The Ascent Alumni Magazine 2020

Alumni

THE ASCENT 2020 Rundle Alumni Magazine

A DAY

in the

LIFE

THE ASCENT

Time will march on but it’s not a race to be won.

Be thankful you get to participate and make it count!

EDITOR AARON GOETTEL Director of Alumni & Advancement CONTRIBUTOR MICHELLE CAWTHORPE Rundle Academy Alumni Officer COPY EDITOR DANA HEISE Director of Communications DESIGNER LESLIE TECKLENBURG Coordinator of Communications

Alumni

Rundle College Society Alumni Department 7379 17 Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta T3H 3W5 403-291-3866 | alumni@rundle.ab.ca rundle.ab.ca

@RundleAlumni @RundleACAlumni @rundle.alum Rundle College Society Alumni

Contents

Features

Articles

The Extras

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Head’s Message A DAY IN THE LIFE: THROUGH THE EYES OF RUNDLE’S HEAD OF SCHOOL Jason Rogers

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College Alumni Updates

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College Alumni Return

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College Today

College Historian MY DOG, UNDERDOGS, AND THIS OLD DOG Neil Domstad

23 Rundle College Athletic Wall

SAVING A LIFE IN A COVID-19 WORLD Christine Coutts ‘09

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PLAYING GAMES Catherine Fuller ‘14

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THE DISADVANTAGE ADVANTAGE Amman Adat ‘19

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CELEBRATING THE SLOW TIMES Kelsey Flower ‘08

20 LESSONS LEARNED Aaron Goettel

34 MY JOURNEY THROUGH RUNDLE AND BEYOND Cole Hendry ‘11

36 MAKING MY WAY IN THE MEDIA WORLD Dana Droppo ‘07

44 OUR NEW NORMAL Zack Flower ‘06

46 A GOOD DAY

Steph Chapman ‘05

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A SCHOOL YEAR TO REMEMBER — REEDS

24 College Reflections COMMUNITY Anna Walls ‘20

33 Academy Historian

DRIVEN BY CURIOSITY Karen Goepen-Wee

40 Academy Reflections CONNECTIONS Sawyer Figol ‘20

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Academy Reflections CURIOSITY Isabella Carinelli ‘20

Inductees

26 SO, YOU THINK YOU KNOW RUNDLE? Take the Quiz

29 Giving at Rundle 32 Rundle Remembers 38 Academy Alumni Updates 42 Academy Alumni Return 43 Academy Today 49 Distinguished Alumni

Head’s Message A Day In The Life:

Through the Eyes of Rundle’s Head of School

Jason Rogers

As we entered the 2019–2020 school year, I challenged our teachers to “see through the eyes of our students”. I have to admit, this was not an original idea, it was originally expressed by Dr. Rod Conklin in his book, A Cottage that Became a Campus. I thought this might be an appropriate homage to Dr. Conklin as we celebrated the memory of his life and work following his passing in the spring of 2019.

For the alumni, I thought I might share “A Day in the Life: Through the Eyes of Rundle’s Headmaster.” This is an account of an “average” day in my leadership of the finest school in Canada.

5:30 AM — Be Well The start of the day always looks the same for me. I start it with a vigorous 45-minute workout. During this time I am sure to stay disconnected from email or social media; I hydrate and I sweat. It is the perfect way to begin every day.

6:15 AM — Be Curious I do believe that if we are going to work in a world-class learning organization, we need to “live learning”. During this block of time, I tend to either read something I am interested in or I listen to a few podcasts I enjoy.

6:45 AM — Together I have two young boys, one is four years old and the other is two, and they typically sleep until 6:45 am. I will make a little breakfast for us all and spend this time with them as we all get ready. Our family time is an important and valued part of every day.

Jason Rogers, Andy Rogers, and Emmett Rogers ‘33

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7:45 AM — Attention to Excellence My work days are dynamic. Each day is a combination of parent, student, and faculty meetings about topics too broad to describe here. As much as these meetings are necessary, there’s nothing more enjoyable or important than spending time each and every day with our students in the hallways, gyms, classrooms, and playgrounds.

My favourite moments are always those where I see a

teacher delivering a compelling lesson, or when I have the chance to play BUMP in the gym with a physical education class, or when I am able to help with outdoor supervision and catch up with parents as they wait to pick up their children. It does not matter where I turn, our campuses are filled with students, teachers, and staff dedicating themselves to a pursuit of excellence.

4:00 PM — Be Kind Each day ends with a similar tradition, the thank you note. Nothing gives me more joy than looking back on each day and provide my reflections and gratitude to a student, teacher, parent, donor, or new admission.

In today’s day and age, I think the personal touch of writing a handwritten thank you note is at risk of being lost. I am committed to keeping it alive for as long as I lead.

children and experience the wonders of the world through the eyes of two energetic, curious, and creative toddlers. I am proud of our school for building boundaries and expectations that allow each of us to enjoy these precious moments with those in our lives who are so important to us.

I hope this view through my eyes has shared what I find so incredible about Rundle. Rundle is a place that integrates a pursuit of excellence with important values such as being together, kind, curious and well. In my mind, this is the future of our work, home and leisure lives. I feel incredibly blessed to serve at a school that embraces values that I find so valuable — both personally and professionally. It is my wish that each of our alumni have the same experience in the passion they have pursued.

5:00 PM — Celebrate I am grateful for the many opportunities I have to celebrate with our community at events such as the welcome back events, new parent dinners, Friday Night Lights, Cobras’ and Rockies’ games, drama productions, band concerts, art shows, staff appreciation dinners, meet the teacher evenings, open houses, board meetings, and last but not least... alumni events.

Day’s End — Through the Eyes of My Boys I am happy to come home each day to my wife and

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RUNDLE COLLEGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS We thank our Board of Directors for their commitment and dedication to Rundle College. As tireless champions, they continue to give their time, professional expertise, and philanthropic giving to help advance our mission of providing an exceptional educational experience for our students today and in the future.

Mrs. Carrie Ferguson Member since 2013 PRESIDENT & CHAIR

Ms. Katherine Harmsworth Member since 2018 DIRECTOR

Mr. Dennis Locking Member since 2008 VICE-PRESIDENT & VICE-CHAIR

Mr. Iain McCorkindale Member since 2017 DIRECTOR

Dr. Geoff Hill Member since 2014 SECRETARY Mr. Eric Toews Member since 2015 TREASURER Mr. Scott Burrows Member since 2018 DIRECTOR

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Mr. Jon McKenzie Member since 2018 DIRECTOR Mrs. Mehri Salimova Member since 2017 DIRECTOR Mr. Ross Wonnick Member since 2018 DIRECTOR

College Historian As a senior staff member, which I think may be code for “you are really getting old”, I was honoured to be asked to write an article for this year’s edition of our alumni magazine, The Ascent.

My Dog, Underdogs, and This Old Dog

My life does not compare with the mystery and excitement one might find in something like the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, but hopefully with a couple of stories, memories, some comparisons and genuine thoughts, you can get some perspective on the Rundle life of this old dog. As one of the original cast members in our first year at the Dr. Carl Safran building, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on the “then” and the “now”, and the realization of how some things never change and how this can be a good thing; as well as offer some thoughts on the changes and impact as a result of COVID-19.

A Day in the Life of Neil Domstad

Before becoming a teacher at Rundle College, life was all about my dog, fishing, and wrestling — chasing trophy trout and that elusive Olympic dream. The trout I managed to corral but after 14 years of dedication to a sport that gave me so much and defined who I was, I fell just short of making the Olympic team. That is when life’s priorities shifted and my career started at Rundle College Jr. High.

Though it was 24 years ago, I can vividly remember the first day of classes. The year was 1996 and my teaching load consisted of social studies, science and physical education.

I had more time on my hands than ever, so I hit the ground running, fully immersing myself in everything that first day at Rundle and have relished every moment since.

For those who were fortunate to experience it, our campus was located in the old, but beautiful and historic sandstone Dr. Carl Safran Building. It was visually stunning,

adorned by the classic bell tower, separate boys’ and girls’ entrances, complete with ornate wood at every turn.

I have some amazing memories of the staff, students and events that occurred at the Dr. Carl Safran building over the span of nine years, as I do at the Conklin School on 17th avenue since our move. I have an appreciation for the talent, passion, humour, energy, and love of education Continued on page 16

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Saving a Life in a COVID-19 World Christine Coutts ‘09

you are invited into their homes as a beacon of hope and are looked up to by many.

After graduating in 2009, I chose to pursue my passion for science and medicine at the University of Western Ontario. Four years later, I graduated with a BHSc Honours but found myself unsatisfied with the lack of human interaction.

Numerous discussions with friends led me down a more interactive and fulfilling career path towards EMS. I have since completed all three levels in pre-hospital care and now work in Edmonton with Alberta Health Services as an Advanced Care Paramedic.

Through my career, I have also found a passion for teaching and use my practical experience to teach prospective paramedic students.

Many people ask about what its like to be a paramedic — some think it’s a difficult job due to the exposure to trauma. I think it’s the most rewarding career. Being a paramedic means you are awarded the privilege of being there for someone on their darkest days;

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My morning shift consists of: wake up, pack breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner.

Arrive at the station 30 minutes early for shift. Check the ambulance to ensure it’s operational. Ensure kits are fully stocked and equipment is charged.

My crew can expect to attend between 7 to 10 calls per shift, depending on complexity, transport times, and hospital waits. Meals are eaten as time permits, sometimes at hospitals, or driving throughout the city.

Each call is approached with the same safety precautions and assessment techniques — supplementary questions, tests, and treatments are provided as necessary.

Safety for emergency crews are of utmost importance and with the current COVID-19 pandemic and some routines have changed significantly. Prior to the pandemic, each paramedic wore gloves and either glasses or safety goggles on scene. If the patient had an infectious respiratory disease,

crews had the option of putting a mask on themselves or the patient.

Now, during the pandemic, it is required to wear gloves, safety goggles, a procedure mask, and a gown for each patient transport.

EMS is also required to pre-screen their patients prior to assessments.

After arriving to a scene and making contact with either the caller or the patient, they must ask about any cough, cold, fever, sore throat, or runny nose. Next, they ask about recent travel or contact with anyone that has been sick.

Some paramedics throughout Canada have noticed a trend of dishonesty with their patients; as some patients believe that having signs and symptoms of COVID-19 means an ambulance won’t attend their emergency. Although this is not true, they choose to lie about symptoms which puts paramedics at an increased risk of exposure. I have experienced this first hand.

One major issue I have noticed with the new COVID-19 regulations and safety protocols is the delayed response to certain calls. Public perception is of huge importance within EMS and should a crew deem it necessary to apply full protective gear, responses can be delayed up to three minutes. It may appear as if EMS is dawdling prior

to entering the emergency scene, but in reality they are taking the necessary steps to protect both the public and themselves. For an anxious family whose loved one is ill, this message is sometimes forgotten. Saving lives is the number one goal for EMS but the top priority must always be the EMS crews’ safety.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes for me is my routine at home with family. When returning home from work, I cannot rush to hug my family. Once I take my boots off outside the house, put my uniform directly in the washing machine, then I shower to remove any germs or bacteria I may have picked up during the shift. Only after these steps can I finally hug my partner and son and enjoy my family’s company.

Although it is hard to leave the safety of home, I know it’s necessary to keep emergency services functioning during these difficult times. COVID-19 has forced numerous changes in the prehospital care setting but they’re necessary to limit the spread of the virus. Paramedics will always be

here for the public and are willing to put their energy into protecting each other.

“...you are awarded the privilege of being there for someone on their darkest days.”

Thank you Rundle would like to thank Christine and all frontline workers.

