In Focus | Rhonda Draper

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses, and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Rhonda Draper.

Where are you from and how long have you lived in Kelowna?
I have lived in Kelowna since I was two weeks old when we moved from Camrose, AB.

Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
My family, Bruce, Dylan and Emily and then my extended family!

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
My aunt and uncle renovated old stone ruins in the south of France. I would love to have more time there with them.

What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
You can most often find me at one of the Bean Scene Coffee Houses. Why? Because the coffee is so good and I can usually find at least one extended family member there at all times. Not to mention, my daughter, Emily, is one of the baristas!

What is your favourite activity?
I know it should be hiking, but it is having food, family and friends around a big table.

If you had to choose: pizza, tacos, or burgers?
A burger from The Curious!

What is a hidden gem you enjoy in the Okanagan?
Well, it's only hidden by the long lines standing outside! I love the Bohemian Café. We have gone there since our children were babies and we have known the owners, the Birker family, since then as well. It is a true Okanagan experience, the people, the vibe, the locally sourced ingredients.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
I have taught in Kelowna for over 20 years now. I'm sure my students have stories. I remember names, but I always feel a little embarrassed when I can't retrieve a name from the 'ol memory bank!

What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
I am inspired when my kids, who are now young adults, have overcome great challenges. I am inspired when anyone does.

Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
I loved driving up to Grandma and Grandpa's house when we drove for a visit to Camrose, AB. The anticipation of hugs, hospitality and love meant something to me. My nanny (granny) also lived in Kelowna. She was humble, patient and lived in simplicity and somehow I draw strength from that to this day.

Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community?
I founded a compassion initiative called Month of Love. I work with elementary aged children (five to twelve year olds). I believe that compassion is like a physical muscle. If you practice compassion, it will grow stronger. During February, every year, Glenmore Elementary families decide to give up a 'want' and put that money towards the needs of others. As a country, we have so much. Month of Love encourages us to see if we truly miss the ways we love to pamper ourselves, our families and our pets etc. Can we live without those things for a little while? Can giving a little more become a practice in our lives? Click here to view a two minute video to give you a sense of the project.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
It pains me that there are so many sisters and brothers in this world who struggle for clean water, education, medicine and food. I wish I could change the distribution of wealth, giving up some of our wants to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters. If we all give a little, it adds up. I also think there is a medicine in giving. It is good for the soul.

What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
We love going downtown. We have such a beautifully kept downtown with so many artisans, great shops, art galleries, delicious restaurants and good people. You can walk all along the waterfront and find beach volleyball, outdoor basketball, dancing in the park, people strolling, running and boating. There are so many creative people who have shops downtown. It's inspiring.

Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
Chai Baba Teahouse! They know exactly which tea I like to drink there and sometimes, when they see me parking, they have it steeping by the time I walk in. It is another locally owned and operated gem in our downtown.

Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
Kelowna is a beautiful city, its people, its terrain and its resources. There are so many good organizations that help people and our environment in many ways. I am grateful to those who work for positive change each day. Maybe this is more of a provincial concern, but I do believe that our democracy strengthens through public education, through good policing, health care and infrastructure. I don't like it when politicians predominantly call us taxpayers. I would rather be called citizens. What we do now will have undeniable impact on our grandchildren and their children. How can we collectively give so that their future is strong?

If you were granted one wish for work or in life, what would it be?
I love to put on my running shoes and explore new places. If I could have one wish, I would travel and explore more by myself, with my family, with friends.

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
I have done quite a bit of public speaking on the power of sharing your story, the power of the arts in our lives, on resiliency and on compassion in our daily practice. I once even gave a TEDxTalk! I first got up in front of a crowd when I was 3-years-old, I sang with my sister. I have been comfortable there ever since. I love reading the energy of a crowd. It is a symbiotic relationship. As I give, I get in return.

What is the name of your business/organization?
I am a music/arts teacher at Glenmore Elementary. We are currently practicing for our celebration of Canada's 150th birthday. We will be performing 'How Canada Came to Be' with our grade one through six students and the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra (OSO) from March 13th to 16th. This year our subtitle is 'Re-Storying Canadian History'. There is so much we all can learn from the wisdom and lived experience of our indigenous people. Each student also brings an important lived experience to our school each day which influences their own understanding of the Canadian story. In fact, we are all writing the current chapter in Canadian history through our actions, our dreams and our choices. At Glenmore Elementary, we keep reminding ourselves that we want to write a good chapter. Everything we do matters. In March, we will do several shows with the OSO culminating in our final performance at 6pm on Thursday, March 16th. These shows are full of student art, dance, drama and singing and we can't wait to hear our beautiful OSO symphony as it accompanies us on this experience. You can find information for tickets here.

What does your business do?
Part of my work is to make room for students to explore the arts in classrooms and in community partnerships. We have a wealth of artist mentors for students in the Okanagan. We are grateful for you all.

How do people connect with you through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest)
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Why did you get into/start this business?
My own life's experience has caused me to value the arts. Through the arts, I have learned so much about myself and others. The arts enrich our communities and provide ways for us to celebrate, capture or step into the experiences of others. Through the arts, we can support causes in our communities, shed light on important issues and simply take the good medicine that the arts provide for us.

What is the goal of your work?
Through the arts in education, my goal is to develop talent, community, self-expression and ways of knowing in our next generation. I also aim to develop a sense of compassion, to remember that in all we do we can always find ways to address the needs of those who are vulnerable, both in our communities and beyond. This is one of the many quotes I live by: 'I expect to pass through this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do any fellow human being let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I will not pass this way again.' This quote is attributed to many people.

What has been your biggest struggle either in work or life?
Yes! We all go through struggles. Again, I am led by a quote: 'Be gentle with everyone, for everyone is fighting a great battle.' I have been through great struggles and rather than sharing that here, I will share how I deal with it. Sometimes, when I am worn from the struggle, I want to 'snap' at others, but I can't. I work with children and it is not their job to carry my struggle. I do not want to leave pain in my wake. It is my job to be present for them, for their parents and for my community as well as for my family and friends. I do this by finding ways to stay in the moment, by gathering safe people around me to share the load, by feeling my feelings and being gentle with myself. The more gentle I can be with myself, the more gentle I can be with others. I tell my students, math is important, reading and writing are important, the arts are important, but kindness is the most important thing. Kindness is a daily practice.

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
This is such an interesting question. Even if I tried to repeat my life, there would be no way to walk the same precise path twice. There are some things I would do differently. I would have loved to have gotten a jazz degree early in life. Maybe I would have liked to have taken more chances in the arts such as singing more, paint more, becoming a dancer etc.

Why do you think it is important to shop local?
A town is full of relationships. I help you, you help me. We often don't know the many ways we help each other. Buying locally strengthens relationships, supports the creative enterprise that exist right here and pours back into our community in many ways.

Give someone that you think deserves it a shout out and explain why:
Sheldon Gardiner is a humanitarian in our community. He is spurred on by a desire to create structures that help others to join together in service for our community. He is behind the Volinspire initiative, which aims to bring our community together in service to one another and in service to our most vulnerable. An 'In Focus' article on him will help to inform us on how to join in.

My nomination for the In Focus spotlight is:
Sheldon Gardiner.

Other information you would like to share:
Thank-you In Focus, for this community column initiative. You are doing a great job!

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna.