Current Students

Culinary Arts students at VIU Cowichan recently served up a multitude of soups with a side of community spirit.

It was all a part of the program’s Soup Challenge – a two-day event that brings together flavour, creativity and skill to give back to the community in a unique way.

Growing up with a brother who has non-verbal autism, Brant Cartwright recalls “always feeling off” about the limited representation of people living with disabilities that he saw in both media and the fashion industry.

The fifth-year VIU Bachelor of Education student felt compelled to search out companies with inclusive employment and representation practices.

“It is shocking how little has been done,” Brant says.

In celebration of National Work-Integrated Learning Month, the Centre for Experiential Learning (CEL) wants to bring awareness to the various career and work-integrated learning services VIU has to offer.

Looking for work while going to university can be a stressful and time-consuming task. Seeking a job that is relevant to your program of study can make the search even more complicated. The good news is that VIU has its own online job board that offers thousands of opportunities specifically geared towards students and their programs of study.

This is a check-in. How are you really doing? Recent world events, specifically Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are causing an increased level of angst for many of us, whether we are directly impacted by this war or not.

Phishing, gift card scams, fake email address, text messages pretending to be your boss - call it what you will but this type of fraud cost Canadians $54 Million last year.  

The good news is that most frauds can be prevented by being aware of the methods used by fraudsters and spotting them early. 

International Women’s Day, on Tuesday, March 8, celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and girls. It is also a time to raise awareness and take action for women’s equality and to work towards a world that is free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.

The planet is enduring collective trauma, from COVID-19, to climate change, to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. As a student, I’m finding it impossible to sit through a two-hour lecture and not feel uncertainty and fear coating my skin.

Navigating scary times is certainly not easy, but I find it helpful to first remind myself that my feelings are valid. Anxiety, uneasiness and lack of concentration are all part of the not-so-pretty aspects of the human experience. Especially when the world around you seems to be balancing on a tight rope.

VIU just added two new career services staff members who will focus on getting more employers to hire students, and helping students become more successful in work-integrated learning opportunities (like co-ops and internships) and transitioning to the workplace.

As the guest services manager at Pacific Shores Resort & Spa in Nanoose Bay, Omar Almolla’s duties vary widely and involve numerous aspects to help ensure the continued smooth operation of the resort.

From shift scheduling to security, overseeing resort amenities to departmental objectives, it’s a given that no two days on the job are the same.

We hope Study Days are going well for those of you in academic programs! Now might be a good time to take stock of the rest of the semester and see if you can fit any of the events listed below into your schedule. For example, registration is now open for CREATE, our biggest celebration of student research.