Returning to Lead

Graduation marks an ending for most students. At St. Michaels University School, it often marks the beginning of a new chapter. Each year, alumni return to SMUS, not as students, but as camp leaders, coaches and mentors.

Their reasons for returning are individual, but together they reveal a larger cycle. The skills, confidence and sense of belonging developed through years at SMUS don’t simply leave with students at graduation. For some, they become something to pass on.

Throughout the summer, SMUS Camps transform the Junior School campus and the school's main campus into vibrant communities for campers from Greater Victoria and around the world. Programs in technology, creative arts, leadership and sport range from first-time experiences to high-performance skill development, giving campers opportunities to try something new, pursue their interests and form friendships and memories along the way. Working alongside a wider team of camp staff, returning alumni join current students and faculty in creating those experiences for another generation.

Inspiring Female Athletes

On the basketball court, the cycle of giving back continues as former students return not only to teach skills, but to become the mentors they once looked for themselves.

For Avery Geddes '25, that meant stepping into a role she wished she had more of growing up. A SMUS Lifer who grew up attending basketball camps before playing for the University of Victoria Vikes, Avery returned as a guest coach to share what she has learned with young athletes.

"I grew up in camps at SMUS, and now that I'm at UVic, I have a lot of knowledge and skills to pass on," she said. "When I was growing up, I wanted to have more female mentors. Coming back here as a female leader and coach is super important."

Avery isn't alone in making that transition. Mya Beare '26, another SMUS basketball player who has gained coaching experience at UVic, also spent part of her summer coaching younger athletes at SMUS. Together, they are part of a new generation of female athletes moving from being coached to becoming coaches and role models themselves.

Their presence on the court sends its own message: young girls belong in the game, and in leadership.

A Camp for Everyone

The same impulse to give back extends well beyond athletics. Across both campuses, former students are helping younger campers discover interests that first captured their own imaginations.

Byte Camp is one example, drawing returning alumni including Laila Shetty '25 and Samantha Hann '26 to work alongside other instructors in its technology-focused programs. Among those returning for a second summer was Will Cuddihy '25, who taught campers to code and build animations through the long-running program founded by SMUS Director of Educational Technology Dave Hlannon.

For Will, choosing technology over one of the school’s many sport camps was an easy decision.

"I like computers more than I like sports," Will said with a laugh.

But the technology is only part of the experience. Two summers of teaching have shown Will that the most important skills aren't technical ones, but the ability to communicate, adapt and connect with young people.

"If you can get through to kids with a message, you can kind of get through to anyone."

Elsewhere, alumni bring expertise developed beyond SMUS back to campus in different ways. Singer-songwriter and producer Fintan O'Brien '14, who has built a professional music career performing, writing and recording across North America and Europe, returned this summer to work with young musicians in Beatmaking camp. In doing so, he brings that depth of experience to campers exploring their own creative expression.

Generations of Leadership

Jamie Yorath '10 is helping lead the overnight basketball camp for a second summer, determined to build more than a schedule of drills.

"It's a cool opportunity for kids to play against people from outside... to build a basketball community," he said.

The sense of inclusion is intentional. Jamie makes sure spots stay open for girls so the camp does not repeat a common problem.

"Historically, a lot of camps are co-ed, but they only have a small handful of girls, and that's usually a pretty bad experience for the girls. So we do try to keep a ratio where they feel comfortable and get opportunities to play with both boys and girls."

Longtime SMUS coach Ian Hyde-Lay has built a career on the guiding principle that young athletes need room to grow, not pressure to be perfect. Decades in, he still returns each summer to help them build both skill and confidence.

"It's never about perfection," he said. "It's just making progress every day, just trying to be a little bit better tomorrow than you were today."

Behind the Scenes

From the outside, it all looks effortless. Campers move between classrooms, fields, gyms and the dining hall, and the day unfolds without a hitch.

That ease takes a school's worth of coordination. Grounds crews prepare the campus, food services feed hundreds of campers a day, and colleagues in Finance and Human Resources support the work long before a student or alum steps in to lead an activity.

"Current students and alumni bring amazing energy and enthusiasm to their roles, while faculty contribute experience and a deep understanding of the school's values," said Craig Kelley, Director of External Programs. "They really help create an environment that feels welcoming, supportive and more SMUS."

For a camper, that might look like a coach's encouragement, a patient answer to a tricky problem, or simply a familiar face that makes them feel like they belong. For many of those who return each summer, graduation was never really the end. It was simply the beginning of a different way of contributing to the SMUS community.