rachel as a founding member, Whose Opera? improvises comedic sketches via operatic singing at clubs in Toronto and festivals around Ontario. Lob anything at the performers—a text on your phone, a fortunecookie prediction—then laugh and enjoy as they scale the heights of absurdity.
“Whatever form opera takes, new or traditional, it’s vital to focus on storytelling and character. Everyone relates to those,” says Rachel. One of her own favourite roles is the lead in Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos. “It’s the richest music! It soars—I adore that.” In its glowing review, Opera Canada called her performance “soulful.”
As for what got Rachel attuned to opera, it was a trip to New York City with her dad and a Metropolitan Opera performance of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. “I fell in love! It was my lightbulb moment. I knew I wanted to be on the opera stage.”
Back in Toronto, Rachel was taking piano lessons, and just down the hall was the studio of singing teacher Donna Sherman. “Donna was friendly, would come out and talk to people in the halls. She noticed me and suggested I audition for her studio.”
From Grade 7 through high school, Rachel studied with Donna. “She encouraged me to enter a lot of competitions, like Kiwanis. She helped set me up to study voice at the Schulich School of Music at McGill.”
Also instrumental: music teachers at Branksome. For example, Nancy Olfert, Head of Music. “I was in Nancy’s choir all the way through. She was such a mentor, encouraging me to pursue music and singing. I became the Head of Choir; she even gave me opportunities to conduct.” Rachel also cites creative writing and English teacher Karen Fabian as an inspiration.
“Everyone’s journey has its peaks and valleys,” Rachel says. “You have to have a deep desire to sing, because it isn’t easy. It’s the pain and the joy of creation. You never feel you’re as good as you can be: you’re always trying to improve and get better.
“It has to be total buy-in, a deep, deep love for musical expression, for acting and storytelling. All of that is why I’m following the path that I am. I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted to.” R
BY MELANIE CHANDLER JACKSON’74 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIZAVETA KOZLOVA’15
Prity RUNGTA’95 has excelled in the design and construction business in New York City, but it didn’t come easy
ike most kids with a Lego set, Prity RUNGTA’95 built houses. But Prity wasn’t most kids. She took her Lego houses apart and rebuilt them until she got every tiny detail perfect.
Fast-forward to Prity’s graduation from the University of Toronto with a degree in civil engineering. She immediately landed her fi rst job interview, to be a soils engineer. A job offer followed.
However, something happened in the meantime. “I had gone on another interview with a homebuilder,” she recalls. “In the interview room, they had a rendering of the front elevation of a house, the project they were hiring for. When I saw that picture, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. I thought to myself: I am meant to build.”
That second job offer, to work on a house in Toronto’s Bridle Path area, Prity accepted. Fast-forward again, and today Prity is an owner’s representative in New York City, advising high-end clients on buying properties and supervising every detail of their renovation projects.
However, as with the Lego houses she once built, Prity’s career took a while to feel just right. For a long time, she had to endure almost unbearable sexism. That she nonetheless persevered with her career is a blueprint for inspiring other women.
In that fi rst job, her boss, a fellow U of T civil engineer, “was great. Better than great,” she says. “Unfortunately, I was surrounded by many other men, even co-workers, who were not. The sexual harassment started my fi rst day and continued on a regular basis. A lot of men said I didn’t belong on a job site, that I would never make it.
“About a year into that first job, I saw the tradespeople interacting with one of my male counterparts. They immediately started teaching him how they did things—whereas with me, they had only ever discussed their kids, wives and the weather. I had wasted a year of opportunity to learn because I’d been unaware of the difference in treatment I was receiving.”
Prity did what women so often do: outwardly stayed positive and polite, inwardly fumed. Sometimes she would push back with pointed comments. Two years later, she was ready to move on and move up. Hearing of an opening with a prominent builder based in Rosedale—familiar territory for her—Prity applied. The employer indicated that her skills and experience were an exact match for the position. Things looked promising.
“When I got to the interview, however, I was asked how many words a minute I could type. I was told that they would never put me on a job site; that at most I could do filing and administrative work in the office.”
A disheartening turn, to say the least. But not one that put Prity off following her lightning-bright dream. She was more determined than ever—and part of that determination came from thinking about other young women with similar dreams. “If I could keep going, it would be that much more encouragement for them.”
Prity secured a supervisory job; then, a year later, a role as project manager. The global-hospitality firm Soho House hired her to finish
its Toronto location and oversee construction projects around North America. Persevering hadn’t been easy, but it was paying off.
It was through the Soho House job that Prity got to know and love New York City, especially the old sections. She moved, coincidentally, to the city’s Soho ’hood. “There’s a sense of community here. I know all my neighbours. Some have lived in their apartments for 50 years.”
Soho is known for great restaurants, not to mention Prity’s favourite café, Three of Cups. As well, with a park every 10 blocks, New York “is conducive to walking. You can walk a mile there and it doesn’t feel as long as when you walk a mile in Toronto.”
The city was also conducive to an idea. For 15 years, Prity had worked in general contracting and design and build projects. By now she’d developed the skills to supervise every detail of a building and its design. Why not use these skills to look out for clients’ interests during their projects?
On friends’ advice, Prity got her real estate licence. It’s one more proficiency that complements the building of a client’s dream home— advising them on the purchase and the future renovation.
The stress element will never go away, she says. It’s part of the work —and, paradoxically, of the satisfaction. However, Prity is hopeful that the sexism is ticking down: aft er 22 years, she’s seeing more women in the building industry.
Remembering how she toughed it out, she reflects: “I have always felt that Branksome gave me the confidence to know that I could do anything I set out to do. It wasn’t just something in the air; it was something that teachers explicitly said to us on a regular basis.”
There’s an old expression,“If the walls could talk.” In Prity’s case, they just might. Back in 2005–07, she built a grand mansion in Aurora, north of Toronto, which was “very beautiful, with hand-carved gargoyles, custom plaster ceilings, an ice cream parlour and a virtual golf simulator room,” she says. “We also built a horse barn and an indoor ice hockey rink in separate structures around the property. More importantly, for me, it was a chance to prove all the naysayers wrong: that a woman could build. Although the project was a tough one to get through, it was doubly worth it in the end.”
Now, in a delightful construct of fate, that house has become St. Anne’s School for girls. Head of School Sabrina D’Angelo has invited Prity to speak at an upcoming leadership conference.
Says Prity: “Knowing that young women will hopefully be taught the same confidence and skills to go out into the world as I had, inside a building that was initially built by me, is by far the most fulfi lling outcome I could have hoped for.” R
“I have always felt that Branksome gave me the confidence to know that I could do anything I set out to do. It wasn’t just something in the air; it was something that teachers explicitly said to us on a regular basis.”
The CV for Dr. Sarah PSUTKA’99 is 56 pages long, single-spaced. She is a leader, surgeon, caregiver, speaker, researcher, editor, athlete, crusader, trailblazer. Not to mention being a partner and a mom of two young kids. And one of the most collaborative people you’ll ever meet.
To say her credentials are impressive is an understatement. At Branksome, she was already emerging as a leader. Sarah was Head Girl in the Class of 1999, the fi rst to work with then incoming Principal and now good friend Karen Jurjevich. “Branksome gave me a lot of the tools to do what I do,” she says. “I learned a lot about work ethic, communication, balance and how to have a healthy amount of side hustle. I learned that if there isn’t necessarily a straight path, you forge one.”