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Playing Games

Catherine Fuller ‘14

After graduating Rundle in 2014, 2014, Catherine Fuller ‘14 studied at Vancouver Film School. She is now a 3D animator at Next Level Games.

When we reached out to Catherine, she describe her typical day spent mostly animating, as one would expect.

We also asked her to share a few thoughts on her work and the industry.

Q: What is the greatest source of stress in your line of work?

A: It’s common to not get too attached to anything since it’ll be changed later. Overall, it’s do the best you can in the time allowed.

Q: What are some of the changes you see in the animation industry?

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It has changed a bit with an upgrade in technology but the general pipeline is the same.

A: I can’t imagine what I’d be doing instead. Animating is my dream job, so I can’t think of anything to top it.

Maybe if I get over my fear of the ocean and deep water I’d become a marine biologist like my dad thought I was going to be.

Q: How has the recent pandemic changed your work and life?

A: Everyone at our company has been sent home with their computers which allows us to continue working. It’s been interesting seeing what’s going on from posts online or talking to friends. A lot of funny and crazy things coming from all the bored people out there.

I’m not too bothered by it, as someone who mainly spends her time indoors playing video games on her off-hours anyway so not much has really changed. I miss restaurants so much! I never thought about how much I became so attached to going out with a coworker, or even alone, and

Q: Is there any other job you would like to do?

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Q: What is your work philosophy?

sitting down for a nice meal. On the bright side, I find more money in my bank account from the lack of overspending on lunch.

lunch

A: Crunch time. Deadlines become cutthroat. Turnarounds are fast with little care for polishing things that don’t look great. Having your Lead say they need everything changed or they want to add something (still during crunch time).

A: Animation has followed the same basic principles and is only ever affected by a change in technology to make it easier to navigate the computer and organize all the controls to bring a CG puppet to life.

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College Alumni Updates ‘01–’09

Alexis Beavis ‘01 now resides in Surrey, B.C. and is currently working as a mental health caseworker.

For Edith Leung ‘02, ‘02, a “day in the life” of a financial planner has been interesting as she started working on a team that deals with healthcare professionals. She spends a lot of time helping them figure out how to pay off large student loans, while still being able to save for their future. This past year, she had the privilege of speaking to aspiring dentists at the Canadian Dental Student Conference about how to manage their finances and build their practice. They were happy to learn about real-life scenarios and that many of us in the world have debt. Edith is happy to have helped them realize that life just happens sometimes!

Laura Harding (Barclay) ‘04 and her husband Craig excitedly welcomed their daughter, Alexis Wynter Harding, to the world in November 2019. Her older fur-sibling, Kodi, is already protective of her, and Alexis will be sure to keep her two parents very busy.

Being very outdoorsy, they went on their first camping trip with her in the spring, where they headed down to Yosemite National Park for some epic hiking!

Opps – our bad!

Page 35 – In last year’s edition, we incorrectly celebrated Kelsey Flower’s ‘08 nuptials when in fact it was his equally handsome brother Zach Flower '06 that tied the knot. Congrats Zach!

Page 18 – We did it again. We incorrectly thanked big sister Alex Horner ‘09 for volunteering at Rundle, when in fact is was her lovely sister Stephanie Horner ‘11 that gave her time to chat with our current students. Thanks Stephanie!

Alex Horner ‘09 attended four years of veterinary school at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and graduated in December 2019 with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. She highly encourages any student looking to pursue graduate studies (vet, med, dental, etc.) to go abroad — it’s not just a degree but the experience of a lifetime!

Since graduating, Alex has returned to Calgary to join a new veterinary clinic, Healing Traditions Holistic Veterinary Clinic, as an associate veterinarian for small animals. Alex is also currently in the process of completing certification in veterinary acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine through the Chi Institute in Florida to offer a complete integrative service for all of her furry clients.

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I started the Canadian University Shooting Federation (CUSF) as a non-profit in 2018 with the idea of creating a league that promotes competitive shooting sports between Canadian Universities and Colleges. We revived the Trap and Skeet Club at Carleton University in my last year of school and I loved going out every weekend to blast clays with my newfound teammates.

After having this amazing experience with the club, I knew that I wanted to give back and help other schools develop their own competitive shooting programs. I envisioned a league where every post-secondary institution in Canada could field a team and compete against each other in a variety of disciplines.

David Fahlman ‘11

‘11–‘13

After contacting a variety of organizations, I pulled together a couple of passionate leaders and started the CUSF. Our organization has grown immensely since then, with a lot of interest from schools across Canada.

There have been 15 new clubs started, the existing clubs have grown immensely, and we offer a national sport shooting league based on Olympic disciplines: trap, skeet, and rifle. It is an exciting time for the future of sport shooting at post-secondary institutions.

This year marked a big milestone for Christina Welch ‘11.. She was called to the bar and achieved her dream ‘11 of becoming a lawyer! Additionally, she travelled to Norway, Denmark and Sweden to experience Nordic culture. Christina is now working at a boutique wills and estates firm and is busy planning her next international adventure!

Having played Gretl in Rundle College’s rendition of The Sound of Music in 2008, Jaclyn Hiebert ‘13 couldn’t resist visiting Salzburg while in Austria for the CEMS MIM graduation ceremony!

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Since graduating from Rundle College in 2011 and joining the University of Calgary Dinos football team, my single pursuit has been the U SPORTS National Championship trophy, the Vanier Cup. After seven years of involvement (five as a player, two as a coach), I am proud to have finally been a part of this championship in November 2019. This is the first time the championship has belonged to the Dinos since 1995, and it’s one of my most cherished experiences to contribute to this collective accomplishment. Rundle Andrew Buckley ‘11 Cobras were represented on the field all season by running-back Alessandro Molnar, who’s leadership and efforts molded the championship culture of the Dinos.

Since graduating in 2013, Tyler Bull ‘13 has checked a couple things off his bucket list.

Topping his list was traveling to Australia and ‘13–‘18 New Zealand for two months with Rundle alumnus Taylor Caldwell ‘13.

‘13 He finally visited Hobbiton, climbed Mount Doom, and as Taylor can attest to, finding as many Lord of the Rings filming locations as possible. To continue the adventure, they also jumped out of a plane, went scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, whitewater rafting, canyoning, and sailed around the picturesque Whitsunday Islands.

Since returning to normal life, Tyler has been working on the Product Development team at RS Energy Group, a rapidly growing oil and gas data analytics company. In September 2019, he went on his first solo trip to Greece, and raced in the original Olympic stadium. Tyler’s next major travel plan is to go to Africa!

Out of the blue one day back in August, I decided it would be fun to drive as far north as possible. So my dad, uncle and I drove from Calgary all the way to Tuktoyaktuk. We saw some amazing scenery, met a lot of really interesting people and saw a lot of really old, historic gold mining dredges and facilities.

We also gazed upon some amazing sunsets (some of which didn’t occur until three in the morning), and only got one flat tire through several thousand kilometres of driving on the Dempster Highway — essentially just a gravel road.

The most beautiful place we visited, in my mind, was a small "town" (essentially just a strip mall and motel) called Eagle Plains in the Yukon. The last day of travel, we drove all the way from Watson Lake, Yukon to Calgary in one go — my dad drove the entire leg. It took 21 hours.

Gavin Angman ‘15

In 2019, Mehtab Brar ‘18 launched a comedy podcast series called “The Brarcast”. By January 2020, he amassed thousands of viewers per episode. Mehtab also begun performing standup comedy throughout Calgary on a weekly basis, opening for popular comedians, and making sold-out crowds chuckle.

Mehtab also teaches and competes in world-level Hapkido as a second degree black belt.

He operates Brarhive Inc., a group that manages all of his media operations.

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The Disadvantage Advantage

Amman Adat ‘19

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My first year since graduating from Rundle College has been vastly different than what I would’ve expected, and I was fortunate enough to have been asked to share what I have been up to. I graduated in 2019 with a plan to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering at the University of Calgary. After much deliberation and thought, I ultimately made the decision to defer my admission for a year to give myself the opportunity to fully direct my focus and energy into physical therapy before committing to four years at post-secondary. What I didn’t realize was that I would be presented with a slew of other opportunities during this past year.

The vast majority of these opportunities were related to athletics and competition, so I will start off by sharing a story about a sport I have been involved in for the past 12 years. Rock climbing has always been a sport that I have been incredibly passionate about, and this past year I had the chance to continue my training as part of a competitive team.

imagined, and in turn, I became a better climber than I had been previously.

Throughout this experience, I’ve come to understand that the only person you are truly competing against is yourself. The important thing is to focus on how you can achieve the best version of yourself and give your best effort, rather than focusing on what is “unfair” or the “disadvantages” you have.

I also had the opportunity to continue para-alpine skiing this past winter as part of a development team training out of Sunshine Village. Despite the fact that this was only my second season sit-skiing, I was able to start competing against other paraathletes. I was invited to compete at the US-Canada Para-Alpine Skiing National Championships at Winter Park, Colorado, where I would be racing alongside the top para-alpine athletes in the country.

Considering that this was only my second year in this sport, it was beyond overwhelming to have the chance to compete at a national level.

However, over the past few months, the COVID-19 pandemic that has profoundly impacted the lives of millions worldwide has also brought many of my endeavours to a grinding halt. I was laid-off from work, and have been unable to continue my training for skiing, rock climbing, or hand cycling, and all competitions and races were cancelled fairly early into the season. Perhaps the most disappointing of all was being unable to compete at a national level due to the cancellation of this year’s para-alpine nationals.

Over the past few weeks, I have come to realize that while it is normal to feel disappointed and upset, it is important to understand the fact that the situation we are currently living through is temporary.

Things will go back to normal eventually, and many of these missed opportunities will present themselves to us again. What won’t come back is another chance for all of us to show the world that we can put our daily lives aside to act selflessly and protect those who My initial goals for the season were are vulnerable, while finding solace to work towards returning and happiness wherever and “The important thing is to focus on how to the level I was at before whenever we can. Better days you can achieve the best version of becoming wheelchair-bound will come if we can come yourself and give your best effort, rather over five years ago. Through together as a global community than focusing on what is 'unfair' or the training and competing, I during these unprecedented 'disadvantages' you have.” noticed that many people times. saw my physical condition as a disadvantage, considering the fact that every climber around Furthermore, I was able to continue me was fully able-bodied. Over working as a rock climbing time, however, I began to see it as instructor this past year. Being an advantage. The “disadvantage” able to teach a sport that I love to forced me to work that much families and children of all ages harder. It forced me to constantly has been incredibly gratifying. I think critically about how I could also continued training for hand adapt my technique and improve cycling this past year, and through upon my abilities in order to stay sponsorships and grants that I competitive. It allowed me to received, competing this upcoming succeed in ways I could have never season had become a possibility.

