VIU Alumni

Congratulations to all of our graduates who crossed the stage this week! Welcome to the VIU alumni community! 🎓🎉

🎓Congrats 2024 grads! Come to building 210 for your free LinkedIn headshots and swag. We want to meet you and welcome you to the alumni community!

Over the years, VIU Graphic Design alum Amy Pye has spent hours in the Chapters store in north Nanaimo, browsing for books with a coffee in hand. Never did she imagine she would see her own books there, but that is just what has happened! Amy has written 3 children’s books and they are all available for purchase at one of her favourite stores. Bring your kiddos and come meet Amy on July 7 at noon for her book signing. Congrats Amy!

Amy Pye - Illustration & Storytelling Illustrator & storyteller in Nanaimo, BC. Member of The Illustration Dept and SCBWI.
Graphic Design account: .ca

One assignment changed the trajectory of VIU alum Melissa Ayling’s life.
The paper she wrote for an upper-level Anthropology class about baklava and its significance to Middle Eastern identity sparked a passion for studying ancient food systems.

“I hadn’t realized that the relationship between food, culture and identity was something you could even study, but I knew then that it was the kind of research I wanted to pursue,” she remembers.

Now, Ayling is working on a master’s degree from Simon Fraser University and putting some of the brewing knowledge she gained to work as a commercial kombucha brewer.

Read more: https://news.viu.ca/alum-month-melissa-ayling

After graduating from high school, Stuart Dixon was looking for an inclusive and creative educational environment that also fostered community connections. Stuart found that at Vancouver Island University (VIU). Stuart started pursuing Geography and returned later on to complete a Master of Business Administration. Stuart says VIU’s commitment to working with First Nations, Métis, Inuit and other Indigenous groups made the university a more attractive choice to pursue graduate studies.

We caught up with Stuart to learn more about him and his role as the Director, Economic Development, Partnerships and Tourism at Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC). Link in bio.

Clair Morgan graduated from Vancouver Island University with a Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design. After graduation, Morgan opened Cosmo Packaging in Chemainus, a brick-and-mortar business specializing in branding and package design. She later transitioned out of this into managing creative projects for start-ups and established companies.
 
Morgan is the guest speaker during Omni, the VIU Graphic Design 2024 Grad Show on May 2, from 6 to 8 pm, in the Malaspina Theatre lobby (Building 310). This event will showcase the work of this year’s graduating students. Everyone is invited to attend to celebrate their accomplishments.
 
Read more about her time at VIU and since graduating. Link in bio.

A provincial conference with a VIU connection is coming to the Nanaimo campus this week.

The BC Political Studies Association Conference takes place this Thursday and Friday and will feature two keynote speakers: VIU Alumni Dr. Morgan Mowatt, and VIU’s Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership Dr. Michael MacKenzie.

The event is open to the public and MacKenzie encourages people to attend: “This is a conference about public issues that people know and care about, and the people who are presenting at this conference spend their time studying these things and we have a lot of interesting things to say about them,” he said.

Learn more: https://news.viu.ca/political-scientists-coming-viu-provincial-conference

It can be difficult to qualify for critical illness insurance, but with this special offer from our partner, iA Financial Group, your acceptance is guaranteed.

Critical illness insurance provides a tax-free lump sum payment if you are diagnosed with one of 25 covered illnesses. You will receive payment whether or not you are able to work while you are ill, and whether or not a full recovery is made. Plus, you are free to use the money in any way you choose.

Find out how you can take advantage of this limited time offer. www.specialmarkets.ia.ca/viuapply

Hey VIU Alumni! Are you in Victoria on May 8? Join us and Vancouver Island University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Deborah Saucier in Victoria for an evening of reconnecting with fellow graduates.

VIU Alumni Meet & Greet - Victoria Join us after work in Victoria for an evening of reconnecting with fellow graduates.

Congrats to Kate Wilson, owner of Pink Bow Patisserie, on opening her own business!

Congrats to Kate Wilson, owner of Pink Bow Patisserie, on opening her own business! Kate graduated from the Baking and Pastry Arts program in 2020 and now that her wholesale business is thriving, her next move is to open her own bakery 🍞

“If you told me when I finished school that I’d be supporting myself with my baking business a few years after graduating, I wouldn’t have believed you,” she says. “Having the confidence of my program behind me, the connections and network I’ve developed along the way, a supportive partner and my passion for baking has led me here!”

Read more about Kate's journey on the , and check out what the Baking and Pastry Arts program has to offer at the Trades & Tech Showcase happening April 6 on campus.

https://www.viu.ca/blog/rising-challenge-opening-her-own-baking-business

VIU Alumni

🥕🐰The Bunny Trail is back this week at Milner Gardens! 🐰🥕

How many bunnies can you find hiding in the Gardens? Come find out!
 