After leaving Branksome, Sarah did her undergraduate degree at Harvard University, where she not only excelled academically, she was captain of the women’s rowing team in 1998–99, which won the NCAA Division I Rowing National Championship that year for the first and only time.
She then went on to obtain a medical degree at Harvard, a diploma in clinical effectiveness at Harvard’s School of Public Health, and a master’s in translational and clinical sciences at the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education. She always knew she wanted to be a surgeon. Her father, Dr. David Psutka, is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Mississauga. “Surgery is the family biz,” she says. “I grew up washing the instruments in his practice in the summertime.”
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Unsure which subspecialty to follow, she sought to find a surgical field in which the operations were complex and challenging. During her clerkships in surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston, she discovered urology. She did her residency in urology at the Massachusetts General Hospital (becoming chief resident) and a fellowship in urological oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “It’s an awesome field to work in,” she says. “I mostly do complex open oncologic surgery, but our speciality spans endoscopy, robotics and minimally invasive surgery. The technology is exciting and ever-expanding. We take care of incredible people and also manage challenging medical problems. Most importantly, I work as a part of an incredible team. It is the best of all worlds.”
Her fi rst job was hardly a typical entrylevel position. She was director of urologic oncology at Chicago’s John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, the massive public hospital and Level 1 trauma centre on which the medical drama ER is loosely based.
Sarah now lives in Seattle and is an associate professor of urology at the University of Washington and an urologic oncologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, as well as the fi rst female associate editor of the prestigious journal European Urology.
The core of her job is to operate on, and medically care for, patients with advanced bladder, kidney, testicular or prostate cancer. But she has turned it into far more than that, pushing hard to collaborate with others to conduct research that will improve cancer survivorship, limit toxicity of treatments, and maximize all aspects of patients’ mental and physical health before, during and after their cancer treatments.
“I think of myself as a hub that brings people from different areas together to solve problems,” she says. “For example, studying acupuncture to minimize cancer treatment side effects, bringing aspects of aging medicine into urologic oncology to better care for our aging patients, figuring out what successful outcomes look like for very frail patients, and helping patients achieve their version of the best possible outcome.”
As a side gig, she teaches physicians-intraining how to write better medical papers and design clinical studies so that they make a bigger impact and reach a larger audience.
Throughout this stellar upward trajectory, Sarah has had to be a pioneer. When she started in urologic oncology, only about three per cent of her colleagues were women. “I’ve never trained under a woman who does what I do,” she says. “There were a few incredible senior women in the field, but they didn’t work where I trained. The gender divide was fairly stark.” To change this, she worked with other women to co-found an organization called Women in Urologic Oncology, which is dedicated to increasing diversity, equity and opportunities for female mentorship. Sarah puts into action the Branksome slogan “Keep Well the Road” every day: “I talk about ‘widening the path’ so more people can walk on it. Life is a lot more fun, and we get more done, when we travel together.”
Now, female representation in the profession, and at conferences, is getting closer to 10 per cent, she says. “By bringing different perspectives into these meetings, you start getting a much richer discussion around surgical techniques and how to take care of our patients. We want to make urologic oncology as accessible and welcoming as possible.”
When not working, Sarah spends time with her partner, Dr. Will Lack, along with their six-year-old daughter and three-year-old
son. Will is a specialist in orthopaedic trauma surgery, whom she met in medical school. “He is similarly driven and passionate about medical care, and he’s a really high-achieving researcher. Our dinner-time conversations are pretty nerdy,” she jokes.
She is an avid runner. The family also takes advantage of all the sports accessible to them in the Pacific Northwest. “You name it. In the mountains or in the ocean, we do it,” she says, her brown eyes shining.
Responding to the suggestion that her daughter, who is already playing hockey, will grow up to be a strong woman, Sarah replies: “She’s a tiny, wonderful empath, and a certifiable badass. Don’t put that in… Karen will have my head!”
A sense of humour certainly comes in handy when you have a schedule like Sarah’s. The week before her interview, she flew on Friday to London, England, gave a talk, and flew back to Seattle. On Tuesday, she flew to San Diego, gave a talk, and flew back the same night. Then she did surgery and worked all week. On Saturday evening, she gave an online talk to an audience in Hong Kong. On Sunday, she went to a pumpkin patch with the kids.
When asked how she balances work and family life, Sarah smiles. “Every single day feels like a full-on fi re drill, but I love it.” R
SARAH PUTS INTO ACTION THE BRANKSOME SLOGAN “KEEP WELL THE ROAD” EVERY DAY: “I TALK ABOUT ‘WIDENING THE PATH’ SO MORE PEOPLE CAN WALK ON IT. LIFE IS A LOT MORE FUN, AND WE GET MORE DONE, WHEN WE TRAVEL TOGETHER.”
To unite, engage and grow Branksome Hall’s alumnae community of globally minded learners and leaders.
ALUMNAE EXECUTIVE 2022–23
Allison ROACH’51
Honorary President
Coming and going at the Alumnae Association
Sara AKBARI’09 holds a position at a private K–8 school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has a master’s degree from U of T OISE and a BA from the University of Mary Washington, with additional qualifications from Queen’s University. Sara attended Branksome from JK–Grade 12, only to return to work in the Junior School (2014–18).
Camille CLYNE’99 is currently a parent to Grade 8 student Rachel. Passionate about dispute resolution, Camille works as an adjudicator responsible for resolving disputes in her professional life. In her spare time, Camille enjoys costume making for the annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival and has been a mentor with CHEERS, a group that mentors youth that have aged out of the child welfare system.
Mackenzie KNOWLES’11
Dominique Culham joined Branksome in Grade 3. She has a strong passion for athletics, including rowing and volleyball. She is involved in her community and has helped with several events, including the Princess Margaret Hospital Walk for Cancer, and is in the Business, Film and Jewish Culture clubs. She plans to study business management or science in Canada or the U.S.
Cindy Han joined Branksome in Grade 9. She has played first violin in three orchestras and performed with the theatre ensemble. Last year, she co-founded and hosted the Motivate, Inspire, Connect Youth Conference online. A passionate writer, she also serves as the Diversity Council student CoChair and an undersecretary for the Model UN. She plans to major in governments and minor in English at Cornell.
Alumnae Executive, Engagement Committee 2019–22
Tori LECHNER-SUNG’12
Alumnae Executive, Communications Committee 2019–22 Reunion Rep 2017, 2022
Alums in three provinces get together
Branksome’s third semi-annual networking event, Career Connections, took place in November, bringing together alums in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, with grad years ranging from 1979 to 2019.
With the goal of leveraging the power of the Branksome Hall community, meaningful connections were made, spurring new relationships that will support alums’ career and network growth. Initiated as an event for entrepreneurs and small business owners, Career Connections has evolved. It is now open to anyone with an interest in taking steps toward their next professional goal, and continues to grow into a resource for mentorship, community and career expansion.