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2019–2020

College Alumni Return

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Olivia Awad ‘09 (right) helping with costume design for drama production

Annual band brunch

Evan Beck ‘12 returns to present to our grade 8s

Basketball alumni at Provincials fundraising event

Staff/student hockey game

Ravinder Minhas ‘00 speaks to our Ascent Leadership group

Joey Hubbard ‘12 Skypes in from South Korea to talk to our grade 4s

Sahil Gaur ‘16 and Jenna Gregg ‘19 volunteer at Open House

Brandon Chiew ‘19, ‘19, Jenna Gregg ‘19 and Rayff McMahon ‘17 – Open House

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Alumni Bowling Night November 2019

Michael Klassen ‘09 2019 Distinguished Alumni award recipient

Herman Johal ‘01 ‘01 2019 Graduation guest speaker

Calgary Alumni Networking Reception May 2019

Alumni Reality Check 2019

Stephen Yeung ‘19, ‘19, Ishan Vermani ‘19, ‘19, & Matt Mehra ‘19 — helping with robotics

Victoria, B.C. Alumni Reception November 2019

Alumni volunteering at Samaritin’s Purse December 2019

Christina Welch ‘11 and Taylor Caldwell ‘13 Sam Patton ‘19 and Adam Walters ‘19 volunteering with Toy Angels return to help coach wrestling

HoHoHoHomecoming 2019

HoHoHoHomecoming 2019

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Neil Domstad – continued from page 5

The local community was full of interesting characters that kept us on our toes. As an illustration, one morning I had come into school early, and as I approached the back entrance I heard some noise and saw some movement in the dumpster outside the doors. Slowly, I looked inside revealing an individual going through the garbage. I asked, “Sir, what are you doing?” he emphatically replied “I’ve hit the jackpot, it’s a goldmine in here!” He was referring to all the pop cans, juice boxes and bottles he was retrieving. I gave him a big smile and politely asked him to leave as we had students coming to school shortly and that he could come back later that evening to fill up his cart with “the goods.” He was a friendly and happy individual, but we had to put a recycling program into effect from that day onward.

confident, respectful, hard-working individuals.

Fast forward to our current 17 Avenue campus location and the question begs to be asked, “what has changed?” In my mind, it can be likened to “Rocky 3 and Rocky 4”. We have taken a step up–consistently recognized as one of the top schools in the province, if not the country. People have taken notice — there has been a refinement of sorts. We are fortunate to reside in a first-class facility with a top-rated program.

Buildings are larger but equally beautiful, bearing the names and embodiment of the indelible character of our visionary founding fathers, Dr. Collett and Dr. Conklin. Our facilities are located in a setting where we can see the magnificent Rocky Mountains on the horizon that truly embodies the name Rundle College.

We have a larger student population, more teachers and staff, a band room, two gymnasiums, a separate wrestling There was a sense of pride and weight room with a first-class field and character that was that has been appropriately named embedded in the heart Hauk Field. A true honour for Mr. Dave and souls of everyone who Hauk, whose influence has been trained in that historic room. foundational for Rundle.

Thinking globally, the entire Dr. Carl Safran building was a metaphor of the early “Rocky” movies. We were small, underrated, and teaching in an older building in need of many resources. The pride and perseverance of students and staff produced incredible results and it was a place where boys and girls emerged as

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“

“

Many of my fondest memories over my 24 years involve staff, students, and of course, athletics and wrestling (in particular.) One such memory from this time was the wrestling and weightroom in the concrete dungeon of the Junior High School. It was “decorated” with metal screens on the windows, a multitude of all-too-close pipes off of the ceiling that were more fitting for the seven dwarfs than jr. high students, who already towered over me.

A room housing wrestling, weight-training and some historic and unforgettable “Stuntnastic” routines. “The Dungeon” was a place of training like you see in the early Rocky movies. There was a sense of pride and character that was embedded in the hearts and souls of everyone who trained in that historic room.

It was a place and program that, to this day, has produced individuals of strong character with many city, provincial, and national wrestling medalists and champions.

The local community is equally intriguing, though it comes in a different form being closer to nature. It is not uncommon for staff and students to be held indoors because there is a black bear in the area or be told to “be on alert” as a moose has been sited nearby. To have a doe and her fawn walk through the school grounds curious about what is going on and then leisurely bound back into the mini forest is a special treat.

Location and buildings change, but what has been a constant with Rundle, is that today, we are still essentially a small, close-knit school community of students, staff, parents, and alumni.

Continued on page 28

A School Year To Remember – REEDS

The year 2020 will always be remembered for the COVID-19 global pandemic and the impact it had on every facet of our lives. In particular, this year the leadership, staff, parents, and students of Rundle’s community were impacted directly through their educational experience.

On March 15, the Alberta Government closed schools due to the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Our school responded by launching REEDS Rundle’s Excellence in Education through Distance-Delivery System.

System Remarkably, our students only missed one day of class and were back in “virtual school” on March 17.

We developed three key values for REEDS to help us remain focused and true to our educational journey at Rundle. These values are “stay connected, stay positive, and stay learning”.

STAY CONNECTED As a result of REEDS, we saw dozens of examples of student, teacher, and parent connectivity that we had never seen or experienced before. From virtual Grade 12 lounges to alumni career sessions, and to primary school rallies — our whole community found ways to stay connected. We also saw heartwarming examples of teachers arriving at the doorsteps of students' homes to deliver everything from cinnamon buns for the Moves Mountains Breakfast to corsages for graduating band members.

STAY POSITIVE Our teachers and students did an amazing job of staying positive throughout the countless challenges that come with attending school from home. It was inspirational to see students take the initiative to create posters that adorned our schools’ fences to celebrate the frontline workers who were keeping us all safe during these dangerous times. Students focused on staying positive by engaging in cocurricular activities such as yoga, cooking with Ms. Gallo, and art lessons from Ms. Baldwin.

STAY LEARNING As you already know, Rundle has the best teachers on the planet. However, these teachers are well known for teaching in a classroom environment, not the online space. We were all so impressed as our teachers moved quickly and confidently into a virtual teaching space. Every teacher, from K-12, including specialist areas, provided synchronous and asynchronous lessons to our students. The creativity, compassion and enthusiasm that our teachers put into helping our students continue to learn was unparalleled.

We hope that 2020 will be the only year we ever need to utilize REEDS, but if it is not, we are more confident than ever that our whole community will continue to stay connected, stay positive, and stay learning.

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College Today Senior Art Club: The Annual Senior Art Show was held virtually this year and was a great success.

Band: We were fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to New York in February this year. Unfortunately, our final band concert had to be cancelled.

Bamfield: Grade 10 Science Trip to Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

CAUSE Club: The CAUSE group developed three unique teams: The Community Volunteers Team, The Wentworth Team and the STEAM Team at the Collett School. The Community Volunteers volunteered at the Mustard Seed, Good Food Box Community Kitchen, Souper Kids, Stephen’s Backpacks, and Samaritan’s Purse. The Wentworth Team volunteered hours at Wentworth with seniors and the Collett STEAM Team helped our youngest students with coding, robotics, gardening, dance, photography, crazy chemistry and wonders of design.

Competitive Speech: Students competed at five tournaments in the regular season and the Rundle College team won a gold medal at Provincials. A highlight of the year was having Megan Harley ‘20 compete at Speech Nationals at St. John’s Ravenscourt.

Debate: The high school debate teams participated in four separate debate tournaments this year as well as a workshop. We had a great season.

Eco Club: Students met weekly to discuss environmental issues at Rundle and put forward ideas to make Rundle more sustainable.

QSA: Students met bi-weekly to discuss issues pertaining to LGBTQ life at Rundle.

Reach for the Top: Students won a spot at provincials, but both provincials and nationals were sadly cancelled.

Robotics: For the first year ever, Rundle was able to give academic credits to our robotics participants.

Students earned CTS credits in three modules. The team competed at the FIRST regional competition in Victoria.

Spring Drama Production: This year’s production was cut short by the pandemic, but we are excited to show you the work we did on Clue next year! We continued to rehearse online together.

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Second Languages Travel Club: We had our first Grade 10 trip to New Mexico and the students say that they enjoyed learning more about the “pueblo” culture.

Continued on page 22

Celebrating the Slow Times Kelsey Flower ‘08

After graduating from Rundle Academy in 2008, I enrolled in the Theatre Performance program at Mount Royal University where I graduated in 2011. I have appeared in numerous plays in the Calgary Theatre community, wrote and produced the short film With You Always, and currently I play the character Lance in the Netflix series Black Summer.

If I weren't in this line of work, what would I be doing?

It’s so hard to say. As soon as I decided I wanted to act, I never thought of a Plan B because I knew that if I had a safety net it would be too tempting to fall in to. I have always been interested in psychology and studied a little in university, so perhaps something in human behaviour... or a rock star or Batman!

A great day in my life is any day on set or on stage.

There can be lots of ups and downs in this career (more downtime). My career philosophy is to try and find ways to celebrate the slow times as well as the busy times. You have to create your own work! Stay busy while you wait for the phone to ring.

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely halted everything. It’s odd thinking that “acting” doesn't really exist right now as there has been a huge shift to online content as creators try to stay busy. This has just forced me to take a step back and focus on what I want to achieve both in my personal and professional life.

Moments of stillness and reflection are daunting but can bring wonderful clarity.

My job has changed over the years. It's now easier than ever to create quality content with the amazing technology at our fingertips. With this shift, I've seen less in-person auditions and more and more self-tapes and virtual auditions.

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Lessons Learned Aaron Goettel McKenzie Goettel ‘24, Aaron Goettel, Aylie Goettel ‘29

The publication team decided on the “Day in the Life” theme for this edition in the early fall of 2019. This turned out to be very ironic considering the upheaval in our daily lives this pandemic has caused. In March, the world shut down and we were all faced with a new reality. We are living in a period of history that is one for the textbooks.

My philosophy with any transformational event is to find the good in it. During this change, we found time — time for ourselves and each other. We found the time to reflect, reconnect and go back to when life was simpler. We now had the opportunity to learn how to do something we never had the time to learn before. Although we had to stay apart, we were brought more together. Busy schedules were emptied and there was time to reconnect with each other and ourselves such as playing board games, going on family walks, and being creative by performing in family Tik Tok videos! We had more time to be outdoors and to literally stop and smell the roses.

Mentally, this change took quite an adjustment, but in the end, I believe

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we will miss this time we were given to reset our lives.

Over the past few months at Rundle, I am proud of the leadership demonstrated by everyone in our community, pivoting on a dime and continuing to steer the Rundle ship on an “online course” to success. I am incredibly impressed by the continued dedication and commitment of our faculty, who in a matter of 24 hours, executed a safe and caring online learning environment for our students.

Faculty became incredibly creative in the development and delivery of their lessons — lessons that can be used even after a return to “regular” classes. I am extremely proud of our entire Rundle community in supporting each other emotionally as well as financially through the Rundle Relief Bursary Fund.

The irony of these past several months, was the shift from a fastpaced, calendarized world to a moment of pause and reset. I wish you and your families the very best during these unprecedented times and I cannot wait to reconnect

with you all again in person when life gets back to “normal.” I hope our new normal affords us to take all the positive lessons we have learned and enjoy the slower paced life that has allowed us time to focus on what matters most. I leave you with our timeless Rundle values —Together, Be Kind, Be Curious, Be Well.

Aaron Goettel Director of Alumni Relations & Advancement Rundle College Society While out on one of our many family walks, I was inspired by this fitting quote inscribed on a bench.

“Life is like a mountain, challenging to climb at times, but worth the amazing views along the way. Take a moment to relax and enjoy the wonderful view.”

C.LAB AT RUNDLE have had the following students and alumni spend time after school and at our summer camps: Kayla Barry ‘12, Talia Deliman ‘20, Hillary Graham ‘18, Jenna Gregg ‘19, Sarah Hougen ‘14, Liam Kramer ‘19, Rayff McMahon ‘17, Kathleen Mitchell ‘13, Quinn Molnar ‘19, Megan Morrison ‘19, Matthew Sirianni ‘17, Morgan Saunders ‘15, and Jordan Wilson ‘19.

‘19

In 2019–2020, the c.Lab at Rundle combined both the Jr. Cobras Sport Development program and Curiosity Camps which provide opportunities to engage our young students’ minds and bodies.

