Sharing the stories of VIU students, faculty and alum
International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The Government of Canada’s theme for International Women’s Day 2025 is Strength in every story:
“This year’s theme highlights the importance of amplifying the voices of all women, particularly those who continue to face barriers to success. Creating opportunities for women and girls unlocks their potential and drives innovation, supports Canada’s economy and helps ensure a sustainable future for all. Every woman’s story is a testament to resilience, determination and the power of opportunity,” says Women and Gender Equity Canada.
In honour of this theme, we are highlighting 14 stories from our VIU community of leaders that we told over the last year.
Tarah Dowling, VIU Visual Art student
Tarah Dowling created the art installation We Are the Change You Want to See, which she says gives a “brief glimpse into the world of living in foster care and how the Tuition Waiver program is changing lives.” It includes portraits of 15 tuition waiver students and a recording of them sharing some of their experiences.
“I was inspired by their stories. To hear about their hardships and what they overcame to get themselves to school is amazing. Hearing from some people who were living on the streets at some point and having social workers tell them about the program, while not even having an address to qualify for this grant,” says Tarah.
Alyona Latsinnik, Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies program student
A journalism course project led to Alyona Latsinnik breaking a viral election story that exposed a Conservative candidate’s racist remarks about Indigenous people. As part of a class project she interviewed Marina Sapozhnikov, the Conservative candidate for Juan de Fuca-Malahat, on election night. The story broke in the Vancouver Sun and was quickly picked up by various other news outlets.
“I realized what she said was so harmful and damaging, and if she won, she would represent three First Nations. I could only imagine her take on the issues they are facing. I thought it had to do with my journalistic integrity to bring this up and make it public because people deserve to know,” she says.
Aiden Kilcommons, Bachelor of Science, Geoscience alum
Aiden Kilcommons was one of only 26 geoscience students from post-secondary institutions across Canada to receive a coveted all-expenses paid spot in the Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop. Aiden has always been interested in rocks growing up, which is one of the reasons she chose to pursue geoscience. She says a core memory is “my grandma and I collecting rocks to polish in a Sears-bought rock tumbler.”
“I consider myself very privileged to have been chosen to spend two weeks learning about the many disciplines of geology from top industry professionals,” says Aiden.
Rinny Jose, Master of Business Administration alum
Rinny Jose says she took a “leap of faith” to come from India and pursue a Master of Business Administration in Canada at VIU. Rinny made the move, completed the program and now works full-time with the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce, where she has found her passion for public relations, marketing and community engagement as an Information Service Coordinator.
“I’m focused on making a meaningful impact in my current role at the chamber while continuing to grow personally and professionally. My goal is to deepen my expertise in public relations and community engagement,” says Rinny.
Rosalynn White, Bachelor of Business Administration student
Rosalynn White is balancing the demands of raising two young children with getting the education she needs to take the next step in her career. She did the first two years of her program online so that she could juggle family duties with her studies.
“It kind of instilled a newfound confidence in myself,” she says. “It's not something I thought I would be doing at this time in my life, with two young children, but it’s been the best experience, and it’s made me so happy and excited for the future. I feel like my kids are going to be proud of me looking back, that I got to do this while they were little and see their mom do it.”
Hilary Peach, VIU Welding alum
Hilary Peach has worked as a boilermaker at job sites across North America for almost 30 years. The VIU alum has written a book about her experience, Thick Skin: Field Notes From a Sister in the Brotherhood. It won the Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction award from the University of Waterloo.
“I feel honoured, gratified and truly pleased that this book is recognized through this prestigious award,” she says. “It means people are seeing it as a really good book, not just a novelty, or ‘that book by that welder.’”
Dr. Wendy Simms, Education Professor
In 2022, the United Nations said that climate change is the defining crisis of our time, but education on this topic is lacking in many Canadian classrooms. Dr. Wendy Simms and a team of researchers are creating a curated list of children’s picture books that can help with challenging conversations related to climate change, climate justice and climate anxiety.
“The climate crisis is impacting everyone differently and we need to create space for different perspectives, value systems and lived experiences,” she explains. “The stories found in picture books allow us to do this.”
Dr. Imogene Lim, Honorary Research Associate
A commitment to community advocacy has earned retired VIU Anthropology Professor Dr. Imogene Lim a King Charles III Coronation Medal. NDP MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith Lisa Marie Barron, who presented Lim with the award, said she has affected social change locally, regionally and provincially.
“This award acknowledges the physical and social environment that shaped my engagement with communities north and south of Nanaimo, and the mainland,” says Imogene. “In addition, it reflects the community to which I belong. I am the descendant of two head-tax payers, viewed at the time as undesirable and not worthy of belonging in Canada. This award is not for me, but for my elders (the lo wah kiu). They made opportunities possible for those, like me, who stand on their shoulders.”
Dr. Sharon Karsten, Recreation and Tourism Management Professor
Amid BC’s ongoing, toxic drug crisis, Dr. Sharon Karsten is using an arts-based, community-engaged approach to help people “come together in new ways to imagine and create change.” The Recreation and Tourism Management Professor is a director of Walk With Me, a project that began in 2019 when she was the director of the Comox Valley Art Gallery. The project includes “Story Walks,” where participants don individual headsets and go for a walk while listening to curated stories about people with lived experiences with toxic drugs, putting a human face on the issue.
“I witnessed first-hand the impact the drug poisoning crisis was having on our community,” says Sharon. “People we felt strong connections with were passing away, not just around the gallery, but youth in our programs and artists with whom we were working. The experience of being in a community organization and seeing the impact of the crisis from that lens is really what started the project. We wanted to know what a gallery could do to make a change.”
Geraldine Manson (C-tasi:a) and Thiyuas - Florence James, VIU Elders-in-Residence
Geraldine Manson (C-tasi:a) and Thiyuas - Florence James, a current and retired VIU Elder-in-Residence, were awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal last fall for their role as culture keepers.
“I’m just in awe about it, I have been thanking my beautiful Elders in my heart for all of the teachings they have passed along,” says C-tasi:a.
Photo: Dirk Heydemann of HA Photography.
Dr. Alexandra Weissfloch, Chemistry Professor, and Lily Eggert, Bachelor of Science, Chemistry student
Dr. Alexandra Weissfloch and Lily Eggert partnered with the Pacific Salmon Foundation to develop a searchable database of boat cleaning and maintenance products and advice on eco-friendly cleaning with minimal environmental impact. The database highlights toxic boat cleaning products that can harm aquatic ecosystems and eco-friendly alternatives.
“The aquatic environment is so important for the ecosystem and healthy organisms from salmon to orcas. When you have boats in a marina, they are fairly concentrated in a small area. Anything that people use to clean their boats ends up in the water. It can have a significant effect on the organisms there,” says Alexandra.
Becky Earhart, Psychology Professor
Dr. Becky Earhart is researching destination memory, how someone remembers who they told something to, and what information they shared. She is trying to assess how well children can remember who they told something to, compared to adults, which has important implications for child witnesses in the legal system.
“We’ve all had the experience of telling someone a story and realizing part way through it that we may have already told them this information,” says Becky, the Director of VIU’s Developmental Forensic Psychology Lab. “We’re interested in finding out more about how this type of memory develops from childhood to adulthood and what factors influence how difficult it is to remember who you told something to.”
Dr. Georgina Martin, Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies Professor
Dr. Georgina Martin’s book Drumming Our Way Home: Intergenerational Learning, Teaching, and Indigenous Ways of Knowing draws inspiration from her Secwépemc culture and the teachings of her grandparents.
“The book will speak to readers across intellectual, socio-economic and cultural borders. It has a wide appeal for anyone learning about the self through self-examination while moving to self-actualization. It is an Indigenous approach that incorporates the care and reflexivity of Storywork as a teaching and learning model. My hope is that it resonates with anyone seeking to engage in reconciliation and cultural interface between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people,” says Georgina.
Photo: Focal Point Studios
Dr. Whitney Wood, VIU’s Canada Research Chair in Historical Dimensions of Women’s Health, and research assistants Elise Cullon and Katie Carroll
VIU researchers Dr. Whitney Wood, Elise Cullon and Katie Carroll are digitizing Vancouver Women’s Health Collective documents to preserve feminist health activism for future study. It is part of Wood’s project focusing on pelvic health and public health in the twentieth century. She said studies on women tend to focus on reproduction. Gathering and archiving this health information can help identify the historical roots of gaps in care that continue to disproportionately affect women, non-binary and gender-diverse individuals today.
“Preserving and publishing these histories shows the promise of feminist models of care and feminist health activism, which have the potential to impact current efforts to improve women’s health,” says Whitney.
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