Tim Coy
In the Spring of 2004, Tim Coy came to Shawnigan to coach rowing while Julie Platt went on maternity leave. “Gunnar Platt, Julie’s bouncing baby boy, was my ticket in,” he says. Tim’s rowing experience began as a student at Ridley College in Ontario, where his family enjoys a long history. “My Grandfather attended the school from 1920-1929 and my Dad also went and then taught there for 35 years. They are proud of the fact that between them, they either attended the school or were faculty under every Headmaster of Ridley since its inception in 1889! Both my Mom and Dad were teachers at the school until their retirement. I also did a practicum there during my teacher’s training, so Ridley is a very important part of my personal and family history.
“One of the things that surprised me most about Shawnigan, was its similarity to Ridley. I felt really comfortable coming here and moving into the boarding environment.” Tim moved into Duxbury his first year at Shawnigan and lived in a two-man room. “It was a bit difficult at first, living amongst the boys after twenty years on my own.” In 2005, Tim moved to Ripley’s House as Assistant House Director to enjoy a suite more suited to his position.
“The kids in Ripley’s are so lucky to have Rhodri Samuel as House Director. I have never met anyone who can ‘read’ students so well. He is a great mentor for me and the boys respect him. I am so fortunate to have worked with both Al Olson, in Duxbury, and Rhodri; they are superb role models.”
Tim began teaching English in his second year at Shawnigan. “I love teaching at a boarding school; I get to know the kids really well and I enjoy being part of their lives in the House, on the lake, and in the classroom. They always impress me with how respectful they are. They are special kids; they are polite and always helpful.”
Tim’s assessment of our students was confirmed by his trip to Thailand with the EDGE Team in 2006. “Even though they were so far from home and interacting with strangers speaking a foreign language, they were polite and enthusiastic—they are able to impress people on a world stage. We can be so proud of these students and confident that we are sending good citizens out into the world.”
When asked what he brought home, personally, from the service trip, Tim replied that he, “learned people don’t need a lot of possessions to bring them happiness. I realized that happiness is in what you make out of the resources you have, not in the accumulation of them! I also learned so much from Peter Yates. He is the perfect trip leader. He knows so much about the art of communication and how to resolve conflict—when he is in charge of a group, he can orchestrate resolutions to problems while giving the students the idea that they have resolved the conflict themselves! He gives everyone great confidence, while subtly teaching them.”
Apart from his other experiences at Shawnigan, the most fun Tim has is on the water with his rowing crew. “I feel like I am away from everything for our two hours of training. I am really proud of my crew, the Jr. Boys’ 8+. We have won gold at the Nationals two years in a row!” Tim also coached the Jr. Girls’ 4+ to gold at the Nationals in 2004. “We had a terrific year, with 48 students going to St. Catharines and every one of them making the finals!”