This year, we ran Jr. Cobras volleyball, basketball and RUNdle running as well as added lacrosse and dance programs. For Curiosity Camps we offered CommUKEity (Ukulele), STEM and robotics, and added art and gardening as well. The growth of the entire program saw continued involvement from our alumni community as coaches, instructors, and administrators. This past year, we were grateful to

We were excited to announce our third year of Rundle Summer Camps with new and exciting partners and offerings however, we had to make the difficult decision to cancel the season in light of COVID-19. Planning is underway for what the c.Lab at Rundle will look like going forward given the new health and safety restrictions in place.

We are confident we will continue to offer an exceptional after school program and look forward to having our alumni back in the school to share their passions while helping develop the next generation of Rundle athletes.

Enroll your son or daughter and give them the advantage of a Rundle education.

As alumni of Rundle, you are given priority application status for your child.

THE LEGACY CONTINUES! Alumnus Matt Waldorf ‘99 (Dr. Conklin’s stepson) and his daughter Sydney ‘33

For more information about our admission process, please visit rundle.ab.ca or call our Admissions Office at 403-291-3866.

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College Today – continued from page 19

Sr. Boys Basketball: The team had a very successful season this year. Despite being one of the youngest teams in province the Cobras saw themselves ranked as high as third provincially. The Cobras finished with a silver medal in league play and earned a spot to compete in provincials.

Congratulations

Jenna Westaway ‘15 Rundle College National Athlete Wall of Fame Inductee

Sr. Girls Basketball: The team had another successful season this year, with strong finishes throughout the province and within Calgary. The girls hosted their 7th successful Sweet 16 Basketball tournament this year.

Cheer: Without a doubt, the Cheer Team models the Rundle values of “together” as the students from both the Academy and College practice and present their routines in perfect synchronization. The team showcased their talents at several competitions around the province where they celebrated many successes and most importantly, showed excellent sportsmanship.

Cross Country: Our senior high cross country team had an outstanding season this year. We had three students represent Rundle at provincials. For the first time in history, our high school team placed first in our league and brought home the banner for senior high cross country!

Golf: The Senior Girls Team won the ISAA Zone Qualifier while the Boys placed 2nd at ISAA Qualifier and 3rd at ASAA Provincials.

Sr. Boys Volleyball: What a tournament we had in Rocky Mountain House, the boys played as if it was their last game, every game. Well done on the court! The bus ride songs were great too.

Sr. Girls Volleyball: The team placed 1st at the City Championships and won Rundle College’s first ever ASAA Provincial Championship Banner!

Wrestling: Rundle College was honoured as the Alberta School Team of the Year and Neil Domstad received the School Coach of the Year award for AAWA (Alberta Amateur Wrestling Association). Four boys qualified for the ASAA Provincial Championships but they were unfortunately cancelled. They were the odds-on-favourite to repeat as provincial team champions. Sean C. was named as the outstanding wrestler at city championships.

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Jenna was honoured at our Rundle College Athletic Awards last June for her athletic contributions for Team Canada in cross country running. Proudly accepting the honour on Jenna’s behalf were her parents, Myra and Mike Westaway. Her plaque is proudly displayed on the Rundle College National/Professional Athletic Wall above the Auxiliary Gym.

Sam Patton ‘19

Congratulations to the 2019 Inductees Rundle College Alumni Athletic Wall JAKOB CHICOYNE ‘19 Simon Fraser University Clan Golf

JORDAN LAPINS ‘19 Babson College Beavers Volleyball

SAM PATTON ‘19

Simon Fraser University Clan Wrestling

LIAM KRAMER ‘19

University of British Columbia Thunderbirds Cross Country

MEGAN MORRISON ‘19 Queen’s University Gaels Soccer

SURYA RANGANATHAN ‘19

Acadia University Axemen Football

BADMINTON | BASKETBALL | CHEER | CROSS COUNTRY | FOOTBALL | GOLF | SOCCER | TRACK | VOLLEYBALL | WRESTLING Summer 2020 | The Ascent

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College Reflections Community

Anna Walls ‘20

As the youngest of five, with two brothers already at Rundle, I initially struggled to establish my own identity, and to also find a uniform small enough to fit me at the tender age of three. Rundle became a place that cultivated some of my fondest memories through my childhood, to the present day.

The extent of these early memories span from valuable lessons learned in Ms. Cook’s pre-school and kindergarten classes, to the unique opportunity of being able to sing at my own brother’s grade twelve graduation with our fourth

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For example, I can fondly reflect upon the many relationships I developed over the years with both my peers and teachers.

In classes of 14 there was no shortage of familiar faces, and strong bonds between students and teachers were not uncommon. These smaller classes not only allowed our teachers to get to know us as individuals, but for us to see them as individuals as well.

Still ingrained in my memory, is the quaint and soothing nature of Ms. Ross’s grade nine science class.

Her patience and positive energy was a refreshing take on material that may not have kept my own attention, if not for this passion in teaching and the care she held for all of her students.

Fast forward to my transition to high school — a new wing of the school, meant a new set of faces that I would come to know quite well in three short years. Who could forget Ms. Step’s bubbly personality radiating throughout the Rundle hallways, or the time and effort she put into getting to know every single one of her Math 30 students aside from their academic timetables? Her creativity in motivating our maybe not-so punctual period one class never waned, as we couldn’t help but laugh at the display sign she created for a reputably late student.

“

Community is much more than belonging to something; it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter.

“

Community is much more than belonging to something; it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter. For the past 14 years of my life, Rundle has not only played an integral role in my education, but has also provided me with a true sense of meaning for the word community.

grade choir. At the time, I couldn’t fathom that eight years later, I too would graduate — yet under very different circumstances.

Although the uncertainty of our current situation has been trying, and caused our whole community a great deal of anxiety, I feel as though there’s comfort to be found in the irreplaceability of the experiences and sincere connections Rundle has granted to its students.

Additionally, Ms. Pidkowa’s passion for social studies and current global issues was infectious. Her teaching even helped inspire me to pursue political science as my major in university this upcoming year.

Mr. Franklin and Mr. Forman, both Rundle veterans, have also provided me with key insights as well. Firstly, the decision to join robotics was inherently outside of my comfort zone, and if not for Mr. Franklin’s enthusiasm and encouragement I would have missed out on the opportunity to acquire a new skill in STEM, as well as the meaningful friendships cultivated in preparing for international competitions.

Secondly, Mr. Forman’s emphasis on R+ values extends far beyond the rugby pitch; he encouraged students to continuously build on their character and seek out all that the Rundle community has to offer. Every single teacher brought personable qualities to their classroom, fostering a sense of community among the student population as we all transition to

the next chapter.

I truly don’t believe in the idea that there is one type of “ideal Rundle student”; instead, individuality bolstered by Rundle’s values created a shared experience for us all. To me the word “community” wasn’t defined by the uniforms we all wore, or the grey and burgundy lockers we all know so well; it was the personable qualities present within Rundle’s education, and the efforts put in by its staff to foster memorable and different opportunities for every single Rundle student that cultivated a sense of community.

Although I never imagined March 12 as the last day that I would get to wear the signature black sweater, or the final time that I would sit in a Rundle classroom with all my peers (not to mention the grade 12 lounge), I am heartened by the

efforts of our whole community in the wake of these unfortunate circumstances to maintain an air of positivity for all Rundle students.

For example, the efforts to recreate certain extracurriculars and offering unique opportunities such as online cooking classes aided in keeping students engaged and connected to our school.

Additionally, Rundle’s creativity and devotion in creating a special experience for all of us to finally walk the stage in our cap and gown can be seen as a reflection of Rundle’s character. The class of 2020 may not get the picturesque ending to our high school experience that we envisioned, but our year most definitely will be one for the books as ours is a story like no other.

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So, You Think You Know Rundle?

Take the quiz and see how you do!

1. Where was the first Rundle Campus located? a. Balmoral b. Bridgeland c. Barlow d. Bridlewood

8. Which alumni now teach(es) at Rundle? a. Travis Rasch b. Taryn Knorren c. Stephanie Falkenberg d. All of the above

2. How many campuses in total have the College and Academy Senior High Schools been located at? a. 2 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5

9. In which sport did Rundle have its first ever team? a. Volleyball b. Wrestling c. Basketball d. Track & Field

3. What was Rundle’s first mascot or team name?

(Hint: answer is in last year’s alumni magazine.) a. Ravens b. The Mighty Cobras c. Mountaineers d. Cougars 4. How many students were in Rundle’s College and Academy first graduating class respectively? a. 4 & 3 b. 6 & 6 c. 7 & 3 d. 12 & 6

5. How many graduates are in the Class of 2020 at the College and Academy respectively? a. 72 & 15 b. 76 & 22 c. 84 & 26 d. 80 & 30

10. What musicals have been staged at Rundle schools? a. Sound of Music & Little Shop of Horrors b. Hair & Shampoo c. Franklin – Life of a Chemistry Teacher & Breaking Bad d. Hamilton & The Tiger Cats 11. Before 2019, what was the only sport that Rundle had not won a provincial championship? a. Volleyball b. Basketball c. Golf d. Wrestling 12.How many Academy and College high school sports 12. teams now compete at the senior varsity level? a. 20 b. 26 c. 29 d. 31

6. How many years has Rundle College been in existence?

13. What country has not been visited by the Rundle

a. 32 b. 34 Travel Club? c. 35 d. 38 a. Vietnam b. Russia c. Guatemala

d. Italy 7. How many Headmasters has Rundle College had?

14. What does our motto mean? a. 2

b. 3 a. Attention to Education c. 4 d. 5 b. Attention to Excellence c. Attention to Excalibur d. Pay Attention in Class

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15. Prior to starting Rundle College, what similar professions did Dr. Conklin and Dr. Collett have? a. Sales Associates at HBC b. Bankers c. Professors d. Ranchers 16. Which staff member had(has) the longest career at Rundle? a. Mr. Hauk b. Ms. Baird c. Mr. Lawson

d. Mr. Rogers 17. What year did Mr. Hauk retire as Headmaster? a. 2014 b. 2015 c. 2016 d. Who’s Mr. Hauk?/He’s retired?/Will he ever?

18. How many grades did Rundle College have in 1985? a. 3 b. 6 c. 9 d. 12 19. What is the name of the field located at Rundle College? a. Hauk Field b. Cobra Field c. Conklin Field d. Field of Dreams 20. What city or town did Mrs. Belt and Mrs. Phillips, respectively, teach in before coming to Rundle? a. Balzac & Airdrie b. Cardston & Jasper c. Eckville & New York d. Singapore & Tokyo

Feeling confident you know Rundle?

Turn to page 48 for answers.

WHAT WAS YOUR SCORE? Got all 20 right? You’re a co-founder for sure!

Came in with 15–19 correct! Could fill in for the Headmaster A solid showing with 10–14. Principal for the day 5–9 Correct? You should have studied more Oh, my! Only 1–4? You were sleeping in class 0 – zero? Did you even go to Rundle?

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Neil Domstad — continued from page 16 the faculty/staff possess. We have been fortunate to have incredible students who are eager to engage in all that is offered. The more students engage, the more I feel we give. It has been a symbiotic relationship that has helped us be “the little school that could” and the success of so many programs is attributed to the dedication of this community working towards a common goal, a vision to provide the best educational experience possible. This, I believe, we have accomplished.

To the students who have attended and graduated, past and present, are unquestionably the stars of Rundle and our future world. Recounting the amazing accomplishments you have had as students and graduates, seeing the countless number of alumni who return to help coach, mentor, present, and yes, even come back to be teachers at our school, you are the reason we educate and could not be more proud of.

