Future Students

As an international student, experiencing cultural shocks when changing countries is the norm. My name is Becky, and I moved to Nanaimo from Mumbai at the beginning of 2023, as a student fresh out of high school. Here are a few things about VIU that stood out to me during my first few weeks.

Ted Nathanson is currently the manager of Wildplay in Nanaimo, a position he has held since February 2019. His journey to this position began when Ted decided to enroll in VIU’s Tourism Management program.

Here’s what he says about his working at Wildplay and how VIU helped prepare him for it.

VIU History student Ethan Hummel put his classroom learning into practice at the Nanaimo Museum. He worked as a heritage interpreter at the museum through the Young Canada Works program this spring and last fall. 

Ethan says his first-year history classes gave him a strong base for working in the Nanaimo Museum. He also gained a new perspective on Canadian history because the museum works closely with Snuneymuxw cultural knowledge experts and Elders.

Olivia Wright grew up in Whitehorse, Yukon, and moved to Nanaimo just before starting high school. During her Grade 12 year, she applied to the Bachelor of Business Administration program at VIU.

“My dream is to own a successful business that positively impacts others,” she says.

Olivia is starting her career in human resources as an intern with Western Forest Products. Here’s how VIU is helping her get where she wants to go.

It took Emily McComb half a year to find her fit at Vancouver Island University. After spending a semester exploring a nursing career, she made the switch to tourism management – a decision she’s never regretted now that she’s thriving as a sports management professional. Emily graduated from VIU in 2021 with a Bachelor of Tourism Management degree, as well as a diploma in Sports and Recreation Management and a certificate in Event Management.

Atticus Mercredi doesn’t remember his mother. 

What he knows, he learned from his siblings. His mother Glenda Faye Ledoux, from the Mistawasis Cree First Nation, was a resilient woman. She was tough, tenacious and wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself. She was a residential school Survivor and struggled with addiction because of colonial trauma. Her 12 children were taken from her by social services, and she fought to get them back up until her death in 1999. She died from complications of stomach cancer at 41.

Since 2018, VIU’s Cooperative Entrepreneur Training Program (CETP) has been offering students with disabilities or those who have faced employment challenges the opportunity to learn the essential skills of being an entrepreneur.

Natasha Marshall Gallic from c̓išaaʔatḥ, Tseshaht First Nation, wants to create connections and support her community members, whether they live at home or away from the community. Traditional foods are an important part of that connection, which is why she created miʔaat Community Supported Fisheries.

At the start of her university journey, Bachelor of Education student Sherry Wessel was very shy. So shy, she shook when she had to talk in front of the class. As her program progressed, she became more confident in herself and as a teacher. Fast forward to today and she’s representing the Class of 2023 as a valedictorian at convocation. Sherry shares more about her VIU journey and some advice for students following the same path. 

As a first-generation university student, Teagan Howden felt lost when she first started in VIU’s Digital Media Studies program in 2018. Fast forward to today and she is gearing up for the next step on her journey towards becoming a corporate lawyer – a master’s degree. She shares highlights of her time at VIU and her best advice for current students.