Humour & Fun

The alumnae profiled in the following pages all have a common trait — they know how to have fun. Whether an inherited or learned attribute, these women face work and family with a smile — each tackling the highs and lows of everyday life in their own positive, humorous way.

Photography by Glenn Brown

Laurie STEIN’78

Cartooning Fun

My parents were the first to realize that I had an artistic flare when I crayoned all the walls in our new home. I was three at the time.

after branksome, and even after university, I still loved to draw and realized I had to pursue this passion. So, I applied to the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), taking all my cartoon drawings to the interview. With luck on my side, I was given early acceptance. I was on the right path to becoming an official artist.

With no formal training in art, I had to learn the basics, including sharpening a pencil. Two summers were spent at Sheridan College in Oakville studying animation, where the instructor would seek me out and lament repeatedly: “Can’t you draw anything sad or scary? Why do your characters have to be so happy?” I learned that animators must exaggerate their expressions and that a good animator is also a good actor. So, my years taking drama at Branksome were paying off!

With a diploma in hand from OCAD, I applied for a job at Nelvana studios in Toronto. At the interview, I was asked to animate a character with horns and big teeth — a wicked alien. I just didn’t want to do it. This was a turning point for me. I knew I would be miserable if I had to draw disturbing things. So, I took my unpublished portfolio to Nelson Publishing where I was assigned my first book.

For 24 years, I have illustrated for educational publishers and I still love the thrill of opening that new manuscript. My illustrations have appeared in magazine articles and on covers, and some cheerful murals that I hope bring smiles to those who wait for hours at Sick Kids Hospital. I have had great fun creating two- and three-dimensional characters for advertising agencies. One such character was for Cortisporin Eardrops, where I had to illustrate an “athletic ear.” The result was an adorable little three dimensional ear that was quite the athlete: it went

Laurie remembers Grade 8… “We wrote numerous English exams in Grade 8 — poetry, grammar, composition, essay writing — with each exam lasting two hours. If you finished your exam early, you would have to read or draw until all papers were handed in. Loving to draw, I brought paper and oil pastels and madly worked on a “masterpiece” after the first test. I looked forward to my next exam, so that I could continue another character. Miss Brough, my teacher, must have seen me colouring madly while others who had finished their exams watched on. After all the exams were handed in, Miss Brough gave me a huge wad of paper and asked if I would draw enough characters for every classmate to colour. In the end, we cut out the characters and pinned them to one entire classroom wall, and our adopted family “The Hubergs” was born.” swimming, downhill skiing, diving and even enjoyed singing in the rain. That campaign ran for five years.

Now, amid the chaos of family life, I work on any flat surface I can find — usually in the kitchen — and I prefer this hub over my basement studio. With the computer age came Photoshop, which facilitates much of my work. In fact, it’s such fun that I can barely separate myself from my computer! I www.lauriestein.com

Laurie lives with her husband Bob Shropshire, their three children — Teddy, Kelsey (Grade 10 at Branksome), and Elliott — and two dogs. Laurie has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario and a diploma from the Ontario College of Art and Design.

As a boarder in Grade 13, I remember hiding with Pam McCULLOUGH Krokoszynski in the closet — we were visiting other rooms after the 10:30 p.m. Saturday curfew, and the house mom was fast approaching! Kathie MOORE Clark dove under the bed — and her curlers got caught in the bed springs.

— Wendy MORGAN Deeks’66

One Smile at a Time

As a specialist in orthodontics, I have the privilege to create smiles and instill self-esteem in the children and adults who attend my Lawrence Park and Muskoka practices.

when i was eight, I decided I wanted to become an or thodontist like my father. I saw how he was having a positive impact on the lives of his patients, while having fun at the same time. I wanted to be able to make that difference in people’s lives too.

