Alumni

Kate Wilson was working in a bakery when she decided to take a step further and pursue a professional designation through VIU’s Baking and Pastry Arts program. She graduated from the program in 2020 and is now the owner of Pink Bow Patisserie, which sells wholesale cakes and pastries.

Safe, supported and valued are three words Rayan Zeineddine uses to describe how he feels in his current job as Housing Admissions Coordinator with VIU Residences.

Rayan grew up in Lebanon. After high school, he pursued a degree in medical laboratory technology. He was good at chemistry and biology, so his first thought was to go into medicine.

Valentina Chichiniova remembers being fascinated by the concept of the human psyche when she was introduced to it for the first time in a high school philosophy class.

“I wanted to learn more about what makes us human and informs our behaviour and struggles,” she recalls.

Jiayi Li can still vividly recall the step-by-step process of securing his dream job in Nanaimo.

All VIU Master of Business Administration students are required to do an internship to complete the program. After some research, Jiayi.  successfully pitched his skill-set to IWC Excavation.

Taryn Walker graduated from Vancouver Island University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Hospitality Management. After working in various positions in the hospitality and tourism industries, she is now VIU’s Alumni Relations Coordinator.

This blog series shares the stories of VIU alumni to help inspire the next generation of learners. In this blog, Taryn tells me more about her career path and what skills she has acquired over the years that have come in handy in other positions.