Alum Corner with Severin Rolland-Berge
I attended the Vancouver Waldorf School from Parent & Tot to Grade 8 graduation, leaving in 2007. After finishing high school, I attended Capilano University to study classical music. My love for music and many years of cello lessons seemed the obvious choice, especially because my goal at the time was to pursue a degree in music therapy. After two years of studying classical music, I felt uninspired. I decided to take a few other classes and stumbled upon a climate change course in the geography department. That class changed the trajectory of my degree and also my life! I instantly fell in love with the subject and achieved my first A! Since Capilano didn’t offer geography as a degree option, I transferred to Trinity Western University (TWU) in Langley and completed my undergrad in another year and a half. The last few classes I took at TWU focused on the geography of food, where I realized—yes, you can study food in that way!
During my undergrad, I worked at a small, locally owned organic market in North Vancouver, Sprout Organic Market. Later, I worked a spring/summer season under contract with Parks Canada and BC Ferries as a coastal naturalist on the sun deck, sharing information about orcas with ferry passengers. After that, I settled into a role at Discovery Organics, an organic produce wholesaler, in the Quality Control & Receiving department.
After getting married, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Italy at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, commonly known as the Slow Food University. We packed our bags at the height of the pandemic and made a home in a small Italian town. For my thesis, I researched the benefits of bioregional food and short food supply chains, conducting on-farm research back in Pemberton, BC, at Laughing Crow Organics. I completed my Master’s in Agroecology & Food Sovereignty in September 2021, returned to Discovery Organics, and continued in the Quality Control & Receiving department while dabbling in compliance and writing a weekly blog.
When I became pregnant with our first son, I spent a year of maternity leave learning all about myself as a mother, learning all about my sweet son, and truly taking it all in. Just before he turned one, I embarked on a little solo adventure and started my own business. Never, in a million years, did I think I would do this, but I can confidently say that nine months in, it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made!
I’m now the owner and operator of Locally Fed. This little business has grown, expanded, and morphed into something really exciting! Every Tuesday, I head out to the Fraser Valley to connect with wonderful farmers and artisans using organic and regenerative practices, many family-run and often female-owned. I pick up organic veg and fruit boxes, pasture-raised eggs, organic sourdough, organic free-range chicken, organic microgreens, raw unpasteurized honey, and grass-fed whipped tallow balm.
We’re about nine months in and coming into our first summer season. Our CSA subscription has just launched, and we are getting great feedback! Connecting with BC farmers who work so hard every day and are so proud of their product is truly a privilege. My sister Karda will be coming on board very soon, which is wonderful as we have always dreamed of working together. She is a VWS high school graduate, and we have both studied food and worked in the organic food sector.
Advice I would give to this year’s graduating class: If you’re attending university, try as many different classes as you can. If you’re travelling, experience as many different cultures as possible. If you’re entering the workforce, make sure your values align with those of the company. Also, family, whether chosen or blood, is of the utmost importance. Treat those relationships with great care, attention, and love.
As a parent, I’ve never questioned where I want my sons to attend school for early childhood. The teaching methods, teachers, and environment at VWS are unparalleled. I want my son to explore, be curious, spend time in nature, and learn that there are many ways a school can foster learning.
I have so many wonderful memories of my time at VWS, but two stand out: our annual camping trips, where something exciting always happened, and, of course, the Christmas Fair. I’m pretty sure I’ve only missed two since I started attending Parent & Tot many years ago.
I loved being with the same students and teacher year after year. We grew together as a unit, and I’m still close with many friends from Waldorf into adulthood. I even met one of my best friends through the fence dividing Plum Cottage and Red Rose kindergartens!
My love of food and nature also stems from Waldorf. From enjoying the outdoors to baking fresh bread, these remain two of my favourite things. Last but certainly not least, my love of music, specifically playing the cello, began at Waldorf and continues to be a part of my life. I even play for my sons now!
Conducted by Laura Bergstrome, for Development May 2025
The Vancouver Waldorf School provides an experiential, age-appropriate approach to education based on the insights of Rudolf Steiner that inspires students to love learning, to be creative, open-minded, and compassionate. With a curriculum that integrates all academics with the arts and social learning, Waldorf Education develops not only the left and right hemispheres of the brain but the whole human being. A child’s social, emotional, physical and intellectual development is considered equally, supporting a conscious unfolding of the individuality within each student. Waldorf graduates possess capacities for empathy and clear, creative and independent thinking that enables them to carry out a chosen course of action with moral courage and social responsibility.