🕰️ On from March 28th - 31st, 11:00am - 4:30pm with viewing until 5:00pm.
 
Alumni with an alumni benefit card or digital alumni app can purchase an individual annual membership for $12 (regular price $30) or a household annual membership for $24 (regular price $50).

[🍵]  The Camellia Tea Room will be open Friday - Sunday from 12:00pm - 3:00pm. No reservations required.

🐾 Only certified guide dogs are permitted in the grounds.

🎟️ $10/Adults, $6/Youth
Children, Milner Members and current VIU students are FREE.

Congrats to VIU alum Mary Anne Molcan! Her lino-block print Plexus was selected as part of the Boston Printmakers 75th Anniversary North American Print Biennial and was featured in Artscope Magazine.
 
“It was an absolute honour to have my work profiled in Boston by Artscope Magazine,” says Mary Anne who graduated from VIU in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts, major in Visual Arts and minor in Psychology.
 
We caught up with her to find out more about her work being featured in the magazine, her creative process and her learning experience at VIU.
Read her story at news.viu.ca or the link in bio.
 

A desire to share the stories of extraordinary women led VIU Education grad Haley Healey to become a published author in 2020.

“Women are underrepresented in history books and history in general,” she explains. “It’s been exciting to shed light on some of their accomplishments and even hardships.”

Learn more about the woman who inspired Haley to start writing and the impact the stories have had on readers on the , link in bio!

Safe, supported and valued are three words Rayan Zeineddine uses to describe how he feels in his current job as Housing Admissions Coordinator with VIU Residences.
 
Rayan grew up in Lebanon. After high school, he pursued a degree in medical laboratory technology. He was good at chemistry and biology, so his first thought was to go into medicine.
 
After finishing his bachelor’s degree in 2015, Rayan decided to leave his home country for a job as an elementary school science teacher in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he worked from 2016 to 2021.
 
During this time, he began to look abroad at what different universities offered for graduate studies. In 2018, he applied to the Master of Education program. We caught up with Rayan to learn more about the VIU grad and current employee. Link in bio.

Do you ever wonder what factors can affect your insurance premiums and how you can save? For many, home and auto insurance can be confusing! Join our affinity program partner TD Insurance on February 28 from 12 to 1 pm for a VIU Alumni Talks webinar that will help demystify some insurance basics. 

This session will include: 
• how insurance works
• debunking common insurance myths
• insurance coverage basics,
• factors that can affect premiums and
• ways to save on your insurance.
If you join us you’ll be entered to win a $100 gas card! Register via the Microsoft Teams link in bio. 
 

VIU Alumni Association & TD Insurance present: Home and Auto Insurance 101
Do you ever wonder what factors can affect your insurance premiums and how you can save? For many, home and auto insurance can be confusing! Join our affinity program partner TD Insurance on February 28 from 12 to 1 pm for a VIU Alumni Talks webinar that will help demystify some insurance basics.

This session will include:

- how insurance works
- debunking common insurance myths
- insurance coverage basics,
- factors that can affect premiums and
- ways to save on your insurance.

If you join us you'll be entered to win a $100 gas card! Register via the Microsoft Teams link below: 0de0f31d-1ae5-423c-ab53-0054d15925dc@128dfef5-fdd5-4cfc-be19-3679ed0271ce" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/0de0f31d-1ae5-423c-ab53-0054d15925dc@128dfef5-fdd5-4cfc-be19-3679ed0271ce

Dr. Morgan Mowatt is an advocate for Indigenous sovereignty in Indigenous-state relations. As a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow in Indigenous governance at the University of Victoria, the VIU alum is researching the application of Indigenous authority-making processes to Indigenous-state diplomacy.
 
Their interest in this area of research started when they were an undergraduate student at VIU. Mowatt, who is Gitxsan and still lives on Snuneymuxw First Nation territory, remembers professors in the Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies program refusing to qualify Indigenous knowledge within Western knowledge systems, which became a catalyst with how they engage with their research now. Read more about their journey since graduating from VIU in 2017 using the link in bio or go to news.viu.ca

Attention all VIU & Malaspina Mariners volleyball alumni! The VIU Mariners and VIU Alumni Relations are inviting you back to campus for a day of volleyball and socializing on Saturday, February 17.
 
🏐 Receive free admission for you and any family members to the VIU Mariners vs. Columbia Bible College Bearcats varsity volleyball games at 1 & 3 pm in the VIU gym
🏐 Enjoy complimentary snacks, prizes, and an alumni t-shirt courtesy of the VIU Alumni Relations team.
🏐 Return to the court and play in alumni volleyball games from 5:30 to 7 pm.
🏐 After the games, head next door to an exclusive VIUSU Pub social from 7 to 11 pm (All family members must be 19+).
 
Please register via the Eventbrite link in bio. There is no charge to attend. Please share this info with your teammates and we look forward to celebrating together with you this Saturday!