Officers
Melanie ARGIROS Breder’08
President
Alex MORTON’09
Vice-President, Engagement
Lisa RICHARDS’02
Vice-President, Communications
Jacqui CARL’10
Nominating Officer
Hubie YU’08
Treasurer
Nicole THORNBURROW’10
Secretary
Members at Large
Sara AKBARI’09
Camille CLYNE’99
Kendra FITZRANDOLPH’03
Hannah LO’05
Co-chair, Young Alum Committee
Isabel RUBY-HILL’15
Sarita SAMARO O’99
Catlin SEIBEL-KAMEL’10
Chair, Awards Committee
Patricia SU’13
Co-chair, Young Alum Committee
Lindsay STRANSMAN’08
Ex-Officio
Cristina Coraggio
Karen L. Jurjevich
Rachel Loo
Andrea McAnally
Neetu White
Dominique Culham
Advancement Student Rep
Cindy Han
Advancement Student Rep
It’s all about Community, Networking, Volunteerism, Friendship, Traditions and Giving Back
Please contact: alum@branksome.on.ca
With thanks to two retiring members…
The Alumnae Association has bestowed its prestigious annual awards on two high achievers
When Jacqueline Moss has a vision or new idea, she runs with it, because she believes in it. After her own extended hospital experience, she was moved to create a new company addressing a crucial component of improving patient well-being.
Moss’s hospital experience quickly exposed her to the challenges of standard-issue hospital gowns. She realized hospital gowns were too often the wrong size, overused and too exposing. They also lacked comfort, style and functionality, further adding to the existing difficulty of being in a hospital. “It’s a crappy time—no one wants to be in the hospital,” she says.
She knew there had to be a superior solution that would cheer people up and make them feel better.
Enter Giftgowns.
Founded in 2016, Giftgowns is a medical clothing company
specializing in custom cotton hospital gowns with metal snaps to close the opening in the back and the shoulders. The gowns maintain the functional features of a standard-issue gown, while giving patients comfort and some of their personality back.
Giftgowns quickly became a popular gift, and her business has been recognized by many publications and channels, including Forbes, O, The Oprah Magazine, GQ and People.
“I have created these stylized gowns that not only have the right design features for your hospital stay, but are comfortable and fun,” Moss says. People just need more reasons to smile when they are in the hospital and Moss was hopeful these gowns could help.
Moss is no stranger to finding new opportunities. After graduating from Branksome in 1980, she received her honours BA from Queen’s University and her LLB from Western Law School. She then completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2011 and attended the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto in 2016. Moss then became a lawyer who transitioned to a successful career at CIBC, where she led human resources, legal and corporate development functions. “I think opportunities find you and you find opportunities,” she says. “I kept being given the opportunities and I grabbed them.”
In 2018, Moss was named by the Women’s Executive Network as one of Canada’s most powerful women in the “Top 100 Entrepreneur” category, after previously being twice named to the “Top 100 Executive” category (becoming only the second person to receive the award in both categories).
There is no doubt that Giftgowns marks just the beginning of Moss’s entrepreneurial journey. She is already working with Seneca College at York University to create an anti-microbial spray called eSential for hard and soft surfaces.
“The advice I would give anyone is go for it. Get as many experiences, go as broad as you can, be as curious as you can be,” she emphasizes. “Work hard and try hard with your life, you only get one.” It is thoughts and messages like these that make Moss continually inspiring to those around her. “I am so excited to see what you do next,” notes nominator and former employee of Giftgowns Rebecca Waxman. Indeed, whether it be through eSential or something else, there is no doubt Moss will continue to make an impact on people’s lives. R
“The advice I would give anyone is go for it. Get as many experiences, go as broad as you can, be as curious as you can be. Work hard and try hard with your life, you only get one.”CHRISTIAN PETERSON
It all started when Ariella Minden realized that history could be about anything and everything.
She was enthralled by her history classes at Branksome and excited by the opportunity to tell stories, expose biases and recover voices that were systemically silenced over time.
With her interest piqued, Ariella started her BA at the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland, where she enrolled in her fi rst art history class, focusing on baroque art and architecture.
Fast-forward to today: Ariella has nearly completed her PhD in art history at the University of Toronto. She also holds a pre-doctoral fellowship as part of the Visualizing Science in Medial Revolutions research group at the Bibliotheca Hertziana-Max Planck Institute for Art History, in Rome. As an art historian, her research focuses on 16th-century Italian printmaking at the intersection of art, technology and medicine. She specifically looks at how artists worked with new technologies and how these technologies impacted the way that art looked.
Ariella shares that her love for history, and her desire to be an art historian, was defi nitely rooted and ingrained in her during her time at Branksome. “History was the subject that I absolutely fell in love with,” she says. “We used a lot of images to talk about history and historical fact.”
Ariella also remembers how Branksome gave her the opportunity to explore her talents and interests. She remembers playing Maria in The Sound of Music and, that year, singing a Branksome-themed parody of “My Favourite Th ings” in a sketch for the Holiday Assembly, which Ms. Weinstock lip-synched to. She recalls, “When people had talent, it was recognized and it made me realize how many ways there are to bring people together.”
The 2022 recipient of the Young Alum Achievement Award continues to show leadership, character and
positivity in her professional and academic endeavours. “There is no doubt that she is on track to an incredible academic career,” writes nominator Zeenia FRAMROZE’11. “Every time I see her, she is at a different institution making her mark.”
Ariella is known for her love of bringing people together and her ability to think in big ideas. Her experiences at Branksome showed her what it was like to have her intelligence validated, and this is something she continues to pay forward: “I want to make everyone feel included and that they have something important to say, which everyone does.”
Despite her busy academic and professional career, Minden continues to prioritize her friends and family. “She is so generous with her friendship and time,” writes Zeenia. “Ariella truly cares about other people and goes out of her way to make sure everyone around her is comfortable. She also makes everything fun, and doesn’t take herself too seriously, which is an added bonus.”
Ariella understands her responsibility as an art historian and ensures this is conveyed by her own teaching at the University of Toronto. She also continues to remember and model the importance of community, the impact of support and the value of giving back. R
“History was the subject that I absolutely fell in love with. We used a lot of images to talk about history and historical fact.”To nominate a fellow alum for the 2023 Allison Ro ach and Young Alum Awards, please send a detailed description of why you think the nominee should be recognized to alum@branksome.on.ca
Alums and guests from 1950–1982 came to campus for a heartfelt luncheon and reception to celebrate good times at Branksome Hall.
The alum community was invited back to 10 Elm to stroll down memory lane with a wine glass and perogies in hand. This was a special moment, as it was the last Branksome event to be held in the Performing Arts Centre.
Celebrating classes ending in 2s and 8s, Reunion brought generations together to celebrate their connection to each other and to Branksome Hall.
Why does the Class of 1982 consistently show up for Reunion in the biggest numbers?
BY MEGAN EASTON’13One graduating class, more than 40 years of friendship and countless memories. The Class of 1982 travels to attend Reunion from around the world, and has smashed records for the most attendees many times.
School reunions are a fun way to reconnect with classmates, old friends and teachers. An opportunity to visit the school you once attended every day. A chance to walk the halls, reflect and relive old memories.
The importance of Reunion is definitely something the Class of ’82 knows about. Their turnout is always off the charts and unlike any other Class from Branksome Hall. “Branksome was very important to a lot of us, and most of us went there for all of our school years, so we know each other very well,” says Dana BETT. Going to Reunion has become a priority for their year, which means it always turns into a lively event. “I like the fact that so many of us make an effort,” says Kelly HAWKE
Baxter, who now lives in Montreal. To these classmates, it has become something to look forward to and get excited about.
