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. 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 20 th 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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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

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My Journey Through Rundle and Beyond

2020 Moves Mountains Ceremony Address | Rundle Academy Cole Hendry ‘11

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. 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 will provide funding for cutting edge mental health

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 currently in the launch phase looking for investors. very excited for the future of this company.

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 dedication and hard work. Keep it up.

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, 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 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 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

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 interacting and just being around individuals, so golf

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

Alumni RUNDLE Alumni

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.

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

Making My Way in the Media World Dana Droppo ‘07

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, “ It’s my responsibility to make sure that our clients are comfortable, informed, and excited about the projects. “ Colombia putting on concerts at W Hotels locations in 2018. I have witnessed people 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.

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.