Alumni Corner

VWS: Tell me about your work and education after graduating from the VWS (post-secondary schooling, travel, work experience, family, etc… )

LC: I went straight to university after Grade Twelve, moving to Nova Scotia to attend Acadia University in Wolfville. Acadia is filled with pageantry, tradition and has the warmest and most inclusive quality of student life. It is a very Waldorf-like university and, after my initial trauma at being left alone across the country, I loved it. I transferred to UVIC for my second year and graduated in June of 2018 with a BA in psychology. I regret not graduating from Acadia, but I may have been too young to be so far from my family. During my university years, I also went on some non-academic adventures, such as travelling to Ireland to spend seven incredible days hiking along the Dingle Way!

VWS: What kind of work/study are you involved in now?

LC: After graduating from university, I returned home to North Vancouver and believed that my only options were a minimum wage job or continuing to get my master’s degree. The master’s degree wasn’t calling to me, and none of the jobs available fit my shy personality or my beloved dog’s timetable. I had to get creative. I focused on what I love to do with my time, reading and research, and enrolled in an online certificate program offered by SFU. I am now running my very own small business! My business is called Lily Cameron Proofreading, and I offer proofreading and editing services to both publishers and individuals. I launched my website in the summer of 2018 and have been hard at work ever since. I can work anywhere in the world as long as I have a laptop and wifi, and that flexibility is very exciting. Being a solopreneur is a dream come true for me. I’ve loved discovering all the different aspects of running a business, and I am thrilled to keep growing and learning.

VWS: What advice would you give to this year’s graduates?

LC: Ask for help when you need it. Remember that you are growing up in a different world than your parents experienced. They had to go out and knock on doors, and often they had to know someone to get a foot in that door. They may have a lot of good advice to offer, but social media has created a platform that we need to explore with our peers and not necessarily take cues from an older generation. Be brave and venture forth!

VWS: What are your fondest memories of your time at the VWS?

LC: I have so many fond memories from my time at the VWS: Christmas Fairs, school plays, flute playing, class trips, eurythmy, and more. I feel fortunate that I attended the Waldorf School, especially the elementary school — so many magical moments! I belonged to a huge, rollicking, noisy class that pushed every boundary. We were full of mischief and energy, and curiosity. I loved growing up in that environment.

VWS: How did Waldorf education affect your life and your choice of career?

LC: I attended Waldorf from kindergarten to high school, so it’s safe to say it had a significant effect on my life and career choice. Waldorf fostered my innate sense of curiosity and reflection. At the end of my Waldorf schooling, the Grade Twelve Project process sparked my love for research and inspired me to pursue a degree in psychology. The Grade Twelve Project was a challenging experience, but it did teach me a lot about myself.

Interview date: March 2019 Ronaye Ireland, for Development

https://lilycameroncreative.com/

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.