Over time, Reunion has also become a great way for their tight-knit group to catch up with one another, particularly as the years go by and everyone’s lives get busier. “We stay in touch via WhatsApp and emails and FaceTime, but our reunions are when all of us get together. Which is great,” notes Dana.
It is an excellent way to see the whole class, a diverse group of people who just have a great time together. Heather HARWOOD-NASH Pascoe says this is one of her favourite parts of Branksome reunions. “The main thing that has amazed me at all the reunions is how we are all such good friends now no matter who we were then,” she says.
Others highlight that part of what makes Reunion special is reflecting on their Branksome experiences. “We had a tour from one of the
Prefects, who took us around the school, and we just giggled and went through so many funny memories of things we got up to in boarding,” recalls Dana.
It is also a chance to connect with people who they are not regularly in touch with, but who are still important in their lives. Many from the Class of ’82 also note that their appreciation for Reunion has grown as time has gone on. “We are at a stage in our lives where we have nothing to prove, and can show up as our authentic selves and just appreciate being together,” says Kelly. It is a unique and shared experience that reminds them of their Branksome community. “I look forward to it every five years,” says Andrea DODS Peckham, adding that “my face hurts from smiling by the end of the weekend.”
Even for people who did not have the best time at school, Branksome is still where some of their best friendships started and flourished. Reunion is about celebrating
that, and “keeping the most incredible and wonderful friends close,” as Dana says. The Class of ’82 remembers so many things about their Branksome lives, ranging from specific classes (including English with Ms. Weinstock and history with Ms. Hay) to choir practice at St. Paul’s, Bloor Street, the class trip to Ottawa and synchronized swimming. Most importantly, they remember just being together and laughing a lot. Hangouts in the common room, going for doughnuts and lunch conversations were among the best!
The Class of ’82 has already experienced many of life’s highs and lows together. Many have celebrated turning 40 and 50 together, with the big 60 celebrations to look forward to in the next year or so.
This Class is a reminder of the power and value of the Branksome community. It’s an extraordinary link and deep-rooted connection that extends worldwide and is nurtured
by the school, notes Lili HOLLINRAKE
Le Fevre. And it’s a community that every Branksome student and alum will have forever. “I truly enjoy our class reunions for the simple reason that it’s a great group of gals: a group that laughs at itself, shares experiences and leads fascinating and diverse lives,” says Alison WILEY Rochon in a sentiment echoed by several of her peers. “To not go to my BH reunion is to disconnect with a community I care about. By attending, I have an opportunity to rekindle friendships, reflect, laugh and strengthen a lifeline,” says Alison.
As the years have gone on, Branksome Reunion serves as a reminder of where it all started, how it all happened and why it all continues. From the Class of ’82, Keep Well the Road and see you at the next Reunion! R
Lisa CARROLL Draper
Sarah CHISHOLM Nisbeth
Lisa MATTHEWS Schatz
Sarah MUSTARD Crawford
Kathleen STINSON Morrison
Forever remembered by the class and the Branksome community.
Branksome
also honours those we have lost from theClass of ’82 and Branksome students at the 2012 Reunion. Opposite page: at the 2022 Reunion; above: fun in the 2017 Reunion photo booth.
In November 2022, Principal Karen Jurjevich travelled to South Korea to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Branksome Hall Asia. The BHA community gathered for its first assembly since the pandemic to celebrate their achievements. At the gathering, students who have attended the school since its opening were honoured, an original song written by Grade 12 students was performed and student emcees presented a time capsule filled with meaningful treasures to be opened in 40 years. Branksome Hall Canada’s Board Chair Mona Malone was delighted to join Karen in the festivities. “It was such a thrill to see the school grow so beautifully and in keeping with the spirit of BH Canada values, mission and vision. It was more than I could have imagined when the opportunity first came in 2009,” says Principal Jurjevich.
No trip to South Korea would be complete without spending quality time with our alum community. We brought together alums from both BH Canada and Asia in Seoul for an intimate evening that was filled with reliving memories, special friendships and a lot of laughter. “Bringing these two unique groups of alums together was remarkable. Being oceans apart, the common thread that connects them so deeply is the strong Branksome Hall culture of building friendships for life,” Principal Jurjevich remarked.
A special thank-you goes out to Dayun (Diane) LEE’06, who was instrumental in bringing together this group, along with Eugine Oh, Director Marketing and Communications, and Steven Bligh McNutt, Head of Senior School for Branksome Hall Asia.
LONDON, U.K.
April 16–17, 2023
NEW YORK CITY, U.S.
May 3–4, 2023
REUNION WEEKEND
June 2–3, 2023
Join us in celebrating Branksome Hall’s 120th anniversary!
The ROAD Alum Newsletter
Don’t miss out on monthly Branksome Hall updates just for alums! The ROAD email newsletter focuses on the alum community and shares the details of upcoming alum events around the world. Sign up or provide feedback on recent issues by emailing Neetu White at nwhite@branksome.on.ca.
June 2
Decades Lunch
Branksome’s celebration of alums who graduated more than 40 years ago. Tours will be hosted, and an intimate lunch will be served on campus.
Wine and Wander
An opportunity for all alums to bring a guest and walk the halls of Branksome to relive memories together. Light snacks and drinks will be served throughout campus.
June 3
Reunion Dinner
Celebrating the Class of ’98 (25th reunion) and Class of ’73 (50th reunion), as well as all classes ending in 3 and 8.
Keep your contact information with us up-to-date to ensure you receive event invitations. Send your contact information and mailing address to: alum@branksome.on.ca.
Some updates have been edited from emails, letters and social media posts.
Congratulations to Barbara CAULFIELD Robson, Branksome’s oldest living alum, who celebrated her 105th birthday on May 6, 2022.
1948
Luci DECK Shaw is pleased to announce that her new collection of poetry, Reversing Entropy, will be published by Paraclete Press in 2023. She hopes some Class of ’48 alums will have a chance to read this, her 41st volume of poems.
children across Europe saved by Truus Wijsmuller, a Dutch woman. Along with 21 other survivors, Isabel is featured in the Dutch documentary Truus’ Children.
Branksome were always the class average. But the teachers laid the foundations of knowledge that carried me through to my career. Education is the universal portal.”
In summer 2022, Isabel LIEBERMAN Langsdorf, with her daughter Julie, visited Branksome Hall for the first time in 65 years. Isabel reminisced about her happy, carefree Grade 12 year as a boarding student, after a perilous start in life. Rescued at age two just before the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, Isabel was one of an estimated 10,000
Lois WAYMAN Brown was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, on April 29, 2022. While working at the Michener Institute as the Continuing Education Coordinator for Diagnostic Imaging modalities in 2002, Lois enrolled in the master’s degree program at Anglia Ruskin University. She recalls: “My marks at
Laurie LAMBE Wallace enjoys the company of three of her five grandchildren under age eight who live in Millbrook, Ontario. Her older son, daughter-in-law and the children live on an eight-acre century farm in the centre of picturesque Millbrook. Her second son and daughter-in-law, who live in Halifax, recently had their second daughter, and
Laurie and her husband are planning a Christmas visit to meet the new baby. They split their time between their cottage on Lake Simcoe in the summer and at their desert home just outside Palm Springs, California, in the winter.
