Current Students

One of the key elements of each of VIU's convocation ceremonies is the valedictory address. 

Elected by their peers, a valedictorian gives a congratulatory address to fellow graduates and their friends and family. This year, we decided to do things a little differently, with valedictorians representing the different Faculties rather than one valedictorian per ceremony. Below, you'll find the valedictorian videos for each Faculty.

Siddhanth Arikari & Lauryn Mackenzie, Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Danielle Groenendijk is graduating from VIU this June with a Bachelor of Science, major in Biology and minor in Kinesiology – graduating with honours.

She is also a member of the VIU Mariners women’s volleyball team and the combination of both a strong volleyball program and the academic programs offered was a major factor in why she decided to attend VIU. 

Next week we are hosting our biggest event of the year on campus – convocation! There are three ceremonies that take place June 23 and 24.

June is Indigenous History Month, during which we mark the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. One of the ways VIU is marking Indigenous History Month is by highlighting the voices and works of some Indigenous writers who are part of our community.

Phishing attacks are one of the most common online scams around. Taking the bait can lead to loss of funds and breaches of personal, health or financial information. And if that wasn’t bad enough, phishing is now one of the primary entry points for ransomware.

Don’t get reeled in, get cyber safe.

Be aware that phishing has various forms, including:

Are you wondering, “How do I apply to Vancouver Island University?” Recruitment Officers Dylan Ewen and Jordan Werezak created this step-by-step video to walk you through the process: 

Siddhanth Arikari is graduating this June with a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media Studies. Siddhanth is co-valedictorian for the faculty of Arts and Humanities, sharing the honour with fellow grad Lauryn Mackenzie.

Lauryn Mackenzie is graduating this June with a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media Studies. She is co-valedictorian for the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, sharing the honour with fellow grad Siddhanth Arikari.

Lauryn is excited to see what the future holds and after graduation plans see where to road takes her.

Rebecca Timmons loves helping kids get excited about science. For the past few months, the fourth-year VIU Fisheries and Aquaculture student has been working as a Let’s Talk Science site coordinator, which is coordinated out of the Deep Bay Marine Field Station.

June is an important month in our community. It marks both Indigenous History Month, during which we mark the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples across Canada. It is also Pride month in many of the communities VIU serves. We will be sharing VIU stories, resources and notices about events throughout the month in recognition of both.