“I met a lot of new people and made connections. I got to perform for a larger audience outside of our school community and experienced working with adjudicators from around the world.” CJ B
“I met lots of people and made new friends from a bunch of different schools. The marimba performance on Saturday night was so fun!” Steven N
The Con Brio Whistler Music Festival was an enlightening experience that broadened our view of what high school band could be. It exposed us to so many cultures and styles of music. Being there gave us the opportunity to bond as a group and see different musical perspectives. It was so inspiring and made me want to strive further with my music.” Grace F.
“It was a fun experience! There were so many people and I enjoyed watching all of the other performances. There was a huge variety of music performed. I learned a lot!” Viet N
“Con Brio was an excellent way to bond with bandmates and meet new people from other bands around BC and North America. Overall, it was incredibly fun!” – James L
Congratulations to Kathy-Ann Nobbs-Thiessen and all of her hard working talented students on their success at Whistler and throughout the year.
Music education is vital and the BSS thanks all of our donors for their generous support of our musicians!
The Britannia Support Society was created in 1990s to address the inequities that face many students at Britannia Secondary School. Our goal is to create opportunities for success in all aspects of school life and beyond.
Britannia Secondary is situated on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Penny Bickerton
Every year the Britannia Support Society awards scholarships to deserving graduates. And due to the generous and on going support of our donors the BSS was able to help the following students of the Class of 2023 persue their post secondary dreams: Finn Gosh-Leudke, Sabrina Zesati, Piper Yan, Isabelle Harley, Mika Johal, Judah Kinsey, Arius Lu, Spencer Reid, Ziona Ventura Cudges, and Vincent Suen.
Through the help of their Grade 12 counsellor, Mike Wiskar, we were able to track down two grads who kindly agreed to tell us a bit about themselves.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Sabrina Zesati and I'm currently a first year UBC student. I'm passionate about areas of literature focused on feminism and philosophy, with Plato's Republic and Wollstonecraft's Mary: A Fiction being some of my favourites so far this year! I work part time alongside studying, and in my free time I enjoy writing and drawing.
What are you studying?
My main area of focus this year has been the Arts One Program at UBC, which is centered around history, philosophy, and English. Though Arts One takes up the majority of my credits and is a full-year course, I've also taken clinical psychology and a natural disasters science course this semester.
What were the factors that influenced you?
I'm the first person in my immediate family to graduate high school as well as attend post-secondary. Knowing that I had the opportunity to seek an education that my parents didn't has motivated me to create a life for myself that I hope to look back on and be proud of.
Who were your most influential teachers and classes?
The teachers and classes I remember most fondly were Hubert Wong's history and English classes, and Grace Sherman's philosophy and creative writing classes. Mr. Wong never failed to make historical events and literature compelling and exciting to explore. Ms. Sherman, similarly, inspired me a lot in my pursuit of creative writing endeavours — she was always supportive and provided amazing feedback and motivation to continue on with my writing.
What are your long term goals?
I'm still figuring it out! But I've narrowed my interests down to either being an English teacher (or professor), or working in a clinical area of psychology.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Finn Ghosh- Leudke. In my spare time, I enjoy tap-dancing, singing, and spending time with my family and friends.
I also love going on hikes in nature.
While living in France, I have been exploring historic museums and
castles, visiting French cafés, and improving my French.
What are you studying now?
I am currently pursuing multidisciplinary studies in history, sociology, political science, and a wide variety of other stimulating subjects at Sciences Po in France to achieve my first degree within the UBC-Sciences Po Dual Degree Program. In two years, I will return to Vancouver to major in History and obtain my second degree from the University of British Columbia.
What were the factors that influenced you?
Since I first started high school, I dreamed of studying abroad. Upon entering the International Baccalaureate Program at Britannia Secondary and discovering its global focus, I was inspired to pursue a post-secondary education beyond Canada and experience life in another part of the world. Furthermore, many years of French language classes sparked my interest in the French language and culture, and motivated me to apply to the UBC-Sciences Po Dual Degree Program and study in France.
Which classes and or teachers were the most influential?
History, French, and English have been the most influential. I discovered my passion for history at Britannia Secondary School. The BC History curriculum provided a broad window into world history from a Canadian perspective. Therefore, this year I was able to build upon this knowledge by studying European History at Sciences Po. My studies of the French language and current events in IB French last year were influential in my decision to attend a French university. English classes significantly benefitted my writing and analytical skills.
How did Brit prepare you for post-secondary?
Britannia’s IB Program prepared me for the rigorous workload in university and helped me to prepare for international studies. The teachers at Britannia inspired my passion for learning by encouraging me to use my creativity and develop my own projects. I enjoyed the opportunities such as the Capstone Project and a passion project within my English class, both of which allowed me to write the first draft of my novel during my Grade 11 and 12 years.
As Britannia is a small school, it was beneficial to have such a supportive community every step of the way and graduate with people who I have known for many years.
What are your long-term goals?
Following my completion of the UBC-Sciences Po Dual Degree Program in four years, I plan to edit and publish my first novel and become a professional historian and author. I am also interested in possibly pursuing a career in fields that I have been exposed to at Sciences Po such as political science.
The North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) help Indigenous athletes realize the collective potential of our bodies, minds, spirit and of our people – our hopes and dreams – the spirit strong, brave and true.
The Games brought together 756 Indigenous Nations and over 5000 athletes to celebrate, share and reconnect through sport and culture in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Dartmouth and Millbrook First Nation.
and coach and mentor Mitra Tshan !!
Things that are hard are good. Lessons learned struggling makes for profound memories. Discomfort is temporary. Being tired is entirely relative. Mud up to your waist can be overcome. Relentless bugs are real but they too fade. Carrying a 35 pound pack is initially unbearably heavy but when you stop for the night, 9 hours later, you not only held that weight, you navigated incredible terrain to do so and you can smile about it, with your friends.
We continued with our Street2Peak Project which brings inner-city students on incredible adventures around the world. Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti in 2015, Patagonia in 2017, New Zealand in 2019 and now, maybe our most challenging and definitely our most rigorous, the Long Range Traverse in the incredible national park of Gros Morne, Newfoundland. What we experienced was beyond what we expected in terms of beauty, grandness, challenge and perseverance. It offered a commitment that students are rarely asked to meet. It required a team to succeed. You had to have faith and trust that things would work out. You had to believe that you are capable and that your effort will offer a reward. The reward is scars. The reward is aching bodies. The reward is wolfing down as many calories as you can. The reward is knowing you didn't give up. The reward is knowing someone was there to help you if you faltered. The reward was laughing in a place you never dreamed you'd visit.
Incredible. Magical. Powerful.
Thanks to Trevor Stokes for his beautiful words and Barry Skillin for the incredible photography.
Want to learn more about us and our work?
C/O Unit 233 – 2688 Shell Road Richmond, BC V6X 4E1 Tel: 604-276-2192 email
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