As one who can appreciate, it has been very different teaching and learning in the virtual world of COVID-19 and it has changed the landscape of education and society in general. In my years of teaching, I have not witnessed anything like it, nor do I hope to ever again. Rundle has done a fantastic job with the REEDS synchronous educational platform (see page 17). It is the next best thing to teaching “live”, but as one can imagine, I yearn for the in-person interactions, especially as a PE teacher and coach. These

relationships and connections are the core, and the cornerstone of why we teach, coach, and mentor.

The adaptability, compassion, grit, and perseverance displayed by staff, students and families in our early years, clearly enabled us get to where we are today.

The strong and caring Rundle community has come together to support one another through difficult and emotional times, with kindness and empathy demonstrated in both recent and past years with the loss of some very beloved staff, students and family members as well. Similarly, I know the Rundle community will continue to display these same incredible values to navigate and successfully come out of the COVID-19 situation stronger, closer, and better people in the end.

The end of COVID-19 cannot come soon enough, but if there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the one blessing for me has been the time afforded to me with my beautiful wife and three lovely daughters.

Those precious and treasured moments that will fade away all too quickly as we are able to go back to a more normal life. Just maybe this has given us all a new perspective on the importance of the simpler things in life and to not take for granted the people and things we have in front of us and a true realization on just how special and valued our relationships are.

We are always looking to share your stories with the Rundle Community.

Alumni

Can we feature you in our next issue of The Ascent?

Email us at alumni@rundle.ab.ca 28

Summer 2020 | The Ascent

Giving at Rundle We would like to thank all of the alumni who gave back to Rundle over the past school year. Whether it be mentoring, coaching our students, making a donation to help a current Rundle student continue their education at Rundle or afford to play on one of our athletic teams, each year, our alumni show their dedicated and caring character. For this, we are grateful and take pride in knowing that their compassionate values remain.

As highlighted throughout this edition, several of you returned to represent our alumni at our open houses, Junior Cobras development camps, and career and academic fairs to provide insight about the world after Rundle. We also saw many of our alumni and their families make donations during Rundle Gives on December 3, at the Rundle Rocks Music Festival in May, and throughout the year.

Our gratitude goes out to the following alumni and alumni family donors: Anonymous (1) | Michael Baker ‘11 | Stuart Baker ‘13 | Buckley Family | Budd Family | Micheal Charney ‘09 | Stephanie Falkenberg ‘08 | Gregg Family | Katherine Hamilton ‘12 | Taryn Knorren ‘11 | Amara Kraft ‘12 | Megan Morrison ‘19 | Orr Family | Travis Rasch ‘10 | Samantha Sirianni ‘13 | Hannah Stephens ‘19 | Cal Tecklenburg ‘16 | Holly Tecklenburg ‘18 | Welch Family | Cassandra Will ‘11 Due to the dramatic economic effects of the pandemic, we found it necessary to create the Rundle Relief Bursary Fund to allow current families to remain at Rundle. Again, our community came together to support this cause to help those in the Rundle family.

So far, we have raised 80% of our goal; a testament to the caring nature of our community.

Rundle’s goal is to always improve on the educational experience of our students and alumni. Please take the time to support one of the many programs that helped you find your success by visiting rundle.ab.ca/supportrundle.

Thank you for your support!

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HA Y L B

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MOVING WALLS CAMPAIGN Rundle Academy Renovation In 2018, we launched the Moving Walls Campaign, and through the generosity of our community, we were able to raise the funds to complete the redesign of the Assembly Hall into a more versatile, multi-purpose space that includes three new learning areas, teacher prep space and a cool lounge.

Thank you to those alumni who supported the Moving Walls Campaign. Stop by the school and visit our newly renovated space.

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Students Leaving a Legacy Rundle Endowment/Bursary Fund

Project 20.15 was an initiative by the Class of 2015 to enrich the Rundle Endowment/ Bursary Fund. It was their graduation gift to pledge a contribution of their grad year ($20.15) for five years following their graduation. It was their wish to leave the legacy of helping fellow Rundle students and inspire future graduating classes to do the same.

The Legacy Circle was created to recognize the Academy Class of 2018 for becoming the first Rundle graduating class to have 100% of its members contribute to the Bursary Fund.

We invite future graduating classes to join the Legacy Circle.

To the following graduates, we offer our gratitude and are inspired by your legacy to help fellow students succeed.

RC Class of 2015 (37% participation) Ashley Berry Meg Buchanan Jakob Chambers Danielle Chang Alexandria Chin Leland Chumik Vincent Dang Graham Fader Mackenzie Gellner Hayley Giesinger Kelsea Gorzo Elizabeth Gray Morgan Gregg Sam Guest Chelsea Hamming Carly Johannson Alana Kerr Michael Keys Lauren Kruger Carina Lai Ellie Maclennan Samuel Maclennan Jenna McFeely Jane Moult Angel Najjar Sarah Orr Quinlan Park Logan Roth Gianfranco Sartor Morgan Saunders Bobbi Shewchuk Luc Terrien RC Class of 2016 (21% participation) Abby Beerkircher Christiana Bellusci Mitchell Besplug Kiara Botha Brett Bradley Allison Chan Thaddeus Chong

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Jennifer Chow Alexandra Greenslade Alex Mah Meghan Mehra Paula Munroe Nicola Panaccione Tyler Primorac-Tang Kelsey Shea Idaresit Thompson Liam Walters Nicholas Welch RC Class of 2017 (27% participation) Hannah Bentsen Alyssa Berry Marie Bouchard Logan Dods Alysa Evans Zach Folan Gabrielle Gregg Aidan Jackson Jayda Jessee Noah Kende Renae Lapins Arjit Lodha Michael Lusty Lauren Munroe Tara Osler Miranda Pachkowski Amanda Pockar Victoria Silva Sara Stephens Michelle Sutton Matt Tamkee Kirstin Young RC Class of 2018 (60% participation) Tessa Allison Aliyah Ayorinde Georgia Baskeyfield Sophie Bell Raja Boury

Mehtab Brar Lochlan Breckenridge Brad Burgess Jon Bylyku Davis Carlson Jordan Chan Jeffrey Chow Cameron Clark Kathryn Collyer Katie Cooke Alexander Fader Emilie Fournier Jonathan Gilmour Sachman Gill Hillary Graham Jacob Graham Hannah Greenslade Kalem Hanlon Emily Hayes Hannah Hayes Alex Hayes Brenden Hiebert Aidan Highton Alexis Hill Ariela Jamshidi-Shahvar Akash Khaira Arshroop Khaira Usman Khan Megan Mathison Lauren Mayes Hannah McLeman Philip Nowak Jamie Ramsay William Rioux Daniel Saloni Asha Sara Sarah Seaver Holly Tecklenburg Etido Thompson Sahej Toor Enobong Ukpong Gabriela Villarroel Cole Wanner Zachary Welsh

RC Class of 2019 (93% participation) Mukhtar Abdsalami Amman Adat Erin Alderson Alex Argenal Cameron Bailey Kenneth Beveridge Allie Boehm Seonae Breckenridge Jakob Chicoyne Brandon Chiew Luigi Colombo Paras DeolJean-Mornaydu Plessis Kaleb Edwards Eric Fan-Lou Aiden Foster Annalise Foster Chanel Gerla Carolyn Graham Sarah Graham Sophie Greer Jenna Gregg Christian Gruending Taylor Hecker Morgan Heinz Minea Hill Layn Holtby Julia Hueppelsheuser Caitlyn Huizinga Tai Hunter Aryan Kahlon Anthony Kende Gabe Kim Liam Kramer Jacob Krayzel Mia Kruger Samantha Lamb Jordan Lapins Ridge Lehmann Alex Lepa Katelyn Lo Brayden Maier Noel Mar Ella McKenzie

Sophie McKenzie Krishen Mehra Quinn Molnar Megan Morrison Matthew Olsen Spencer Onslow Samuel Patton Jimmy Powell Crystal Radinski Surya Ranganathan Lucas Roessel Jenna Saponja Livtar Shergill Jeremy Shukin Sebastian Somerset Hannah Stephens Julián Suire Desiree Sun Benjamin Sutton Emily Teare Daniel Theal Alyssa Tran Kyra Turner Ishan Vermani Adam Walters Graeme Watt Jordan Wilson Fatima Wong Michelle Wong Stephen Yeung Adham Young Andrew Zutter RC Class of 2020 (50% participation) Kieran Anand Niall Bell Alyssa Bentsen Sahil Brar Alexia Chambers Kyana Chan Alexander Dakers Talia Deliman Priya Dhillon Claire DiMaio Nick Duffner Natalie Folan Grace Fox Sia Gaur Bianca Giantomaso Thiago Gollega Liam Grunau Megan Harley Sigmund Holtz Alana Johannson Joshua Kowal Amanda Lang Thomas Little-Morris Alexey Lyubavin Kealan Mawhinney Holly Moore Isabella Murray Brooke Nelson Justin Rozak Parveen Sangha Rachel Shimonov Karina Tamkee Ellen Thomas Dennis Toporkov Anna Walls Janna Wang Piper Welsh William Wynne Maria Zannis

RA Class of 2015 (66% participation) Ramy Abdel-Keriem Mia Berloni Stephanie Berry Rajan Bhullar Nicholas Block Jonathon Boland Jon-Jacob Bruyn Katharine Elliott Taylor Evans Carmen Farmer Jaxon Gaetz Curtis Holloway Johanna Jurok Carley Louw Cristi Louw Kaitlyn Magee Alexander Moumdjian Liam Rinehart Mollie Smith Kristian Thomsen Derek Wispinski Ashley Yee RA Class of 2016 (69% participation) Dylan Barr Katherine Bennett Jack Bridges Payton Budd Cali Champagne Max de Paiva Sarah Fawcett Aden Garcia-Ahmadi Eric Hallson Kennedy Huntley Malyk John Davis Maxwell Casey O’Connor Colton Playsted Madison Shields-Knutson Max Smith Alix Stephen Cal Tecklenburg Mitchell Tuckwood Alycia Udy RA Class of 2017 Donors (38% participation) Ciaran Bailey Cole Bottomley Amedeo Cortese Jennelle Hughes Nick Larmour Amy Major Dominic Petti Sarah Reeder Lara Smith Emily Smith Laura Zentner

RA Class of 2018 Legacy Circle Members (100% Participation)

RA Class of 2020 Legacy Circle Members (100% Participation)

Kemarr Bishop Mark Blair Meghan Boisclair Bram Bouma Soren Bradley Rowan Brandon-Christie Ali Carruthers Catherine Carruthers Jack Conquergood Ian Cram DJ Dhaliwal Aneisha Gardiner Jackson Giles MacLachlan Gordon Amy Heise Ryan Holan Keegan Janzen Ben Kitchen Claire Oliphant Jakson Pashelka Cassandra Petropoulos Oliver Petti Penn Poutanen Nathan Retzer Adam Schwartz Phoenix Shomody Isaac Towsley Paul Uponi

Spencer Arnett Toshi Biswas Isabella Carinelli Zander Clay Matt Coupland Nick D’Onofrio Will de Paiva Jaxon DeJager Lily Dong Morgan Emery Saywer Figol Robbie Fioretti Griffin Heckford Sarah Hoffinger Wil Johnson Isabelle Joiner Sophie Kaganov Isabella Lupi Eden Lynch Andreas Marinakos Chance Maxwell Logan McBride Liam Morrow Jack O’Connor Jaxson Rogers Tom Stephen Ryan Thrathen Harris Turner Ellie Woronuk

RA Class of 2019 Legacy Circle Members (100% Participation) Alex Adolph Thrissa Bortl Ari Bouma Taya Colwell Joel Cormack Kendall Cox ReubenDavis Emil Duguay Elisabeth Faircloth-Nunn Jarad Fischer-Essar Carter Gruending Jared Hamilton Ian Hards Sophia Johns Cameron Kerr Nathan Litvinchuk Anthony Martopullo Ben Maxwell Owen McIntosh Maya McKirdy Tess McLaughlin Nicole Menard Theo Morgan Carson Mowat Isaac Neild Lauren Olney Curtis Sauer Nicole Sauer Ben Taylor Sam Toews Andrew Valentine Kai Yadav

We invite our alumni to leave their legacy by making a donation of a denomination representing their grad year.