Laurie is a member of the Garden Club of Toronto, and as coordinator of the club’s Scholarship Committee, oversees five annual scholarships to students studying horticulture and landscape design at four post-secondary colleges in southern Ontario.
Nadine LEVIN has lived in Ottawa since December 1975. She sits on the board of
1967 It was a wet, cold, windy day, but these friends did it, and talked all the way. That night they had dinner to celebrate friendships of 55 years, along with Linda SECCOMBE Sommerville’67, Sandra MILLS MacMillan’66 and Janet RUBY’67. The friends shared heartfelt stories and celebrated Branksome.
Class of 1967 Branksome alums’ half-marathon walk in Toronto. Left to right: Nancy MORTON Devitt, Heather BIRTCH Brown, Esther MINGAY Wearing, Barbara SMITH Warren, and Margo NEELANDS Bush.
directors of the PaulineCharron Community Centre, a gathering place for francophones over the age of 55 that is run by a private, non-profit foundation.
All those French lessons with Miss Sime and Mrs. Perry, language courses at university, and federal government jobs that required her to speak French left her prepared for her francophone board duties. The Pauline-Charron Centre will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2023, and Nadine is on the planning committee for that event. This past summer, she was a member of the organizing committee for the 100th anniversary of Overbrook, an Ottawa neighbourhood.
Nadine was thrilled to have a visit in Ottawa from Frances SHEPHERD’64, past Head Girl and a worldrenowned cancer specialist.
Frances SHEPHERD still works full time at Princess Margaret Hospital, where she started 60-plus years ago as a summer “volunteen.” Her mother , at age 107, still lives in Toronto, while her children both live overseas: James with his wife, Maria, in London, and Kathryn and
Gilles in Paris. Frances has two Franco-Canadian grandchildren in Paris: Julien, 9, and Stella, 8. She was recently inducted into the Order of Saint George, as seen in the photo of Frances and her two mentors with their robes and medals.
Shelley VARLEY Tidy is delighted to be able to keep in touch with Branksome friends through The READ. She and husband Ashley have been living in the same Toronto home since they were married 52 years ago. A retired hospital chaplain, Shelley is active at St. Paul’s, Bloor Street, and (until COVID) at Bridgepoint Health Care. She happily follows the activities of her son and daughter, their spouses and six grandchildren. She wishes the Branksome community a safe, happy and healthy winter.
Nancy TISDALL recently made the move to Ottawa.
Her nieces are thrilled and can’t wait to spend time together.
Patricia CHRISTIE Planques is excited to announce that she has become a grandmother. Charlotte (Charlie) Planques was born in January 2022 and Pat is loving every minute of this
Class
Left to right: Sally GODFREY Forrest, Mary WALKER, Wendy ANGUS Scott, Shelley VARLEY Tidy, Susan PARKS and Frances SHEPHERD.
stage of life. She resides in Gravenhurst, Ontario, and loves the natural beauty that surrounds her, especially the amazing fall colours.
Pat stays busy with charity work, family, good friends and, of course, being a Nana. In the photo, Pat enjoys a late-summer day at a beautiful sunflower farm with Judy GARAY’79 and little Charlie.
Carolyn COULTER bought a house in Coldstream, British Columbia, on the outskirts
of Vernon, at the foot of Silver Star Mountain. Not yet retired, she looks forward to living in Coldstream one day. She enjoys skiing in the winter, and hiking, biking and water sports in the summer, and loves coming to a place that feels like a holiday area year-round.
Cynthia DUNCAN Lumsden has been happily retired from teaching for the past four years. She and her husband, John, celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary in July 2022. They enjoyed visiting their daughter in Vancouver in May. A more extensive European trip is planned for spring 2023. Cynthia continues to work on her watercolour paintings (thank you, Ms. Morden and Ms. Simpson!) and has become a firm believer in happy accidents when it comes to water and paint.
Kathryn FIRSTBROOK
Trusler and her husband, Geordie, celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary and welcomed their second granddaughter, Winnifred Koza Trusler (“Windy”), who was born in summer 2022. Windy is a great-granddaughter of Doreen MILLER Pemberton Trusler’46 and Lorna KEENE Firstbrook’51. Kary and Geordie are happy to be living and skiing on Red Mountain in Rossland, in the British Columbia Interior. Pictured is Windy with Geordie and Kary.
Judy GARAY is happy to be teaching Grade 3 at Bishop Strachan School and to be out of the “virtual” realm. She continues to swim and coach with Masters Swimming and is hoping to compete in a few upcoming meets. She has enjoyed regular visits to the new Branksome Athletics and Wellness Centre, which she finds surreal and a far cry from the old pool. She, her husband, Brent, and their family enjoyed a trip out east this summer for a family wedding. They returned to spend time at their cottage on Georgian Bay, only to find that a black bear had broken in and helped itself to the contents of their fridge.
Lois GREISMAN is spending retired life travelling and exploring the world. She enjoyed a great trip to Scandinavia in spring 2022 and is busy planning her next adventure.
Kimberley HARTILL Stanley retired in early 2020, just before the pandemic took hold. She moved from
Brampton to Cambridge, Ontario, in June 2021 to be closer to her daughter, Brittany, and husband Scott. They had to put off their originally scheduled wedding and reception by a year because of COVID.
Kim is now the proud grandmother of Bennett (March 2022), born to Brittany and Scott, as well as twins Emma and Nate (April 2020), children of her eldest daughter, Christianna, who lives in Moncton, New Brunswick. Kim is enjoying all the pleasures that retirement and grandmother-hood have to offer, including taking up the sport of pickleball.
A few alums enjoyed a get-together at the home of Carolyn HELBRONNER to welcome Marianne REYNOLDS Highwood, who was in Toronto, along with her lovely daughters, Lizzie and Louisa. Marianne continues to enjoy a successful career as a senior lecturer at the Business School at Canterbury Christ Church University in England.
Kim also caught up with Lavita NADKARNI, who has been living and working in Colorado for many years.
Carolyn HELBRONNER is busy practising law and not thinking about retirement just yet. She enjoys playing lots of tennis and taking long walks with her husband, Nick. They had a fabulous trip to Amsterdam at the end of the summer. Carolyn and Nick have five children between them and are (im)patiently awaiting future grandchildren. Carolyn enjoyed a fantastic trip to Stratford in September with Lois GREISMAN. Mrs. McRae would have approved!
Rebecca McCORMACK
Scarratt enjoyed 39 sails this summer on the St. Lawrence River near Rimouski, Quebec. For the women’s regatta, which included five sailboats, Becca took the helm of a 30-foot Mirage named Noctiluca for the first time in the all-women crew race, and won the regatta!
Becca and her husband Michael celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on October 11, 2022… and caught COVID! It was certainly an anniversary to remember.
Mirabel PALMER Elliott and husband Gary bought their retirement home in Coldstream, British Columbia (north of Kelowna), in 2020. They will hand over the family business to children Ben and Chloe and retire to Coldstream permanently in mid-2025. An Interior B.C. Branksome Alumnae Chapter could be in the works.
