Clea BigelowNuttall ’99

Clea cam to GNS in Grade 6, when she, her father and brother moved back to Victoria from London, England to be closer to family after the passing of her mother Mary who graduated in 1968. Her mother was head girl and her aunts and cousins attended GNS, so she and her brother Chris were excited to join the GNS community that she had heard so much about.

An IB Diploma student, Clea loved the novelty of a program that was relatively new to the school. She appreciated the fact that it was internationally recognized as she had always hoped to study abroad. She felt that there was an elegant simplicity to the IB; it was rigorous but not out of reach. She especially loved Theory of Knowledge with Mrs. Chatterton because it was very openended and she found the discussions about thinking and learning enlightening. She found the self-directed Extended Essay the most challenging part of the Diploma Program, mostly because she did not take it as seriously as she might have. Treating it like a long book report did not quite do the job. It was her first real exposure to completely self-directed learning, and the skills she learned through this process prepared her well for her time later at Oxford. Clea’s fondest memories of the school include playing rugby (becoming captain of the team in Grade 12), swimming and running crosscountry, as well as nearly every Outweek experience, most notably the time she went climbing with Mr. Lidstone in the interior of BC. She reports being pushed far beyond her comfort zone, and loving the feeling of accomplishment on reaching new heights, literally! She remembers the academic dinners and sports evenings, where it was cool to do well both academically and on the field. She recalls having small parts in several plays, including Grease, Antigone, Cinderella and Oliver Twist all with Mrs. Treloar. Clea led the school as Games Captain with humour, grace and a strong sense of community.

After graduation, Clea did a GAP year in Kent, England, followed by her first degree at UVic majoring in French and English. She spent her third year in Dijon, France, returning to graduate in 2004. After graduating she moved to the south of France to teach English to French children for a year. In 2005 Clea was accepted into Oxford to study law, following her mother’s footsteps at Jesus College. Clea chose to train as a solicitor and completed a twoyear traineeship (similar to articling in Canada) with Lovells LLP, where every six months she worked in a different area of law such as insurance and reinsurance, construction and infrastructure, real estate, and international arbitration. Upon qualifying in 2010, she accepted a position in the international arbitration team of the firm’s Paris office. Clea remained in Paris for several years, specializing in international commercial and investor-state disputes.

In 2014, Clea was attending a wedding of a friend in the south of England when she met her future husband and fellow rugby player, Damien. Clea moved back to London in 2015, joining the firm Pinsent Masons. She and Damien have two children, Arthur born in 2017 and Beatrice, born in 2018. She was made partner of her law firm in 2022 and the family moved to their new home in Westcliff-onSea in June. She loves all things athletic and has recently taken up cold-water swimming. A busy mum, wife and lawyer, Clea is like the energizer bunny. A ready smile and warm heart are her trademarks. She credits GNS for giving her the confidence to follow her dreams.

Clea comes to Victoria as often as possible to see family and friends with whom she attended GNS.