Please visit: rundle.ab.ca/ support-rundle

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Rundle Remembers SARAH RABIK ‘13 1995–2020

Sarah Nicole Natasha Rabik first went to Disney World at the age of four. She found her happy place then and it remained her happy place until she passed away at the too early age of 24 on February 26, 2020. Sarah's home is filled with memories of her many Disney trips.

Recently, she attended a seminar for summer jobs at Disney and was very proud that she was the only person there that could answer the question "What is the newest attraction at Disney?" The new movie at the Canadian Pavilion at Epcot of course! Having been accepted for a summer job, Sarah was just about to start a big new adventure in her life.

As her mother often said, Sarah was a complicated kid; there were many facets to her personality. She was happiest when she was busy and always encouraged her friends and family to be busy with her. She loved the mountains around Calgary and was the energizer bunny on the hiking trail and nervous but brave on the ski runs at Sunshine. She loved travelling with friends all over North America to go to music festivals, dining out at her favourite restaurants, Santorini's or Madison's 12|12, and seeing every new movie that came out at least three times!

Sarah was perhaps best known for her style. Her platinum blonde bob sat atop the most perfectly coordinated outfits. Even her hiking boots had a pink stripe that had to be coordinated with her hiking outfits. It was this style that made her so memorable at Calgary shops and restaurants that many clerks and waiters would simply say "welcome back!" whenever she walked in.

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What people might not know about Sarah is that she had a rigid sense of right and wrong, believing everyone should be treated with respect and kindness.

Sarah was also passionate about animals, always choosing to rescue the most helpless. She loved her puppies — Meeka, Vee, Arnold and Chewie — more than anything.

Sarah was a student at Mount Royal University and had volunteered at "Making Changes" — a service to provide clothing for people in need for many years.

Sarah also suffered from anxiety and it often made life challenging for her. This is when Sarah's courageousness shone through — working so hard to overcome her anxious feelings, often saying to herself "I can do this, I can do this". She worked so hard to overcome these obstacles every day, and was the bravest person her family knew. The best memorial to Sarah will be to put in a little extra effort trying to understand, be patient and be kind with others.

Obituary | Calgary Herald | March 2020

Academy Historian Driven By Curiosity

Karen Goepen-Wee

September 2020 will mark my my 20th year as a teacher. During this time, I’ve taught all levels of language arts at the junior and senior high levels. I’ve worked in a small, rural community school division and in a large, urban high school. I learned the foundation of my craft in situations where I taught nine to ten different courses a day, where I was the department head of an English department serving the needs of over 1,000 students, or where I would guide 210 grade 12 students every semester through their diploma exam preparations. I’ve been a grad advisor, grad speaker, drama and art teacher, TEDx Curator, TED-Ed Club facilitator, and now, a special education teacher and graduate student with one course left in my Masters of Education degree.

When I joined the faculty of Rundle College Junior High in September 2009, I saw this new adventure as an opportunity to gain some valuable experience working for a wellestablished independent school. My first impressions of working at Rundle College was just how polite the students and their parents were. I was excited I had found a school environment where I could just teach.

Everything I do in my day-to-day practice as a teacher is driven by curiosity both professional and personal. Teaching has always been a way for me to pursue some of my own grand passions like literature, ideas, the power of language, and the practice and nurturing of creativity.

These years at Rundle College Junior High were exhilarating and exciting. I was secure in my curricular expertise and praxis, and my husband and I welcomed two little boys to our lives as well.

As I grew into my profession, I developed a profound affinity for the students in my care who struggled — whether this struggle was academic or social-emotional, it didn’t matter. My professional curiosity began to encompass the issues of neurodiversity and technology as a tool for learning equity, and how best to support the mental health of children and adolescents.

This exhilarating journey became even more busy when, in March 2014, I transferred to Rundle Academy. I have always had an affinity for the student with learning challenges, and the Academy was a perfect fit. Here at the Academy, I found my stride as a veteran teacher.

My work at Rundle Academy has also crystallized the notion that teaching is a profession where optimism must be my go-to attitude.

Not every day, week, semester, or year is going to be great. Some years I have challenges that seem insurmountable. As a result, I have learned that I have to always Continued on page 45 Summer 2020 | The Ascent

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My Journey Through Rundle and Beyond Cole Hendry ‘11

2020 Moves Mountains Ceremony Address | Rundle Academy I am very excited to be here today to speak to everyone and express the impact Rundle Academy had on me and my life. I want to thank the board members, staff, students and parents for allowing me to speak today.

The first day at Rundle Academy will always stick out in my mind. Waking up September 2007, the first time in my educational career that I didn’t need to worry about what I wore to school, as I had a uniform! But I had no idea the positive impact that was about to occur in my life for years to come.

Learning differently or not being the “smartest” kid was not new to me. I had tutors since grade 4. I attended the Reading Foundation for a few years. Then grade 8 came along, and my mom sat me down to let me know that I would be moving to a new school called Rundle Academy for grade 9. I was not thrilled. I was leaving my friends, and sports teams. I thought it was the end of the world. Turns out, to this day I thank my parents and tell them sending me to Rundle Academy was the best decision they made for me.

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I learned who I was, how I think, and learned how to handle my ADHD. More importantly, I was accepted by so many teachers and students. It was truly a place that I could reach my full potential. The small class sizes, all the amazing tools and technology we were given, make it a truly a special place and a great privilege to learn in such an atmosphere.

Leaving Rundle for post-secondary was very scary. You get used to these great qualities the school possesses, and you worry that your next institution may not be able to provide you with these same qualities. I’m here to tell you, this is absolutely not the case. All postsecondary institutions have great facilities in place to help you with all of your learning needs… and better yet, it's really easy to set-up. I say this because Rundle is preparing you right now, whether you know it or not. If you are nervous, I suggest you use the amazing resources you have now. Talk to your TA, or any teacher at Rundle that you have a good relationship with. For me, that was Mrs. Davidson (Jordan) and Mrs. P. (Cawthorpe).

Mrs. Jordan was my TA and helped me, and my family feel extremely prepared for post- secondary.

A few things that can help you outside of Rundle are: research your school, understand what they need, and have all of your documents up-to-date before the first semester. You know more about your learning disability than anyone else. Don’t be afraid to stand your ground and explain what you need.

More often than not, you will shock anyone you speak to about your learning needs. It's amazing how much you’re learning right now and you don’t even know.

The process of getting what you need in college and university will be smooth. Just be prepared!

After graduation, I went to Lethbridge College for three years in their Professional Golf Course Management Program.

Yes… you heard that right. A very weird, unique college course. It was a two-year business diploma, with one year specialization in golf management. I was actually the last class to complete the course before the Canadian Professional Golf Association took over the education for golf professionals.

I am currently a certified Golf Professional. I have worked in the industry as a coach, assistant golf professional and I also played on the Canadian Tour (not very well, unfortunately). I love people, talking, interacting and just being around individuals, so golf

Alumni

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was and is a great fit for me. I have met so many great people in the industry. I also decided to finish my business degree (management major) and will complete that in the fall of 2020 at MRU. Currently, I am working on a social enterprise, trying to make a change in mental health and the resources available. Through the sale of our apparel brand, we will provide funding for cutting edge mental health evaluations, and help expand and elevate public discussions on mental health issues, while creating a great community of support.

The company's name is Faces of Anxiety and we are currently in the launch phase looking for investors.

This has been an amazing experience. Ever since graduating from Rundle Academy, I have wanted to give back to mental health in some capacity, so I am very excited for the future of this company.

Lastly, I want to congratulate all of the students on winning the Move Mountains Award and being invited to this event. Back in 2011, I won the Most Improved Student Award and it is important to recognize the accomplishments you are making now. It shows your dedication and hard work. Keep it up.

Stay safe and I send best wishes to you and your family. Thanks again and hope to talk again soon.

Rundle Alumni Committee

We would like to thank the following members for volunteering their time to coordinate our alumni events this year: Emily Buchanan ‘11 | Meg Buchanan ’15 | James Bouchard ’14 | Anya Curtis ’11 | Meghan Gray ’12 | Lidia Jones ’11 | Faraz Sachedina ’05 | Alexa Scarcello ’11 | Chetan Shory ’11 | Cassandra Will ’11 Unfortunately, we had to cancel our annual spring events but are looking forward to reconnecting in the near future.

If you are interested in joining the committee or helping to coordinate your class reunion, please contact alumni@rundle.ab.ca.

Summer 2020 | The Ascent

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Making My Way in the Media World

Dana Droppo ‘07

I graduated from Rundle College in 2007.

The summer after high school, I moved to New York City to attend New York University, where I enrolled in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. It’s a liberal arts program that lets students design their own majors, so I took as many different classes as I could, across writing, journalism, photography, music, history, and critical theory.

During my senior year in college, I got an internship at a magazine run by a group of women all over the world. There was a music writer in LA, a sneaker writer in Paris, an art expert in Vancouver, and I saw how exciting it could be to make a magazine that had a consistent voice and perspective on the world. We wanted to talk to an audience of smart, interesting young women who wanted to read about more than just makeup and celebrities (with a little of that mixed in.) We published interviews with musicians like Toro y Moi and Florence and the Machine, previewed new collections from Nike and Opening Ceremony, and wrote about culture, politics, self-care, relationships, and anything else that felt important at that time. I loved living in New York City, and that experience

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focused my career aspirations in the media world.

Since then, I’ve pursued different jobs in magazine publishing, brand partnerships, music, film & TV ever since, working at companies like Complex Magazine and Turner Broadcasting. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to interview people like Angela Davis, Lana Del Rey, Travis Scott, Jason Momoa, A$AP Ferg, Mac Miller, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, and more.

The deeper I got into the media world, the more I learned about how those businesses pay the bills.

Magazines and newspapers don’t make enough by selling copies alone, they need advertisers to help pay smart journalists and talented photographers a living wage. Like so many people, I’d get off the couch and look for a snack when TV commercials came on and click out of pop-up ads on websites immediately. It was important to me to figure out how media companies could stay in business, so I started to explore ways to make advertising that people would actually want to watch or read. That’s how I got into branded content and brand partnerships.

Over the last 10 years, brand partnerships became my area of expertise. Right now, I work as a Creative Director at Billboard Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter, two magazines that are part of the same company. I manage a team of writers, directors, editors, producers, and project managers. We talk to brands about cool things we are working on at the magazines and come up with ways to get them involved financially as sponsors, or collaborative partners.

On the best days, I get to be on set with people like Bad Bunny, Normani and Rosalia working on a music documentary series powered by Honda. I spent a week in Bogota, Colombia putting It’s my responsibility on concerts at W to make sure that our Hotels locations clients are comfortable, in 2018. I have informed, and excited witnessed people about the projects. like Selena Gomez, Kumail Nanjiani, Megan thee Stallion, and Drake give their acceptance speeches at awards shows like the Billboard Music Awards. And last year, we teamed up with Mountain Dew to throw a series of concerts across the U.S. headlined by Offset, Cardi B, Gunna, and Rico Nasty. Each show was live-streamed, and fans could request songs and Facetime with the artists on stage just by tuning in on Facebook and Instagram.

