Many private schools in Canada have numerous graduates who have gone on to great things. Learn about a school’s most influential, important, successful, and famous alumni.
Annie Murphy is a Canadian actress. Known for her starring role as Alexis Rose in the sitcom Schitt's Creek, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award, as well as nominations for a Golden Globe.
Danielle Fontaine
1975
The Rhodes Scholarship supports exceptional students at Oxford, recognizing academic excellence, leadership, character, service, intellectual curiosity, and global impact.
Saumya Krishna
2009
The Rhodes Scholarship supports exceptional students at Oxford, recognizing academic excellence, leadership, character, service, intellectual curiosity, and global impact.
Qualitative insights
These insights are based on conversations with parents, alumni, and school leadership. Handpicked and curated by our editor, they offer a close look at how the school is experienced and perceived by those who know it best.
The Elmwood legacy fosters lasting bonds and growth for alumni.
Alumni reflections and insights reveal how Elmwood School's unique traditions, programs, and encouraging environment play a significant role in personal growth and foster connections that last across generations.
Elmwood School has a white dress ceremony when students graduate. So usually, as far as I'm aware, graduations involve a cap and a gown, walking across the stage, and getting your diploma. At Elmwood, all of us wear a white dress, and I know this can be somewhat unusual for a prospective family who isn't familiar with the school's culture, but as someone who's been through that, I think it strengthens the bond that you have with Elmwood School. When I was walking across that stage in my white dress, the entire time, I felt like I didn't want to leave. So it just strengthened whatever connection I had with my school became so much stronger. The strength of the relationship pulls me back towards Elmwood School. Whenever Elmwood School has asked me to come in and give some advice to the careers class about university, I always go. If they need someone to speak at a graduation dinner, I always go. That connection that I have with Elmwood School pulls me back every time as an alumna.
Since I've graduated, the biggest takeaway I've learned from my time at Elmwood is to always go for something. Don't let your inhibitions hold you back, because this idea of letting your inhibitions get in your way and stopping yourself from doing something has hindered me in the past. And knowing that I have the skills and the capability to tackle anything that comes my way is something that I really appreciate. That's something that I've taken forward in both my academics and in my professional life as a research assistant.
Being myself a graduate of Elmwood, it was always in the back of my mind that, if the opportunity arose, there would be no debate about where I’d want my daughter to go. We didn't know whether our lives would bring us back to Ottawa, and whether we'd be in a position to have our child attend Elmwood. All children are different, but knowing my child, I knew that she would really thrive in that environment. And, fortunately, we found ourselves back in Ottawa. So it was a very natural fit for us to continue that relationship with Elwood.
Elmwood School has shaped the arc of my life, and what I'm doing right now. If it weren't for the school, I don't think I would have been able to step out of my comfort zone and pursue whatever opportunities came my way. I started as a very shy person. I tried not to engage in conversation with people if I didn't want to, or felt like I'd be intimidated. It just wasn't something I was up for.
