A day in the Life... Ben M Masters (ORC, 12-19)

What am I currently doing?

I am a teaching intern at Shawnigan Lake school on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.

How did I end up in Canada?

After graduating from the University of Nottingham in 2022, I decided that I wanted to experience life outside the UK. After completing a degree in Mathematical Physics I decided to take a break from the analytic world and take a 'gap year'. This made the most sense given that I was unsure which area of the working world I wanted to go into and also the lack of traveling that was possible during COVID. I picked Canada for a load of different reasons but one thing was for sure, I wanted to be better at skiing! With the help of an organization called 'Global work and travel' I moved to the mountain town of Fernie in the middle of the Canadian Rockies at the start of November 2022.

How did I find Shawnigan Lake?

The main reason I found Shawnigan was through Old Breconian connections. Christ College has been filled with amazing people who have ended up in some of the most beautiful places in the world! Huw was amazing in putting me in contact with the school and I would definitely advise people to maximize the community because there is someone who knows something about almost anywhere!

How have I found living and Working in Canada?

Working in Canada has been very different to life at home. My roles until this academic year have been seasonal roles. From a guest services agent in Fernie, to grounds keeping on a golf course in Invermere, I have done a variety of roles that I wouldn't have even thought about doing! Living in the Canadian Rockies was a dream, being able to ski every day for five months and meeting people from all over the world was amazing! Having the picturesque spots of Banff and Lake Louise only 3 hours up the road (In Canada that is close by!) was incredible for weekend trips and catching up with friends I'd met along the way. I was quickly introduced to Ice hockey and Canadian sporting culture, but I'm still trying to adjust to getting up early in order to watch rugby or football! Life now on the west coast will be different again and I'm so excited to see how it will be different to life in the mountains.

What have you found difficult?

Although many of the people you meet whilst working in a new country are also solo travelers, It can at times be difficult to feel a sense of belonging when jumping from place to place. For me, coming to BC by myself and not knowing anyone not only in Canada but also in North America was daunting, but you will always find others in similar positions. It is also not a myth that Canadian people are very friendly and welcoming! 

How has CCB helped me?

Other than the Old Breconian connections, I think the number one thing that has helped me throughout this first year in Canada is the confidence I have in myself to sort my life out in a completely new country. This quality is definitely something I learned from CCB about organisation and how to tackle all the things that are thrown at you. Keeping calm and knowing that I can find a solution to any problem that I face is something that was encouraged at my time at CCB. There have been multiple things that have not gone to plan whilst being here and I'm sure there will be a lot more! Being back in the boarding school environment has reminded me a lot of CCB and there are many things that I now bring to life at Shawnigan that I learned from my time at school.

What do I have planned for the Future?

This is another daunting question and one that ultimately ended up in me choosing to take some time off after University. Currently, being in the teaching intern position here at Shawnigan will show me how a life in education might be, but that might not be the route I want to take come the end of this academic year. My experiences living outside the UK have definitely taught me that I want to keep seeing new places and meeting more people. However, having some time off and time away from the question “What's next?” I can say that I am much more content with not knowing where I will be this time next year. I continue to explore how I can combine my love of sport with my analytical skills and I'm very excited to see what that brings.