Student Stories

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.

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.

When Tapiwa Shoko, also known as Taps, began searching for post-secondary opportunities, Vancouver Island University caught his eye due to the hands-on learning opportunities available. Taps, from Harare, Zimbabwe, graduates from VIU this June with a Bachelor of Hospitality Management. He is currently working as a student ambassador and for VIU Residences and exploring future options.

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.

“Although the primary goal of the internship was to learn and adapt to the Canadian work environment, I felt compelled to do more,” said Jiayi, who came to study at VIU as an international student.

Everyone deserves equal access to education, yet barriers remain for some learners.

Amber Thomas ran into challenges when she wanted to take a computer science course at her university in Alberta. The accessibility tools available there would not work for her computer science course because it needed specialized tools. Amber is blind and uses a screen reader to complete her courses. 

Jane Dean has been passionate about working with children and youth for as long as she can remember. When she started the Child and Youth Care program at VIU, her goal was to create a positive impact in the lives of others.

She is now seeing her goal come to fruition. She’s been helping to organize a large outdoor event at Georgia Avenue Community School  school in Nanaimo’s Harewood community.

Fernando Jesus Medina Moreno’s university experience was so much more than what he learned in the classroom. The Bachelor of Business Administration student from Mexico City got involved in many different aspects of university life. Throughout these experiences, he picked up many important soft skills as well as the knowledge he gained from his courses. He graduates this June and hopes to work for a marketing agency on Vancouver Island. 

Ottis Crabbe still clearly recalls the “electric” atmosphere of competing on the global culinary stage last year.

The Inclusive Theatre Collective is presenting The Fear of Missing Out by Canadian playwright Michaela di Cesare this April.

The play tells the story of Olive, a high school student who wants to research and write about a string of assaults and disappearances at bus stops in her neighbourhood for the school paper. She spends most of her time working in her parents’ deli under their supervision. Her friend Vincent, an aspiring forensic scientist on the autism spectrum, helps Olive with her research. Meanwhile, her best friend T-Star starts to pull away from the friendship.