Mirabel, Wendy AIRD, Ginny CAMPBELL, Carolyn HELBRONNER, Lavita NADKARNI and Theresa NORRIS Narduzzi
held regular Zoom calls throughout the pandemic to commune and keep each other afloat. They enjoyed an in-person dinner at Carolyn’s place for the Toronto dwellers of this group in spring 2022.
Gabrielle WALLACE Laberge is enjoying retirement with her husband, Raynald. They recently returned from a wonderful trip to England,
Branksome alums in attendance at the wedding of Kaleigh McKINNON’08 included Kaleigh’s sisters and co-maids of honour, Kristin McKINNON’05 (second from right) and Kathryn McKINNON’10 (third from right); bridesmaid Maya ZUZEK’10 (fourth from left) andguest Teya ZUZEK’10. Also in attendance: mother of the bride, Kimberlee CAMPBELL McKinnon’77; aunts Carolyn CAMPBELL’79 and Kathryn CAMPBELL Holland’80; and cousins Kelly HOLLAND’09 and Meghan HOLLAND’11.
and were there when Queen Elizabeth II sadly passed away. It was a truly historical time to be in the United Kingdom. In April 2023, she and Raynald will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in Las Vegas. Much to Raynald’s horror, Gabbie has suggested renewing their vows in an Elvis chapel.
The Class of ’79 Remembers Alums of 1979 came together in love and friendship for Lesley ADAMSON Skelly, who passed away in January 2021. The group purchased a red oak tree and accompanying memorial plaque in memory of Lesley through the City of Toronto’s Commemorative Tree Program. The red oak is a hardy tree that symbolizes strength, honour and knowledge, all of which are synonymous with Lesley. Her tree is growing and thriving in Trace Manes Park in Toronto.
Current parent and alum Christina FUNG Stennett was recognized as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Toronto for her work at CGI. Christina is a senior
vice-president of consulting services in the CGI Toronto Banking Group and has led business and technology transformation initiatives with various banking clients.
Giselle CLARKE has roots in the Toronto theatre community and holds an honours BFA in theatre from York University. Now a resident of Vancouver, she was recently nominated for a Jessie Award for her work in stage management, and was honoured by the Black Theatre Caucus. She is listed in its 101 Black Stage Managers Celebration. Giselle recently developed a Kindergarten to Grade 7 program called “Black History Matters,” which seeks to educate children about Black Canadian history. She sits on the boards of Nova Dance and ASSITEJ Canada.
Leigh ELLIOTT McGowan, whose BreakfastRant won a People’s Voice Award from the 2022 Webby Awards, was the cover feature of the Fall 2021 issue of The READ. Leigh launched @IAmPoliticsGirl on YouTube in 2015 to inform and inspire, because “when you understand you care, and when you care you vote.”
Leigh revamped the project on TikTok in September of 2020 as @breakfastrant by PoliticsGirl to reach younger viewers by breaking down
complicated topics into common-sense language. She can be found on Twitter @IAmPoliticsGirl and Instagram @breakfastrant and is once again posting under PoliticsGirl on YouTube. Leigh has close to a million followers across her platforms. BreakfastRant was also the inspiration for the newly launched PoliticsGirl Podcast. Leigh writes,
researches and performs all her own pieces.
Heather MACINNES Travis has an exciting update to her past profile in the Fall 2021 issue of The READ. She has been awarded a Canada Council for the Arts funding grant of $21,240 in support of her solo art exhibition, coming up in fall 2023.
Sarita SAMAROO, principal lawyer at SST Law Professional Corporation, has accepted the 2022 Platinum award on behalf of the law firm, in which they have been recognized by Etobicoke Votes Community Awards as the best lawyers in Etobicoke in 2022. Sarita’s focus of practice lies in residential and commercial real estate law and wills and estates law.
Hillary BALL has been selected as one of the Forbes 30 under 30 (2022) in Europe in the Finance category. She joined venture capital firm Atomico in 2017, and was the youngest person at the firm ever promoted to principal, in 2021. Hillary sits on the boards of employee wellness company Gympass and Amsterdambased interactive design platform Framer.
In October 2022, the Advancement and Community Engagement
Team welcomed Kiana ROMEO back to Branksome Hall as the Communications Officer, Creative Content.
Congratulations to Morgan HEADRICK on her new role as an Associate at the Boston Consulting Group.
Lauren ATWELL Rutherford and her classmates enjoyed a campus visit and tour. Left to right: Robin MULLAN MacNab, Stacy BULLOCK, Lauren ATWELL Rutherford, Trisha HUQUE and Charlene CLARKE’97. The group hadn’t been all together since they left Branksome in 1996, but they have remained good friends. Reliving some memories was a highlight of their visit, in addition to seeing all the progress and upgrades to the school.
Edited excerpts are from speeches at the employee end-of-year celebration in June 2022
Over the years: Geography Teacher, Assistant Director of Admissions, Creativity, Action and Service Coordinator, Director of Student Life, Head of Senior School, Senior & Middle School Guidance Counsellor, Director of Guidance and University Relations.
Karrie Weinstock, Head of the Centre for Strategic Leadership, remarked: “Joanne is a trusted and generous colleague. She is collaborative and inclusive—a mentor and supporter who is always available to listen and advocate on behalf of colleagues and students. She indeed embodies all the attributes of the IB Learner Profi le.
“Joanne can balance the big picture with the fi ne details. She also deeply understands adolescent girls, their needs and their parents’ needs. Everyone leaves a conversation with Joanne feeling respected, seen, heard and understood. She always takes the time to empathize and validate. ‘Considerate,’ ‘thoughtful’ and ‘generous’ are words we readily associate with Joanne.”
Reflecting on her years at Branksome, Joanne said: “I rely on Branksome students, including my own two children, to generously share their energy, ideas, curiosity and knowledge. I am grateful for, and rely on, being pressed by students’ passion and pursuit of justice.
“I am deeply grateful for the friendship, trust and acceptance of the Counselling Team. Being part of the greater student support team has truly been fulfi lling in this last chapter of my Branksome career.
“I’ve also found belonging in so many places over the years— from individual conversations, to teaching and coaching teams, to numerous committees and working groups. I have learned so much from my colleagues, been awed and inspired by your creativity and care, your good humour and deep commitment. I thank Karen and Karrie for numerous opportunities to stretch and grow. In short, I found fulfi llment working with kids and colleagues for over 25 years—many, many thanks!”
Over the years: Alumnae Association Executive, Manager of the Alumnae and Uniform Shop, Day School Coordinator, Senior & Middle School Coordinator, Coordinator of Student Experience for Grades 7–8.
Karrie Weinstock, Head of the Centre for Strategic Leadership, paid tribute to Sandra, saying: “It is said that tartan runs in Sandra Bolté’s veins. Sandra’s mother, Diana BECK Bolté’46, attended Branksome, which also held a special place in the heart of her father, generous Branksome donor Auguste Bolté.
“Sandra brings heart to every aspect of her work, which is all done in the service of strengthening the Branksome community. For Sandra, the students are at the heart of everything. Sandra is the ultimate Branksome encyclopedia— the living, breathing archives of our school. She is the consummate planner of assemblies and major Branksome events. In this work, her love for Branksome has shone. Sandra, your name is embossed in gold on the notice boards that you have so lovingly maintained all these years, and it is similarly embossed in our hearts.”