After graduating from Branksome, I knew I had a long road ahead of me to become a dental specialist. Nonetheless, 10 years and three degrees later, in September 1997, I joined my esteemed father in private practice. I still remember slipping on my white lab coat for the first time and hitting the clinic floor with butterflies in my belly. Now, 11 years into practice, I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to do what I do every day.

I strive to make orthodontics fun, because it really can be! I explain to my very young patients that all I do is arts and crafts on the teeth. This always results in a huge sigh of relief. My team and I decorate the office for every holiday season, and we ensure the waiting room lends a welcoming feel. At the front desk, young children are especially thrilled to peruse my elaborate sticker collection, which is also holiday-based. During active treatment, patients choose from 20 different colours of ties for their braces — festive colours, school colours, sports team colours, or a country’s colours during the Olympics. When patients get their braces off, they design their own retainer by choosing from multiple acrylic colours, sparkles and decals. All of these things, including enjoying one of my logo-ed cupcakes, make the orthodontic experience easy and exciting.

I enjoy my career immensely and, in an effort to give back to my community, I recently formalized “Making Girls Smile,” a mentorship program in orthodontics for high school girls that permits them to participate in our clinic as part of the team. The students are inspired to learn new skills that contribute to patient care and their own self-fulfillment. It also provides exposure to dentistry as a possible career choice for these young women. It is so rewarding to witness a smile of satisfaction the first time a student recognizes she has completed a task well. It is my hope to expand this program nationally. I

Virginia received a B.A. from Dalhousie University in French. She received her D.D.S. and M.S.D. in Orthodontics from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Virginia is a fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and a diplomat of the American Board of Orthodontics. She was the first woman to be elected to Ontario’s dental licensing board, the Royal College of Dentists of Canada, and served two terms between 2001–2004.

Stevie VALLANCE’77

A Winning Voice

In 2002, Stevie Vallance (formally known as Louise) received an Emmy award for directing the dialogue and music vocals for the beloved Disney classic, Madeline, for which she also portrayed the voices of “Miss Clavel”, the nun, and “Genevive,” the dog. A vocalist on four CDs, Stevie is a recognized “jazz diva” in the Greater Toronto area.

laughter was my tonic during my days at Branksome. Just looking at my good pal and classmate, Jane FRASER (see editor’s note), during Prayers would set me off, and the fact that it was quite inappropriate to do so only increased our giggles. Ironically, this kind of silly behaviour is exactly how I make my living… every day.

I once read a book called Do What You Love and Money Will Follow. The influential title stuck with me and, together with my mother’s sense of fun and encouragement, I followed my heart into the world of Animation Acting. It sure beats therapy when you can put all of your personalities to work for you — your “witch” voice over here in this studio, your “mother” voice over there in that studio, your “little girl” over there — all the while making a living and having so much fun doing so!

After voicing thousands of characters on animation productions in Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto, who would have guessed I would win an Emmy for excelling at the very thing that I used to get kicked out of Prayers for doing — being silly and giggling.

My advice is to Keep Well the Road and to follow what makes you laugh at all costs, cuz ya nevah know, ya might just be rewarded one day for “barking like a dog!” I www.toonedin.ca www.stevievallance.com

Editor’s Note: Stevie and Jane left Branksome after completing Grade 12 in 1976. They both pursued their education in New York — Stevie at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and Jane at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Jane passed away from cancer in 2000 in New York.

Stevie is currently Voice Director on Teletoons hit show Best Ed, as well as voice-producing the 2007 Emmy nominee Growing Up Creepie. Stevie earned the moniker “Cartoon Queen” for her prolific work infusing life and personality into characters on thousands of animated productions including “Mouse” on Reboot, “Whazzat” on Zoobilee Zoo, “Share Bear” on the Care Bears movies, “Dixie” on Donkey Kong, “Natsuko Fuji” on Inuyasha and “Tigrerra” on Bakugan. Stevie also teaches her own unique brand of classes in Animation Acting called “Tooned In! Workshops.”

Andrea ROGERS Bunker’91, Lesley ROGERS Chisholm’93