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Leading up to those exciting days are many more spent in budgeting meetings, client calls, planning sessions, and brainstorms. It’s my responsibility to

make sure that our clients are comfortable, informed, and excited about the projects. There are many deadlines to hit, and challenging problems to solve on a daily basis, so the work can be intense, but the payoff is well worth it.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, I wanted to find ways to support those who were struggling. On March 19, we launched Billboard Live at Home, a live concert series broadcast on Facebook built to raise funds for non-profit organizations supporting those most affected by the virus and the stay-at-home orders.

Artists like Hozier, Tinashe, Josh Groban, and Alessia Cara perform stripped down concerts from the comfort of their homes. So far, we have raised $67,000 for organizations like Meals on Wheels, The Red Cross, the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles, and Housing Works in New York City. Mercedes Benz helps make that series possible.

Whatever happens next in my career, I am so grateful for what I have experienced already. The years I spent at Rundle, and later in college exploring topics I was passionate about helped prepare me for where I am now.

Congratulations to the graduates of 2020! It’s a strange time to be ending your high school tenures, safe at home instead of out celebrating your incredible accomplishments together. Try your best not to get stuck in a strict idea of how things are supposed to be.

When something excites you, follow that lead. I look forward to reading about where you end up in the Rundle 2033 Ascent Magazine.

Summer 2020 | The Ascent

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Academy Alumni Updates Congratulations Devra Moore ‘06

Zach Flower ‘06

‘06–‘08

I graduated from Rundle Academy twelve years ago and since then I graduated from Mount Royal University in early learning and child care. After graduating, I worked as a preschool/ kindergarten teacher for 9 years.

During this time, I opened my own Yoga business where I teach kids and families the basics of yoga.

Sexual Assault Support Centre asked me to head up their grades 5–8 program called, “No Secrets Part 2.” We call ourselves educators and go into schools all around central Alberta.

We talk to children from K–12 about our program. We talk about what a safe and unsafe touch is. It’s powerful and we need to get the word out to the world and teach these kids that they have the power to say “No!” We give them tools and prepare them that if something does happen, what to do, and how to get help.

Last June, I decided that I needed to make a difference in the lives of other children who needed me more. I loved what I was doing With this new position, I have definitely before, and because of it, this heard some scary things that one should new career path was presented never have to hear from a child. I have to me. I moved to Red Deer in the now become a safe person for these Bailey Martineau ‘08 summer and become an intern for kids and I am so grateful for this new path the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre. The CAC that has chosen me. My goal though is to become a is such an amazing company! They support children full-time child advocate at the CAC. who are abused and help make their world not so scary anymore. Our sister company, Central Alberta

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Victoria Hill ‘13 completed her degree in behavioural science and is now working at The Alex. Her work is focused on helping and housing those experiencing mental health issues, addiction, and homelessness.

‘13–‘17

Nicolaj Duus ‘14 has a 3-year-old daughter now and works full-time at the Vecova Bottle Depot.

Alumnus William Midkiff ‘13 is currently completing his Masters in Engineering down in New Orleans.

He also just won the AGF New Orleans championship (max division 190 lbs) for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu! He says the grappling community is a mix of wrestlers, Jiu-Jitsu and Judo competitors and that his experience wrestling at Rundle was foundational in his development. He's having a blast and it’s great to see him competing again!

Connor MacLean ‘14 2019 Rundle Academy Distinguished Award recipient.

Congratulations Taylor Evans ‘15!

‘15

Dominic Petty ‘17 is currently a math TA at McGill University.

Summer 2020 | The Ascent

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Academy Reflections

Connections Sawyer Figol ‘20 The moment I came to the Academy in grade 5, I knew it was the school for me. The connection, inspiration, and education in the core values of being kind, curious and well are what made my experience something I’ll be eternally grateful for.

Now that I’m graduating, looking back on everything that I’ve accomplished really puts things in perspective on how I was able to grow both as a student and as a person over my Rundle career. I’ve known a majority of the Class of 2020 for over half of my life, so to call them friends would be an understatement. Each of my classmates has been fundamental to my contemporary success; family would be a more apt description in terms of what they mean to me.

Even those who have spent less time at the school find a home in our community thanks to the incredibly talented and kind staff and faculty. The connections you build at Rundle last a lifetime as each of my fellow students and teachers can attest to. No matter where I go, I’ll always know I’m welcome at the Academy.

Yet, another unique thing about our school is the fact that each of us comes here with the challenge of a learning disability. The attitude the Academy expresses towards these disabilities is that they are less a defining feature of who you are and more of a

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mountain that needs to be moved. This was precisely true to my situation as when I first came to Rundle, I found great difficulty in writing. Perhaps, without the help of my persistently optimistic teachers, I would have never learned to enjoy writing or make it into one of my strong suits. Simply put, the teachers of this incredible school find the potential in each of us, even when we ourselves don’t think it’s there.

Throughout my life, I have “No matter where I go, I’ll been blessed always know I’m welcome at to meet some the Academy.” of the most remarkable people in the world. That being said, a large majority came from Rundle Academy. I challenge anyone to find such a fantastic learning environment that instills the values of being kind, curious, and well, whilst also forging bonds like none other.

Truly, I have a lifetime of gratitude to repay, but with the life lessons I’ve learned, I’m sure neither myself, nor any of my fellow graduates, will have a problem accomplishing that.

Alumni

Curiosity

Isabella Carinelli ‘20

As soon as I walked into Rundle, I felt the abundance of warmth.

I was greeted by teachers, as well as students in my grade. This was now my home!

As a student, the Academy has taught me to be curious. For most of my time as a student, I only learned information that was going to be tested on an exam. I then became a curious student who wanted to learn about all kinds of things. I started to enjoy school more. Not only that, I began to enjoy life more because I realized that there is so much beauty in the world around us.

We are always looking to share your stories with the Rundle Community.

Can we feature you in our next issue of The Ascent?

Email us at alumni@rundle.ab.ca

Before Rundle, I tried to achieve perfection but I wasn’t able to meet those exceptional standards and I had become disappointed, and at times, had lost motivation. During my time at Rundle, I learned to focus on progress and not perfection, because there isn’t such a thing as a perfect student! After all, we’re all flawed human beings. The Academy has helped me turn that around and focus on my progress. I’ve realized that getting better is its own reward.

In the end, I was able to accept my learning disability as something that isn’t an inconvenience. It is seen as one of my strengths because I understand I need to learn in different ways.

The Academy has provided me with amazing opportunities and I will truly miss my years with the teachers and students, but I know that we will continue to keep in touch in the years to come.

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2019–2020

Academy Alumni Return

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Hayley Dalgleish ‘10

Emily Smith ‘17 Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Recipient

Nathan Retzer ‘18 and Nathan Litvinchuk ‘19

Amy Heise ‘18

Victoria alumni reception Lauren Reynolds ‘14, ‘14, Amber Rose ‘12 and Jessica Lorne ‘16

Ciaran Bailey ‘17

Zach Flower ‘06 and Kelsey Flower ‘08

Ben Maxwell ‘19, ‘19, Andrew Valentine ‘19 and Nicole Menard ‘19

Cameron Kerr ‘19

Chris Huband ‘11 at Fine Arts Day

Madison Hillstead ‘16, ‘16, Davis Maxwell ‘16, ‘16, Connor MacLean ‘14, ‘14, Cole Hendry ’11 and Anya Curtis ‘11 Academic Fair judges

Summer 2020 | The Ascent

Miraan Patel ‘14

Academy Today Jr. Girls Basketball: The girls had an amazing season, building up their skills throughout the season and winning 2nd place at their tournament!

Sr. Boys Basketball: The team had an outstanding season this year, finishing 7th in the province and winning three of the five tournaments they competed in. With that ranking, they qualified for the 1A Basketball Provincials in Hay Lakes, which unfortunately could not take place.

Cheer Team: Without a doubt, the Cheer Team models the Rundle value of “together” as the students from both the Academy and College practice and present their routines in perfect synchronization. The team showcased their talents at several competitions around the province where they celebrated many successes and most importantly, showed excellent sportsmanship.

Spring Production: Thanks to all our alumni who came to see our show, A Simpler Time! It was a hilarious journey through the past and future.

Congratulations to Liam Morrow ‘20, ‘20 Andreas Marinakos ‘20, ‘20 and Amanda P. ‘21 for directing their own sections of the show.

Kids Helping Kids: Students volunteered at Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids, The Mustard Seed, supported three families through Adopt-A-Family, as well as ten Senior Citizens through the Seniors Secret Services. When the school year went virtual, the group continued to show their commitment to giving back by sending messages of hope, making frontline workers clothing bags, as well as donating to the Rundle’s Endowment/Bursary Fund.

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Our New Normal Zach Flower ‘06

teaching for the day. We go through our daily schedule and what is expected of them for the day.

I wake up every morning around 6:30–7:00 am and take my 18-month old and brand new baby girl downstairs so my wife can catch up on desperately needed sleep. While juggling a newborn in one arm and methodically making breakfast for my ever so patient (sarcasm) 18 month old. I then strap my little dude into his high chair and throw on his favourite show, “The Wiggles” (I’ve watched this show so many times that I’ll be the first to apply for the next open Wiggles audition — seriously ask me to sing any “Wiggles” song and I’ll do it, flawlessly).

After I have cleaned up my son’s breakfast off of the floor (ya, he doesn’t seem to actually need food... he just sort of throws it everywhere. I am convinced he is not of his world.), and my newborn’s drool off my shirt, my wife takes over around 8:45 am. Just enough time to comb my hand through hair and hop on to zoom for my 9:00 am check-in.

9:00 am I check-in with my class.

Here is where I do my focused

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9:45 am–11:00 am I take the time to refresh my coffee and make sure all of my emails are organized and responded to. I also like to use the time to review my content for the week and see how I can really diversify my lessons to support my students’ learning needs. Working at a school for exceptional children with specific learning needs, made transitioning to online a scary idea.

“How will I be able to support my students learning authentically and effectively? “How can I integrate those soft skills into the online classroom?” As it turns out, as all children are, my students were very adaptable. This made working through my lessons actually more fluid then I had imagined. Go team 4!

11:00 pm–12:00 pm I have an open Zoom time. During this time I schedule one-on-one sessions with my students to help personalize and work through any concerns they may have with the material for the day. I find these times to be priceless. A time to really connect one-on-one is not something the standard classroom environment always allows for. A small win in these crazy times.

12:00 pm–1:00 pm It’s time to get out of the house and a break from the screen! I had a goal to run

a marathon for a virtual run my brother was hosting on May 16, so I allocated this time to training. On the shorter runs, I bring my son.

On the longer runs, it’s just me and the pavement. I love it! Then, some lunch.

1:00 pm I check in with my class.

This is generally a time for them to connect with one another. I allow them to go into breakout rooms and chat about whatever is on their minds. I also like to read to my class during this time. We read “Holes”, one of my childhood favorites. This is my favourite part of the day with them and I believe, theirs as well.

2:00 pm–3:30 pm This is when I like to catch up on my marking.

If I am all caught up and feel confident in my weekly plan I will head outside to clear my head for a run. I find physical exercise to be the cornerstone of my mental wellness and ability to add value as a teacher. Whenever I get an opportunity to get the blood flowing is an opportunity to be more creative and more attentive to my students. I do one last check of my emails and then allow myself to shut down.

3:30 pm It is family time. I like to throw on some music and watch my little guy dance around the room.

Our family goes for walks everyday.

We have dinner together and make sure to turn off all electronics while we eat.

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We invite our alumni to stay connected and give back to the Rundle community.