Reflecting on her love for Branksome, Sandra said: “I fi rst worked at Branksome as the Alumnae and Uniform Shop Manager. In 2004, I was asked to assist with organizing Installation and, later, other school events. I was in my happy place supporting these traditions, as I continued doing until this year.
“Among the Prefect mottoes that have most influenced me is ‘Aim High, Take Risks, Leave a Legacy,’ from 2001 Head Prefect Ashley Caldwell. I am constantly reminded of my Dad when I read this motto. I am grateful that the Bolté family will always be a part of Branksome Hall through the bursaries, endowed funds, the AWC Bolté Family Gardens and my Senior Athlete of the Year Award.
“My departure is bittersweet, as Branksome Hall is ingrained in my character. I have made many lifelong relationships here, which I treasure.”
1967
Sally BRADY to Ron Murdoch, on June 19, 2021, in Orillia, Ontario.
1996
2010
Shannon LEWIS MacDonald to Fraser Macdonald, on August 27, 2022, at the Lewis family cottage in Muskoka, Ontario. Attendees included daughter Olivia LEWIS’33 and son Charles, 16 months. Friends and fellow alums, Christie GORRIE Chapman’96 and Carolyn LAWRENCE’96 joined the celebration.
1999
Jacqueline CARL to Peter Greenfield, on June 25, 2022.
1994
2004
Notices and In Memoriams have been edited from emails and published obituaries.
1937
Jean LANDER Dick, on January 12, 2022, at age 102.
1938
2003
2006
Patricia GIBBONS Guy, on October 16, 2022, in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
1941
Anne DOBSON Patterson, on June 22, 2022.
1942
Katie McCABE Cheesbrough announces the births of John Cheesbrough, July 22, 2017; Emily Cheesbrough, October 8, 2019; and Ryan Cheesbrough, August 31, 2022.
Bridget GREGSON Lawson, on October 29, 2022, in Toronto, at 97.
1945
Mary GLAZIER Erickson, passed away peacefully at her home at the Masonic Village of Sewickley, May 30, 2022, at 95.
1947
Natalia PAYNE to filmmaker
Daniel Feighery, on October 1, 2022, near their home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, surrounded by family and a few close friends.
2008
Audrey DENNY to Tyler Hamilton, on November 6, 2021, at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto.
Nicole THORNBURROW to Will Bryant, on September 17, 2022, in Toronto.
Kendra FITZRANDOLPH Barkman, a son, Harry Hollis Peter Barkman, on April 6, 2022.
2007
Judith GODFREY Simmonds, on February 13, 2022. Judy, or “Love,” as she was known to her classmates, was an unstoppable force of nature, teaming up with Sheila CRAIG Waengler’47 (also “Love”) to take Branksome by storm. Judy was busily planning a skit for their 75th Branksome reunion when she passed away suddenly, leaving a legacy of laughter and love.
1948
Eileen MURTON Orr, on July 18, 2022, in Collingwood, Ontario, at 91.
1949
Marg Ann ROBERTSON Van Wyck, on February 6, 2022, in Petrolia, Ontario. Marg was a force to be reckoned with, developing lifelong friendships dating back to her school days at Branksome Hall, and with
fellow nurses and members of committees like the Junior League and Medical Wives, and on the slopes, courts and dance floor. She gave her all, welcoming all into her home and her heart.
1950
Rosalie McKINNEY Broughton, on May 20, 2022.
1957
Janet Britta MADSEN, on August 23, 2022, in Stouffville, Ontario.
1958
Audrey BURTON Kendall (Gail), on March 17, 2022. Gail was the rare person who had more close friends the older they got. If there was a sporting match, a family occasion, a dock and a glass of wine, or a friend in need, she would unfailingly be there.
1961
Patricia ELLIOTT Smith, on August 16, 2022, in Palm Springs, California.
Sharon SISSONS Stewart, on October 24, 2022. At an early age, Sherry was stricken with polio. Despite the early challenges she faced, she found great joy as a mother and Nan. Sherry founded the Rosedale Day School (RDS), JK to Grade 2, in September 1995. She retired from RDS in 2010 but continued to be an active member of the RDS community, attending many school events.
1966
Ruth Ann WHIPP, on May 12, 2022. Ruth enjoyed a long career in education as Vice-Principal at Frank Oke Secondary School and York Memorial; and as Principal of York Humber High School, Runnymede Collegiate Institute and Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute. In the last seven years of her life, she turned hundreds of handwritten letters from her father (who served as an RCAF flight lieutenant) to her mother during the Second World War into a 400-page coffee-table book, titled Darling McGillicuddy.
1967
Margaret BUCHANAN Clarke, on June 1, 2022, in Poole, U.K. Margaret came to Branksome Hall in 1966 as an exchange student from Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset. Her life was characterized by constant inquiry, curiosity and love of people.
1979
Karen DURISH Cole, in April 2022, in Markham, Ontario.
1985
Wendi BROWN Warm’85, on June 8, 2022.
1988
Stephanie WAIT Little, on April 1, 2022.
Cherished friend and leader at Branksome, Stephanie passed away after a brief second battle with cancer. She is profoundly missed by her husband Chris Little, sons Matthew, Gregory and James, parents Tessie and John Wait, sisters Andrea WAIT’85 and Pauline WAIT Ferguson’89, and an army of friends.
Stephanie’s role as School Prefect was, fittingly, Head of Beta Kappa. Throughout her school years and beyond, she was the social epicentre of the Class of ’88. She authentically and enthusiastically connected with everyone and delighted in rallying the troops for all things fun.
Accordingly, Stephanie continued as Class Rep for school reunions. An enormous representation of the Class of ’88 at her memorial revealed her never-ending ability to bring people together, and the deep loss this Class feels.
Special tributes to Stephanie are planned for the upcoming reunion on June 3, and the fall edition of The READ.
1993
Roz HERMANT, on October 12, 2022, in Ontario.
Kelly DRINKWATER Buckingham’00
March 17, 2022, following a brief battle with mental illness.
Born December 10, 1981, in Toronto, Kelly enjoyed formative childhood years in England, excelling in ballet and on skis during family trips to the Alps. Always an animal lover–even stuffed animals—family dogs Bagshot and Boomer were her consummate companions.
Kelly graduated in 2000 from Branksome Hall, where she thrived and forged lifelong friendships. Kelly also connected with her Celtic roots during study programs in Dublin and St. Andrews, majoring in international relations, links golf and pub gatherings. She graduated from McGill University in 2004 with a degree in political science.
Kelly had an instinct for entrepreneurial opportunities, pursuing mortgage brokering, serving as president of her Toronto business club and following a passion for health and wellness ventures. Most recently, she and her husband, Matt, were realizing their dream of restoring and renovating a Victorian house into a hotel in Wellington, Prince Edward County. Always in her element on Lake Joe and Georgian Bay, we will forever picture her driving the Whaler, relaxing on the dock and swimming with her kids.
A natural, effortless beauty, Kelly had a genuine and honest character that endeared her to strangers and loved ones alike. Quick with a warm, dimpled smile, and generous with her time and empathy, Kelly maintained deep relationships with a tight but large circle of friends and family.
