“We had 16 different placements, all with connections to charities, and an expert in the field for each of them,” said Emma. “Many of the boys missed the face-to-face experience, but also said it was really interesting to learn about something different. Toronto Humane Society, for example, gave a virtual tour and then they made toys for the animals. Some of the boys kept them for their own pets and some dropped them off for the animals. There was even a student-run clothing drive that came out of the day.”
As one of the Community Service convenors, Merle has worked closely with Emma for several years and has been impressed by how well Emma has shifted in her role—particularly with the Day of Service.
“That was a difficult one to pivot on. The boys used to physically do stuff and then all of a sudden, we had to make it interesting enough that it’s still a Day of Service and delivering what it’s supposed to, but I think Emma managed to do a great job,” said Merle, whose son Oliver is in the Class of 2022. “It was much harder to do an online one from an organizational perspective—it was a lot of work.”
Merle loves working with Emma and describes her as calm, kind-hearted, committed, enthusiastic and a non-judgmental listener. She is impressed by how well Emma has worked to come up with ways for students and their families to get involved with community service partners during the pandemic.
“Emma is also always looking for new opportunities for RSGC,” said Merle. “This has meant casting her net wider than the immediate community, so that the boys could get involved.”
In the meantime, while she’s looking for opportunities, she can have dinner with her family.