Valentine’s Day Special: Love Stories from WIC Alum

Lorne Daitchman ‘90 and Marla Litvack ‘90

Are there specific memories or experiences at WIC that brought you together? 

We got to know each other at our Outdoor Education trip in the fall of Grade 8. We were both heavily involved in extracurricular activities at WIC. In our graduating year, we also co-edited the yearbook and were on the grad committee together. We lived and breathed WIC!

Can you share some highlights and milestones in your journey as a couple post-graduation? 

We both attended Marianopolis and McGill, then followed our separate paths for our careers. Lorne had stints in Ottawa and Baltimore to work in consulting, while I (Marla) finished my child psychologist PhD residency in Philadelphia. Although we lived in separate locations, we always found a way to be together. We married in 1998 and welcomed our sons Lucas, WIC Class of 2020, and Matthew, WIC Class of 2023. It was wonderful to watch our kids create their own WIC memories.

If you could share any advice with the current WIC community, what would it be?   

Your high school years are not always picture perfect, but make the most of your days by getting involved in your school community. Speak to as many of your schoolmates as possible: you may be surprised that your paths will cross again as you become an adult!  Let your teachers know when they have made a difference in your lives. They deserve to feel appreciated and be recognized. People will always remember how you treated them and made them feel.

Gabrielle Lubin ‘07 and Catherine Thompson ‘07

How has your WIC education impacted your lives?

When we started dating in 2015, we bonded over a certain WIC teacher’s impact on both of us, Ms. Segal. We both had the fortune of building a good relationship with her during those trying high school years. She helped us immensely through many hardships. In fact, she was the first adult Catherine felt safe enough to come out to in Grade 9. Ms. Segal’s willingness to listen to our struggles and provide helpful advice was life-changing. She empowered us to express ourselves through our writing and championed our various artistic endeavours. Many other faculty members enhanced our journeys at WIC – something we’ve learned isn’t the case for most high school students. Through the years, we’ve come to value WIC’s approach to education: the importance given to critical thinking has proven useful many times. WIC is also very community-oriented – providing students with a unique environment that feels safe, and welcoming. 

If you could share any advice with the current WIC community, what would it be?

Gabrielle: Be yourself! Talk to your teachers, they are there to help you achieve your goals. I was primarily focused on having a career as an actor and singer. I didn’t always realize the support system I had at WIC. Looking back, I can see that many people supported my dreams. Some even helped me prepare my auditions for John Abbott’s theatre program. 

Catherine: I loved filling my schedule with many extracurricular activities. It allowed me to explore a lot of different interests. It was also a great way to build connections with the study body. I highly recommend utilizing your time at WIC to take advantage of all it offers. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and try new things! You never know what might ignite a spark within you. Most importantly, do your best to enjoy this time in your life. It can sometimes seem like you’re being forced to make lifelong decisions about your future. Some might follow a linear path when it comes to their post-secondary education and career. However, this isn’t the case for many people. It’s okay not to know which direction you want to head in – so follow your heart, explore and cherish these precious years. 

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? 

We don’t go over the top for Valentine’s Day. We enjoy finding small ways to make each other happy, whether it’s cooking a special meal or gifting each other something small. Our friend owns a flower shop in Toronto, where we live. A couple of years ago, we both ended up ordering one of her beautiful bouquets for each other. We were trying to be sneaky about picking them up. Both of us had used a different excuse as to where we were headed. Despite our best efforts, we ended up running into each other at the flower shop and having a good laugh!  

William Nahorniak ‘98 and Inga Murawski ‘98

How did you first meet at West Island College? 

Our respective groups of friends naturally started hanging out more and more together towards Sec 4. So, we began to hang out more and more. We remember having a blast together rafting on the Riviere Rouge on one of the WIC trips. Will had forgotten his bathing suit, and after rafting in the wetsuits, he went into the hot tub in his underwear. It must have left an impression on me (Inga). We had so much fun on that trip with WIC that we returned several years later with family, where Will’s mom fell off the boat. Luckily for us,he remembered his bathing suit that time. 

Do you have any quirky or fun stories from your time as a couple at WIC? 

I (Inga) didn’t make the acting cut, but Will was cast in the sec 5 fundraising play, Fame. He missed all his singing practices (he claims he did not know about them…). In one of his scenes, he had to strip off his shirt to the “I’m Too Sexy” song by Right Said Fred. That song still makes us laugh non-stop to this day. Even the kids get a kick out of the song and the story.

Also, when we went on our first date together at Baton Rouge, Will very proudly paid for the meal with a gift card he had received for Christmas. We have since shared many fine meals on gift cards.

If you could share any advice with the current WIC community, what would it be?  

Enjoy your time at school. Don’t take yourself too seriously: laugh, and enjoy every moment.  Life has its ups and downs, but things have a way of working out if you stay positive. So, try to focus on the good things and shrug off the bad.