Kelly’s greatest joy was being a mother to Isabelle and Will, whose world she fi lled with wonder, creativity and immense love. She is survived by Matt and their children; her parents, Susie McCLELLAND Drinkwater’67 and David (Adele); her siblings, Jennifer DRINKWATER Jones’95 Jones (Kevin) and Michael (Cameron); and her five nieces and nephews.
Her large extended McClelland-Drinkwater-Buckingham family will all miss her dearly. We hope our devastating loss will help other families shine light on the mental health challenges that affect so many.
Kelly is part of a long legacy of Branksome women that includes her mother, Suzanne McCLELLAND Drinkwater’67; her sister, Jennifer DRINKWATER Jones’95; her aunts, Sarah McCLELLAND’74, and Carol McCLELLAND McCabe’68; her grandmothers, Margaret PHAIR Drinkwater’41 and Elizabeth MATCHETT McClelland’45; and her cousins, Lesley McCABE Dyer’98, Robin McCABE Cassaday’00 and Katie McCABE Cheesbrough’03. R
The Class of 1951 bid farewell to four cherished alums in 2022: Charlotte CAMPBELL Hector, Lynn DIBBLEE Pengelley, Ann GILDAY McBride and Mary WILKINSON Angus. All met when they entered Branksome in Grade 7, and each remained friends with past Branksome Principal (1974–93) Allison ROACH’51.
Allison observed of her late friends: “They are bound together by their sense of humour, love of Branksome and participation in co-curricular activities, including music and sports. Charlotte and Ann had a special relationship, as they were cousins. Not only were we friends at school, but we travelled across Canada and Europe together and kept our friendship throughout our lives.” Charlotte, Ann and Mary graduated Nursing together from the Toronto General Hospital.
Charlotte was a proud graduate of Branksome Hall, where she served as a Prefect and, later, on the Honorary Alumnae Executive.
With husband Richard “Ian” Hector, Charlotte raised three children, two of them Branksome alums: Catherine HECTOR Crockford’76 and Andrea HECTOR Matthews’80, as well as Richard Hector (Kim). Charlotte always commented that having grandchildren was worth having children for, and she was blessed to have five grandchildren, whom she adored.
In 1989, Charlotte and Ian moved into their dream home in Thornbury, Ontario. Charlotte’s skills and passion as a gardener were on display for everyone to enjoy. She also loved music, which brought her peace and joy, particularly in her later years as she struggled through Alzheimer’s disease.
Lynn (Sally) was a curious free thinker, fiercely independent, strong and a survivor. A tireless social advocate, she helped anyone she saw as wronged or vulnerable, and fought to change rules she saw as unjust.
Her career spanned more
than 40 years, including positions as a geologist at Imperial Oil, a teacher in Toronto, an executive with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation and chair of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Board.
Ann served as Head Prefect at Branksome in her graduating year. Her husband, David McBride, wrote the following tribute to his wife:
“Her lifelong friends from Branksome included Allison ROACH’51 and Mary WILKINSON Angus’51, among many others. She was picked by Miss Read as her year’s leader, for good reason, and was a true advocate for the school all of her life. She was a gem. She will be remembered by her family and many lifetime friends for her genuineness,
compassion, sense of humour and comradeship.” Her love of life included music, theatre, sports and travel, but especially her 71 years spent with family at the cottage.
Ann was proud to be the mother of five, grandmother of 13 and great-grandmother to seven (with an eighth one on the way).
Mary was proud to count herself in the second of four generations of women who attended Branksome Hall—a school to which she remained devoted all her life. Her mother-in-law Dillwyn WARREN Angus’22, daughter Claire ANGUS’83, and granddaughters Findlay CAPLAN’12 and Tillie CAPLAN’14 were part of this proud lineage.
Mary served as a Prefect, a Reunion representative and on the Honorary Alumnae Executive. She was a true ambassador for the school, persuading classmates and other alums to return for Reunion. She formed many lifelong friendships during her time as a student at Branksome, and later at Toronto General Hospital while training to be a nurse.
An energetic and enthusiastic volunteer who stayed physically active all her life, Mary enjoyed many sports at Branksome—especially swimming—and was delighted when the Athletics and Wellness Centre featured state-of-the-art new swimming pools.
Mary and Allison Roach together started the choir at Branksome, says Allison. “We asked the question why we didn’t have a choir,” said Allison, “and so we went to the music teacher and principal and started one.” R
The Word Up Community Bookshop I founded serves and supports a diverse and under-resourced population in New York City
BY VERONICA LIU’97
Ihead into Word Up after dropping off my kid at the school bus, well before the shop opens, to accomplish tasks easier done in person when no one else is around. But I should know by now—there is always someone around! As I approach, I see the front gate already up, and neighbours from the block starting to assemble, and when I walk into the store, I encounter the volunteers who operate the community fridge that we host outside the bookshop.
Word Up Community Bookshop/Librería Comunitaria is the multilingual, cooperatively run bookstore and arts space I founded in my neighbourhood of Washington Heights, New York City, which is at the northern tip of Manhattan just above Harlem and a 10-minute walk to several neighbourhoods in the Bronx. Three-quarters of the residents are of Latinx/Hispanic descent, and it’s a densely populated yet under-resourced area with a seemingly endless need for more gathering spaces. As a non-profit bookstore, our mission is rooted in access to books. But the longer we have been doing this work, the closer it gets to addressing the root social causes of why that access can be so limited: systemic racism, income inequality, food insecurity and more.
I catch up with the fridge volunteers as they portion out fresh produce and eggs next to our new-releases table, then I switch focus to gathering books for a school book fair, which will mean boxes scattered about for a couple of hours before customers come in. I pull books from shelves, aiming for a mix of Spanish, English and bilingual kids’ titles at a variety of price points, alongside copies I know we can heavily discount for pay-whatyou-wish/free tables.
Overseeing a physical space means I’m derailed often—by incoming book shipments, by customer phone calls, by neighbours walking in to propose events or partnerships, by mutual-aid volunteers picking up or dropping off supplies—but once the store is actually open and the collective members working the shift arrive, I manage to hole up in the office for a run of Zoom, phone and, increasingly again, in-person meetings. These could be with teaching artists to develop a new afterschool program, with publisher reps to review seasonal book orders or with other groups we build with, like uptown arts non-profits, independent bookstores and literary organizations. So many of our neighbours consider us a hyperlocal hub, but part of our strength is in knowing our context—how we fit in everywhere else too.
Word Up visitors punctuate the day, and I’m reminded often that much of what we do is facilitate sharing space. Indeed, once the main storefront closes for shopping at 6 p.m., a whole other set of evening activities gets underway: readings, concerts, book clubs, workshops. Our second location, Recirculation—which was founded after a collective member passed away from COVID-19 and left me in charge of his vast collections of books and records—opens starting at 6 p.m. most weeknights, and features thousands of pay-what-you-wish books and occasional events. Several nights a month, small crews of Word Up collective members are bookselling at off-site events elsewhere in the city. And some evenings may see a collective or subcommittee meeting—as evenings and weekends are when volunteers are most free. Somehow, even when our bookshop was closed for browsing during the first 18 months of the pandemic, neighbours said that it seemed like we were open the whole time. R
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