Here at BSB, academic excellence is just the beginning. More than just a school BSB is a community that prides itself in its spirit of curiosity, courage and individuality – something we nurture and encourage in every student.
The Alumni community plays an important role in forging such a strong sense of community. Their successes and journeys beyond BSB are what keep the BSB flame alive. Our Alumni highlights seek to showcase and celebrate the diversity of careers our graduates pursue, from topping charts in the music industry to winning awards in the world of film production we’re here to celebrate their successes.
I sat down on a zoom call with Natasha late in the afternoon. While I was finishing my workday, Natasha’s had just begun. I had expressed to her that the interview was more of a conversation to understand how her time at BSB shaped her into the person she is today and what influenced her to follow the career path she chose.
Originally from outside Cambridge, England, Natasha joined BSB in Year 8, staying straight through her A-levels. One of my first questions to her was:
How did BSB shape your views on what success means?
From achieving strong marks in classes such as physics, media studies, art mathematics and further maths, Natasha expressed that at BSB she had mastered the art of how to study. However, aside from the excellent academics, BSB gave her essential tools to succeed beyond the classroom. From extracurriculars through to CAS, choir, life drawing, the hockey team and school plays, every opportunity nudged the door to adventure open just a little wider. Studying art is what encouraged her to go backpacking in Italy with friends; the Drama award gave her the opportunity to travel to London, expanding her horizons. It was this inspiration and unconditional support from teachers that pushed Natasha to explore her passions and that reshaped how she viewed success as going beyond academics.
After graduating from BSB in 2010, Natasha is currently living and working in Canada at Big White Ski Resort – located on Big White Mountain in British Columbia. Quite different to her life growing up going to BSB. However, one thing remains true to both: community. The Big White community in Summer is small – small but integral, much like that of BSB. I asked her to give me a brief overview of her role and responsibilities at the resort. As the Operations Manager for the Adults Ski School, Natasha oversees 100 instructors in one of the two ski school locations and deals with daily management responsibilities of the second largest ski school in British Columbia.
From November to April it’s go, go, go no matter what the weather. From training new snowboarding instructors to overseeing all adult programming. Summer is all about planning and strategizing for the next Ski season – oh and she’s a downhill mountain bike instructor too. It’s impressive. I asked her where this came from, from the flat lands of Belgium – how did being a Snowsports instructor come to be her passion? It all started in her gap year after her time at BSB. That’s where she got ‘the bug’ for it. Following her gap year, University was difficult and pushed her to reflect on what she really wanted. After hopping on a plane to New Zealand to start her career in snowboarding, she said she never looked back.
It was a challenge, but an easy choice to make when you’ve grown up with family who supports you and teachers who encourage you. Natasha made sure to highlight her art class teacher, Helen, a strong and independent person who pushed students to explore the weird and wonderful things that encouraged her to not stick to the status quo. It was the validation from others, the broader community and her peers, of her talents and interests that gave her confidence and helped her take the leap to move to New Zealand.
So, then what would you say to the students of today? To the students who aren’t sure of what they want to do, or to those who want to challenge themselves in the field of Sports.
There are two paths in sports. The competitive path and the instructive path. Natasha highlights that she is not a gifted athlete. Snowboarding didn’t come naturally to her, but her passion for it and her love for the outdoors coupled with her desire to help people learn is what allowed her to get to where she is. That’s all you need, no matter what you do. Her general studies class at BSB sowed the seeds of her communication skills, something she states as being essential to her career in teaching snowboarding and managing the resort. Still to this day she associates this class as being the place where critical thinking was encouraged, and where students were taught to speak up and share their opinions and to not be afraid to ask questions or challenge others. What’s most important in following a career in sports, or in any career, is perseverance and a mindset focused on growth. It’s ok if you’re not the best, as long as you are doing your best.
In the end, Natasha encourages students today to follow their passions and to follow what makes them happy. At the end of the day success will follow if you put your all into whatever it is you love doing.
