Meet our team of teachers!
Christy Hill
Director and Teacher, ATCL, BSc
Christy started taking speech arts and drama lessons from Souzann McMillan when she was 8 years old and fell in love with memorizing poems and scenes and being the centre of attention while performing. She loved taking part in the yearly Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival and was honoured to qualify and perform at the Provincial Festival numerous times. During her tenth year of lessons, she started teaching and quickly saw how much she loved sharing her knowledge of Speech Arts with her students. Currently in her twentieth year of teaching, Christy teaches at our Saanich studio, online and at Glenlyon Norfolk School. She has her A.T.C.L. Performers Teaching Diploma in Speech and Drama as well as a B. Sc. in Biology. Many of Christy’s students have been chosen to perform at the Speech Honours Concert for the Greater Victoria Festival as well as representing Victoria (and winning!) at the Provincial Festival. Christy enjoys working with all of her students and loves seeing their growth throughout the year as well as the accomplishment and pride on their faces when they master a new poem or scene.
Email me: christyspeecharts@gmail.com
Souzann McMillan
Founder and Adviser
Souzann brings to our Speech and Dramatic Arts program many years of experience and training. She started her Speech Arts education at the tender age of 6 years old with renowned teacher Dr. Leona Paterson. Souzann holds diplomas in Speech Arts Performance and Teaching from Mount Royal College, Conservatory, Royal Conservatory of Toronto, and Trinity College, London, England. (AMRC, LMRC, ARCT, ATCL)
She also studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts, The Harlequin Theatre School, and Creative Drama at UBC. Souzann taught at Mount Royal College Conservatory for 18 years, where she was assistant to the head of Speech Arts for the last three years. She had the privilege of being instrumental in setting up a Public Speaking program for the Calgary City Police recruits training, as well as teaching the Calgary Police force, courses in Public Speaking as part of their community Policing program in 1972-73. Souzann was the Acting and Public Speaking teacher at St. Margaret’s School for 15 years. She has adjudicated Speech Festivals, examined and given workshops in Speech Arts and Drama throughout the three western provinces for many years.
It is her love for her work in Speech that has inspired her to continue to promote our program for young people in Speech and Dramatic Arts. She feels privileged to be able to work with such talented and enthusiastic young students.
See an article on Souzann and our Speech Arts Victoria program in the Seaside Magazine (pages 56-57): https://issuu.com/seasidetimes/docs/seaside0221forweb.
Brigitte Gilmour
Teacher, ATCL, BSc
Brigitte Gilmour began taking lessons from Speech Arts Victoria in grade 3 as a very shy child. Speech Arts has changed her life very positively since then. She began to grow her confidence and build her skills, eventually going on to represent the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival in the Junior category at the Provincial Festival.
Brigitte became a student teacher at the Conservatory at Mount Royal University in grade 12. Soon after, she began teaching under Souzann with Speech Arts Victoria while achieving a B.Sc. in Psychology at the University of Victoria. Brigitte is in her eighth year of teaching Speech Arts at St. Margaret’s School and has achieved her A.T.C.L. Performers Teaching Diploma in Speech and Drama. Her students have grown and flourished and have become capable and confident young adults. They have especially excelled at the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival over the years.
After many years of teaching Speech Arts, Brigitte is now working toward becoming a schoolteacher in Victoria. She gives full credit to her time teaching Speech Arts as her inspiration to become an elementary teacher. Her students inspire her every day.
Email me: b.gilmour@shaw.ca.
Mary Vincent
Student Teacher
Mary became a student of Speech Arts when she was six years old. She has always loved stories and poems but most of all sharing her love of literature with others through performing. Mary’s favorite part of Speech Arts was participating in the Greater Victoria Festival of Performing Arts. She was honored to go on and represent Victoria at the provincial festival, where she came in first place in both the Junior and Intermediate categories.
Mary is currently studying at the University of Victoria and will be graduating in April 2021 with a double major in English and History. Mary has achieved her Grade 8 in Speech and Dramatic Arts from Trinity College and is currently working towards her A.T.C.L. Performers Teaching Diploma in Speech and Drama. She learns and grows from her students everyday and loves to have the opportunity to pass on something she loved so much as a child.
Email me: maryvin668@gmail.com
Ortansa Somosan
Student Teacher
Ortansa has always loved listening to and reading stories. She began Speech Arts when she was seven years old, with Souzann McMillan as her instructor. At the beginning, she analysed and interpreted poems under Souzann’s guidance. Eventually, she progressed to prose, Shakespeare scenes, and solo scenes; prose always being her favourite due to its storytelling nature. Ortansa performed at the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival for many years and was selected to represent Victoria in the provincial festival numerous times.
Currently, Ortansa is studying at the University of Victoria, where she is working towards completing a Bachelor’s of Science in both Psychology and Biology. Ortansa is very passionate about teaching and has worked in the past as an English as a Second Language teacher. Additionally, she works with Canucks Autism Network teaching swimming lessons to children with autism. Alongside teaching, Ortansa loves to fill her free time by reading, exploring Victoria, and spending time with family.
Email me: orsomosan@gmail.com
Alaa Ibrahim
Student Teacher
Every piece Alaa performs is a new opportunity to step into someone else’s perspective, convey their thoughts, and diversify her capabilities. Performing poetry, prose, and solo scenes has taught Alaa how to transform language into a bridge between people. For over seven years, Alaa has been taking speech arts lessons in the Greater Victoria region; learning from Souzanne, Christy and Brigitte! She is currently a grade 12 student in her second year of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at St. Margaret’s School. In August of 2024, Alaa received distinction for the Trinity College London Speech & Drama Exam at the grade 7 level. Since then, Alaa has deeply enjoyed her time instructing speech arts lessons and helping young children reach their full potential as performers.
If you would like to reach out to Alaa, please feel free to do so using: aloucha.ibrahim@gmail.com
Liv Contreras McLennan
Student Teacher
Bio to come
Speech Arts Victoria 