Future Students

VIU’s First Nations Housing Manager certificate program trains housing managers who work with on-reserve housing. The training program was developed with some initial funding support from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

 A few months ago, Russell Modeste wasn’t sure what direction he wanted to take in his career. 

After completing Adult Basic Education upgrading courses at VIU, he decided to explore different options.

“I wanted to see what trade would interest me. At first, it was carpentry, and then it was heavy equipment operating,” he says.

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.

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

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.

Every June, people around the world celebrate Pride month. The VIU Positive Space Alliance encourages our community to renew their commitment to creating spaces that are safe and inclusive for 2SLGBTQ+ members of our communities this year. Here are some ideas that can help you demonstrate that you’re an ally:

Marcel Du Pleissis is graduating from Vancouver Island University this June with a Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology diploma. He decided to enrol in the diploma program as a foundational learning step and plans on returning to VIU this fall to pursue a Bachelor of Science, Major in Biology.