BCSS grad Skylar Desjardins plans to attend UVic this fall but she says it’s hard to say where she’ll be in 10 years time because she is going into theatre. She hopes to see herself working with a theatre company in Vancouver or Victoria, as well as doing some travelling.
She caught the acting bug doing an elementary school Christmas play. “It must have been The Polar Express,” says Skylar. “I really wanted to do it and it just blew my mind! I just really enjoyed it and every since then I have wanted to be in performances when there were some. I pursued it all through high school and I still love it.”
She has either performed, co-directed, stage-managed or crewed on 10 school productions since 2007.
She said her favourite role to date was Rizzo in Grease, which she played in Grade 10. “Rizzo was kind of fun because she was rude a lot,” Skylar said with a laugh, “she was her own girl kind of thing and I got to explore that.”
This was also her first singing role, something she has come to love doing. In fact she sang Oh Canada at this year’s Dads vs. Grads hockey game.
Skylar grew up in Beaverdell and went to school in the Okanagan through Grade 7 and she says that BCSS is a lot more welcoming and close-knit. “You know everybody—everybody knows each other and can help each other.”
She also likes the way the teachers at BCSS are so committed to the students.
Skylar has been on the honour roll since 2007 and has been involved with sports, drama and extracurricular activities, including student council. She won the Margaret Harpur Citizenship Award in 2009 and is also an active community volunteer.
This summer she will live at home with her mother in Kelowna while she works and saves money for school in the fall. She has been offered a position as the activities program director at a summer bible camp she has gone to since she was 10 years old.