CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF A FRIEND: DR. DIANE KASHIN
We are posting this blog with such heavy hearts as we share with you memories of Dr. Diane Kashin who has recently passed away after her journey with Breast Cancer.
Ally Scott, Strive Manager, and Sheri Spriggs, Quality Initiatives Coordinator for St. Thomas Elgin Social Services, have written sentiments that capture a glimpse of their cherished relationships with Diane.
Photo taken July 11, 2018 on the beach in Grand Bend. Ally Scott, Cindy Green, Diane Kashin, and Sheri Spriggs
“While I knew this day would come, it felt like we still had time. It felt like I would be seeing her in front of an audience of early years professionals again. Like I would read another riveting blog post again. Like we would have sushi together at Midori and walk on the beach again. And we will. Because there are people who touch your heart and leave a permanent mark. Dr Diane Kashin was one of them.
I first met Diane at Winter Rethink 2018 when she presented. Sheri had spoken so highly of Diane so I was excited to meet this incredible woman. After she blew me away with her presentation on Stick and Stone, we had the pleasure of going out for dinner. It was here that Diane schooled me. I used the term “frontline” when referring to educators. Diane didn’t like this. In the best way possible, she was a critical friend to me and suggested the term “working directly with children”. I cannot remember exactly but I am pretty sure she said something to the effect of “we aren’t going to war, we are working with children”. She was right. As usual. This shift in language changed me in multiple ways. In that moment Diane cared so much about me AND our profession to help me be better. To help me honour our profession with the language I use. Do I always get it right? No. But every time I hear “frontline”, I think of her and smile. And then proceed to correct them with the same love and care that Diane did for me.
This, as they say, was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. No matter how long it had been since seeing each other, we always picked right up where we left off. Diane had a way of making you feel so comfortable while still challenging your thinking. She could offer a thought and we could spend hours digging into it. From loose parts to post-secondary education to blocks, it didn’t matter. Her wisdom, knowledge, commitment to this profession, shone through everything she said and did. Diane’s latest blog post about legacy made be chuckle because she IS the legacy of early years. If she only knew.
Thank you Diane. Thank you for making me a better early childhood educator. For leaving a permanent mark on me. I’ll see you at the beach.”
- Ally Scott, RECE
“Come to my cottage for brainstorming and pedagogical conversations, but first we must walk the beach.” Diane’s invitation both surprised and delighted me. I had exchanged multiple emails with Diane, had witnessed her impactful facilitation skills, and had even shared a bizarre celebrity interaction with her and a group of colleagues that felt surreal, and yet, I was pleasantly shocked to be invited to her cottage in Grand Bend.
Walking the beach that day taught me so much about Diane. The parallels to her ritual of searching for beach glass, while digging deeply into reflection are not lost on me. Beachcombers walk the beach to find something, whether it be a piece of glass, or a piece of themselves. Many stories and perspectives were shared while searching for beach glass. Tales of people who have shaped us into who we are today (the waves), situations that have caused us to question our integrity and “our why” (the storms), and the beauty and transformation that comes from the journey (the polished treasure) all mirror the process of “becoming beach glass”. Diane was the definition of authentic. She had the grace, and the guts to challenge you to think deeper. She would “call you in” to conversation to help you expand beyond singular ideas, and to consider multiple perspectives. The journey, or the process of becoming was symbolic to her.
Like beach glass, Diane’s legacy will live on for years and years to come. Her last blog post Legacy in Early Children Education: Embracing the Season of Giving Back, sums up her thoughts and her deep connectedness to relationships, materials, and Mother Earth.
You will be remembered Diane, for your gift of friendship, for your profound teachings, and your advocacy in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector. You have set the stage for everyone you have ever touched with your wisdom and words, to give back.”
- Sheri Spriggs, RECE
Photo taken from Cultivating Professional Friendships in Early Childhood Education by Diane Kashin p. 143.
On August 15, 2023, some of the Strive team were lucky enough to record an episode of Leading Inspired Learning: A Strive Podcast with Dr. Diane Kashin. Listen, or re-listen to this amazing episode below.
Diane also graciously let us repost her blog post, Reflecting on Mentorship and Professional Friendship in Early Childhood Education, where she shares her work towards challenging the current view of mentorship and professional friendship within early childhood education and care (ECEC). Diane also connects to and highlights the work of Strive team members Kayla and Haille as they aim to redefine what mentorship means within various contexts and advocate for the need for mentorship.
In the realm of guidance and inspiration, the loss of an incredible mentor leaves a great void, and as Diane illuminates the path for personal and professional growth, we will forever be attempting to follow in her footsteps.
August 15, 2023 at Diane’s cottage in Grand Bend. Lauren Goossens, Sheri Spriggs, Diane Kashin, Cindy Green, Haille Ifabumuyi, Kayla Bartlett, Ally Scott
Click HERE for information about the funeral happening on Thursday, January 4, 2024.
If it is within your means, memorial donations may be made to Rethink Breast Cancer Metastatic Breast Cancer Fund.
Diane and Cindy shared one of their favourite books, Pete the Cat, at Literacy Conference on May 9, 2018.