Speaking Engagements Mentorship Coaching Teaching School Events Alumni Events

Inspire Motivate Educate

keep my eye on the endgame which is to support young people as they navigate the pitfalls and joys that come with childhood and adolescence. These are the situations where, as an educator, I have to dig down and find my own grit and tenacity because the students in my care, and often their parents, depend on me. Therefore, teaching, at least for me, is all about being the facilitator of dreams and potential; of having the capacity to be curious enough about my students that I can find the way to best support them. It is truly one of the most rewarding careers.

While curiosity, compassion, grit and tenacity all have a place in my life as a teacher, there is another guiding principle that seems to drive my work more and more as I grow older. Each and every day, I strive to see the child in front of me as who they are, not as who I might want or prefer them to be. Every child, even the very young, are people in their own right with emotions, dreams, struggles, and victories that give me a glimpse into the adult they will become. This guiding principle enables me to recognize as well that there is the danger of forgetting what it is like to be six, twelve, fifteen or eighteen years old. The only way for me to be a kind, compassionate, and curious educator is to accept and validate the students I have in front of me; to never, ever forget that while I might think I have seen it all, the child in front of me has not. So many of their experiences with life are often for the very first time and it is an honour and a privilege to help guide them through these powerful emotions and experiences.

Finally, my greatest joy in teaching has come with the realization that collective curiosity, tempered with a very generous dose of kindness, enables the students at Rundle College and Rundle Academy to flourish. While the relationships I cultivate with my students and parents might be very personal and personalized,

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“... teaching, at least for me, is all about being the facilitator of dreams and potential; of having the capacity to be curious enough about my students that I can find the way to best support them.”

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Karen Goepen-Wee — continued from page 33

I am only one person. Providing the tools for a child to succeed and grow into their potential must be a group effort. By working together as teachers, by pooling our resources, our years of experience, and our tricks of the trade into a collective whole, we live and model a vital and valuable truth to our students — namely the truth Dr. Conklin and Dr. Collett already knew back when they founded this amazing organization. It is only when we work together that we gain the strength to enable all our students to move their mountains towards the future.

Summer 2020 | The Ascent

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A G00d Day Steph Chapman ‘05

My daily routine depends on the day of the week, and every day is a little bit different, which keeps things exciting! During a regular week in town, I am up around 8:00 am, working out by 9:00 am, then I teach (remotely these days) from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm each day. Afterwards, I take my dog to the dog park before coming home to make dinner. Evenings are spent practicing, recording, writing, rehearsing, and generally getting creative!

Before isolating, weekends were spent gigging.

Depending on the show/event, I would have to show up to the venue in the early afternoon to set up my gear and soundcheck. Sometimes this process goes quickly and smoothly, and other times it seems to never end. But it's all worth it because, come show time, all of the grunt work and painful waiting is all forgotten!

If I am on tour, days look a little different. Time is split up between setup/soundcheck, showtime, travel, eating, and sleeping. Usually, we have to be up early so we can get a decent breakfast before hopping in the van or bus to get to the next city in time for soundcheck. Days off are usually spent relaxing, practicing, or exploring whatever city or town we are in. Most tours have several show days in a row, with no more than one day off every now and then. I usually try to find a yoga studio on my days off so I can get in some physical activity to help recalibrate my body.

Sleeping in a different bed each night and lugging around heavy gear each day definitely becomes physically taxing.

A good day for me changes depending on whether I'm on tour, in the studio, or at home. On tour, a great day

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involves arriving to the destination without any hiccups on the road, receiving a snack or lunch at the venue, having a smooth setup/soundcheck, having ample time to eat dinner and get ready for the show, and then playing a show to a packed theatre, full of happy and positive energy from your bandmates and the crowd.

In the studio, a great day may consist of coming up with several good ideas and doing some rough recordings of them for later. A great day could also be getting all of the bed tracks (drums, bass, rhythm guitar, keys‌ the foundational parts to a song) done for a current project. Or it could be the day a project wraps. Generally speaking, time in the studio is always fantastic if the creative energy is flowing and work is productive. Much of this depends on the people you are working with, which I guess is true no matter what industry you are in.

At home, the key to a great day for me is balance. That has become my number one priority. So, balanced eating, a good workout, successful lessons with my students, productive practicing/writing, and time with my family. I make my own schedule in virtually every aspect of my working life, so striving for this balance is reasonable, although not always achieved.

My job is very dependent on my own self-discipline.

I can be as busy or open as I want, which may sound like great freedom, but in reality, feels like a juggling act. A bad day would be one where I don't accomplish anything I've set out to do. In the same breath, a different, yet equally bad day, would be one where I don't set any boundaries for working hours.

Between answering emails, prepping for shows, Zoom songwriting sessions, teaching lessons, Facebook Live

gigs, building social media content, and many other odd tasks, nothing is bound to a 9-5 work day, and it can be difficult to shut it off.

A never ending obstacle of my line of work is the lack of job security, and the uncertainty that goes along with that. Before needing to isolate, I was playing fairly consistently with five different bands, teaching 40 students, and managing a teacher I employed to take my overflow.

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“At home, the key to a great day for me is balance. That has become my number one priority.�

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All of that sounds good, but none of it is permanent.

Students sign an annual contract, but there is an exit clause that allows them to leave at any time with a month's notice. My employee is currently in university and has plans to move at some point in the not-sodistant future. And currently, because of COVID-19, I am down to one weekly gig. I am constantly being challenged to get creative with how to expand my work life so that I can help it grow, and hopefully create more security. It is an obstacle, no doubt, but completely worth it.

I have a couple of different philosophies for my career, depending on the job. My strongest philosophy would be in my piano lessons. I am often taking on students who have previously taken lessons through The Royal Conservatory of Music and come to detest the program. My somewhat unconventional approach gears at helping them to fall in love with playing again.

That's not to say that people shouldn't be pursuing the RCM route to learn an instrument, but it very much requires the student to mold to the program, and in my opinion, one size does not fit all. I build my program around the student. Each one of my students is on a bit of a different path based on his/her learning style, personality, musical tastes, and goals. I work to instill skills and abilities on the piano, but also skills and abilities that help these kids grow into kind, caring, determined, and resilient adults.

Music exists because our ancestors used it as a way to bring the community together, either for worship, ritual, or simply to connect as a group. We live in a society that introduces music to its youth as a fairly solitary activity, that requires stern discipline and structure. The piece of it that is fun and brings joy is not promoted, initially, and therefore becomes difficult for students

to find. I aim at breaking this long standing trend in my own small way by personalizing lessons (which can include learning to read music, learning by ear, singing and playing, and/or songwriting), encouraging students to play with their peers, and holding performances for students in places like recording studios and concert halls.

I feel incredibly lucky to be able to share my love of music and learning with my students, create my own music, and get up on stage to share music with thousands of fans, so, at the risk of sounding cliche, my career in general is what gets me through the days/ weeks/years.

My career has evolved in many ways over the years. I started out playing music with one group for over seven years, and now I am mainly a freelance musician and get the opportunity to play shows with many different groups/artists spanning many genres and styles. I have created a local network, and while I strive to grow this to wider reaches, I don't have to be the one knocking on doors for work, for which I am grateful.

In terms of my career as a private music teacher, the job itself has not changed much at all, but I have grown

a lot, and that affects how I execute lessons, deal with clients, write my contracts, and value myself as a teacher.

Having a career in music requires an entrepreneurial spirit, and I can imagine that if I were to do anything else, it would still be in that entrepreneurial light. I have other avenues I would like to pursue, though none would require me to completely shift gears. I already have my dream job, so any other pursuits would simply be to supplement income and afford me more freedom to do more of the creative development I would like to Summer 2020 | The Ascent

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Steph Chapman — continued from page 47 do‌ and travel more!

I have not been directly affected health-wise by COVID-19, so it is easy for me to say, but I have really seen this time as an opportunity, both personally and in business. There is no better time than now to become friends with yourself, which will only help you accomplish whatever goals you have yet to achieve.

Falling in line with, "when a door closes, a window opens", I see this time as a shift that will allow for new opportunities on many fronts, and in many ways that is very exciting. I realize people are suffering, and I know individuals who have lost someone they know to this virus, so I want to be clear that I am purely looking at the silver lining, and do not diminish the severity of the situation.

As far as my own business is concerned, I am very worried. I have lost some students, due to financial situations changing and I have lost almost all of my gigs. As I mentioned previously, I do not have any job security, and this is very much proof of that fact. My wheels are constantly turning to come up with creative ways to adapt to this new terrain, and prosper within it. The hustle is real, and has been a part of my whole adult life, so I am confident that I will persevere.

Many other people in my field are in worse spots, however. The entire music industry is at a performance standstill, and I know many people who typically make a very good living from this kind of work are now virtually jobless. It is unknown when we will be able to perform again like we used to. In February, I was on tour playing to thousands of people all across the prairies, and now we suddenly live in a world where group gatherings like that have become extinct. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had thus far, but I have always had dreams of much much more, and I have to constantly keep myself in check to not simply cower to the negativity plastered all over the internet regarding the future.

Happiness is a state of mind, not a destination, and I once heard someone say that the key to it is managing expectations. Maybe raising them, maybe lowering them, or often simply shifting them. Now more than ever, we need to focus on this.

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Summer 2020 | The Ascent

SO, YOU THINK YOU KNOW RUNDLE? Answers 1. Balmoral 2. 5 3. Ravens 4. 7 & 3 5. 80 & 30 6. 35 7. 3 8. d. All of the above 9. Volleyball 10. Sound of Music & Little Shop of Horrors 11. Volleyball 12. 29 13. Italy 14. Attention to Excellence 15. Professors 16. Mr. Hauk 17. 2014 18. 3 19. Hauk Field 20. Eckville & New York

We are looking forward to restarting our Alumni events in the near future.

Be well.

Distinguished Alumni Rundle College Alumni Department established the Distinguished Alumni Award to honour and recognize the recipient’s exceptional achievements, significant continuous service, and contribution to Rundle College and the community.

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2019 Michael Klassen ‘09 2018 Jillian Goodhart ‘11 2017 Aaron Goodarzi ‘95 2016 Michael Bellusci ‘09 2015 Dan Biggs ‘96 2014 Adam Gordon ‘08 2013 Scot Paisley ‘94

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Rundle College Distinguished Alumni

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Rundle Academy Distinguished Alumni 2019 Connor MacLean ‘14 2018 Anya Curtis ‘11 2017 Cathleen Timlick ‘09 2016 Chris Huband ‘11 2015 Stephanie Falkenberg (Rasmussen) ‘08 2014 Derek Kemp ‘05 2013 Rachel Dornian ‘04

If you would like to nominate a Rundle alumni for this award, please contact Mr. Aaron Goettel at alumni@rundle.ab.ca alumni@rundle.ab.ca.

ALUMNI FACULTY Guess who’s back and swapping out the burgundy jacket for the black?

Left to right | back to front:

Zach Flower ‘06 – Elementary teacher at Rundle Academy | Sam Siranni ‘13 – Jr. High teacher at Rundle Academy | Travis Rasch ’10 – Sr. High teacher at Rundle College | Stephanie Falkenberg (Rasmussen) ‘08 – Elementary teacher at Rundle Academy | Taryn Knorren ‘11 – Elementary teacher at Rundle College | Cathleen Timlick ‘09 – Primary teacher at Rundle College | Christina Petropoulos ‘08 – Elementary teacher at Rundle Academy | Irfaan Sorathia ‘00 – Sr. High teacher at Rundle College

Summer 2020 | The Ascent

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Alumni

Rundle College Society Alumni Department 7379 17 Avenue SW Calgary, AB T3H 3W5 403-291-3866 | alumni@rundle.ab.ca rundle.ab.ca