Alum of the Month: Délani Valin
November 16, 2022
Délani Valin’s passion for words started at just 10 years old when she would find interesting words in the thesaurus and write poems about them or insert them into poems. Now, the VIU Creative Writing grad has released her first book of poetry, Shapeshifters. This latest development should come as no surprise to anyone who knows Valin, who won The Malahat Review's Long Poem prize while still a... Read more
Alum of the Month: Dr. Serene Kerpan
September 24, 2022
When Dr. Serene Kerpan returned to Vancouver Island University this fall to teach and conduct research in the Kinesiology program, she was joining professors who had mentored her when she was a student at VIU years ago. Kerpan graduated from VIU in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in History and Sport, Health and Physical Education (SHAPE, now the Kinesiology program). Since... Read more
Alum of the Month: Bianca van der Stoel
July 8, 2022
After graduating from VIU’s Horticulture Technician program in 2019, Bianca van der Stoel has been busy growing her own Horticultural Therapy business, witnessing powerful moments of rehabilitation and joy as she helps people reconnect with nature. We caught up with Bianca to learn more about how her program helped her do what she’s doing now, and what’s next for her. Why did you choose VIU? I... Read more
Alum of the Month: Kholoud Madi
May 21, 2022
A desire to contribute to the community in a meaningful way and make a difference in the lives of local children motivated Kholoud Madi, a VIU Early Childhood Education and Care program graduate, to open her own preschool in Nanaimo. Elm Preschool is a full-day preschool program for children aged two and a half to five. We caught up with Madi to learn more about her new venture, and how VIU... Read more
Alum of the Month: Keanu Ienco
April 30, 2022
Ever since he picked up a guitar at age eight, music has been a passion for Keanu Ienco, who graduated from VIU in 2019 with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies. Earlier this year, Ienco, who is Métis and part Havasupai Native American, released his debut album, Celestial Desire, which he describes as an instrumental rock record. He shares more about his inspiration for the album and how VIU... Read more
Alum of the Month: Katelyn Horsley
January 26, 2022
VIU Psychology alum Katelyn Horsley is pursuing a graduate science degree with an undergraduate degree in the arts. After graduating from Vancouver Island University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts, Honours in Psychology, she began a Master of Science degree at the University of Calgary. Horsley credits her undergraduate experiences at VIU with setting her on her current journey. Why did you... Read more
Alum of the Month: Kevin Gourlay
December 20, 2021
On the last day of a week-long survey this summer in Strathcona Provincial Park, Vancouver Island University (VIU) alum Kevin Gourlay made a remarkable discovery – a new Vancouver Island marmot colony. The Vancouver Island marmot is Canada’s most endangered mammal. According to the Marmot Recovery Foundation, in 2004 there were fewer than 30 marmots remaining in the wild. Recovery efforts since... Read more
Alum of the Month: J’net Ayayqwayaksheelth
November 24, 2021
VIU alum J’net Ayayqwayaksheelth (One who gives away and still stands tall) recently took on a new, key role with the National Film Board of Canada – as the organization’s Director of Indigenous Relations and Community Engagement. In this role, she will provide leadership and cultural awareness within the NFB to implement organizational change and transformation at all levels of the institution,... Read more
Alum of the Month: Sandipan Debnath
October 25, 2021
Completing school and job hunting during a global pandemic didn’t slow Sandipan Debnath (Master of Business Administration ’21) down one bit. He’s now a Business Development Representative at Wrapbook, a US-based tech startup that is digitizing the entertainment payroll industry. Originally from Bangladesh, Debnath is now based out of Toronto at his current position. He shares more about his... Read more
Alum of the Month: Sara Guzman
September 15, 2021
Sara Guzman has always been fascinated by tiny things you can’t see with the naked eye, from microbes to chemical reactions in cells. It’s the reason Guzman knew she wanted a science career. Her parents encouraged her to pursue higher education. Guzman, originally from Bogota, Colombia, decided to attend university abroad and selected Vancouver Island University (VIU). She graduated from VIU in... Read more