Calling all VIU & Malaspina Mariners basketball alumni! The VIU Mariners and VIU Alumni Relations are inviting you to back to campus for a day of basketball and socializing on Saturday, February 3.

🏀Receive free admission for you and any family members to the VIU Mariners vs. Columbia Bible College Bearcats varsity basketball games at 1 & 3 p.m. at the VIU Gym
🏀Celebrate the anniversaries of the men’s basketball national championship teams from 1994 and 2013
🏀Enjoy complimentary snacks and prizes courtesy of VIU Alumni Relations
🏀Sign up for the VIU Alumni Perks App that features dozens of benefits and discounts
🏀After the games, head next door to an exclusive VIUSU Pub social from 5-11 p.m. (Must be 19+)
 
Please register your attendance via Eventbrite link in bio. There is no charge to attend. Please share this info with your teammates and we look forward to celebrating together in February.

Calling all VIU & Malaspina Mariners basketball alumni! The VIU Mariners and VIU Alumni Relations are inviting you to back to campus for a day of basketball and socializing on Saturday, February 3.

🏀Receive free admission for you and any family members to the VIU Mariners vs. Columbia Bible College Bearcats varsity basketball games at 1 & 3 p.m. at the VIU Gym
🏀Celebrate the anniversaries of the men’s basketball national championship teams from 1994 and 2013
🏀Enjoy complimentary snacks and prizes courtesy of VIU Alumni Relations
🏀Sign up for the VIU Alumni Perks App that features dozens of benefits and discounts
🏀After the games, head next door to an exclusive VIUSU Pub social from 7-11 p.m. (Must be 19+)
 
Please register your attendance via Eventbrite link in bio. There is no charge to attend. Please share this info with your teammates and we look forward to celebrating together on February 3.

Coming to Vancouver Island University (then Malaspina College) in the early 1990s was a turning point in Perry Bulwer’s life.

He had dropped out of high school in 1972 to join a fundamentalist Christian cult when he was just 16 years old. When he got out 20 years later, he described himself as “intellectually starving.” The Liberal Studies program helped him overcome his religious indoctrination and take the next steps in his career. After graduating, he went on to become a social activist and lawyer.

Now retired, Bulwer has turned to writing and published his memoir, Misguided: My Jesus Freak Life In A Doomsday Cult, in September 2023. He also continues to advocate for other cult survivors.

Here’s more about his transformative journey from life in a cult, to lawyer, to published author: https://news.viu.ca/alum-month-perry-bulwer

VIU Alumni

Attention all VIU & Malaspina Mariners volleyball alumni! The VIU Mariners and VIU Alumni Relations are inviting you back to campus for a day of volleyball and socializing on Saturday, February 17.
 
🏐 Receive free admission for you and any family members to the VIU Mariners vs. Columbia Bible College Bearcats varsity volleyball games at 1 & 3 pm in the VIU gym
🏐 Enjoy complimentary snacks, prizes, and an alumni t-shirt courtesy of the VIU Alumni Relations team.
🏐 Return to the court and play in alumni volleyball games from 5:30 to 7 pm.
🏐 After the games, head next door to an exclusive VIUSU Pub social from 7 to 11 pm (All family members must be 19+).
 
Please register via the Eventbrite link in bio. There is no charge to attend. Please share this info with your teammates and we look forward to celebrating together with you in February!

Did you miss Christina Mansueti's VIU Colloquium talk? This alum used the TV comedies Chewing Gum and Fleabag to illustrate how these shows negotiate contemporary feminisms. Watch a video of her lecture online @ https://news.viu.ca/community-classroom/community-classroom-blog/how-are-contemporary-feminisms

Calling all VIU & Malaspina Mariners basketball alumni! The VIU Mariners and VIU Alumni Relations are inviting you to back to campus for a day of basketball and socializing on Saturday, February 3.
🏀Receive free admission for you and any family members to the VIU Mariners vs. Columbia Bible College Bearcats varsity basketball games at 1 & 3 p.m. at the VIU Gym
🏀Celebrate the anniversaries of the men’s basketball national championship teams from 1994 and 2013
🏀Enjoy complimentary snacks and prizes courtesy of VIU Alumni Relations
🏀Sign up for the VIU Alumni Perks App that features dozens of benefits and discounts
🏀After the games, head next door to an exclusive VIUSU Pub social from 7-11 p.m. (Must be 19+)
 
Please register your attendance via Eventbrite link in bio. There is no charge to attend. Please share this info with your teammates and we look forward to celebrating together in February.

Marisa Turner graduated from VIU’s Bachelor of Business Administration, Major in Marketing program in 2022 and wasted no time in starting her own design firm – Marisa Turner Design.  See link in bio for the full story

The Criminology Student Association is inviting all VIU criminology alums to promote socialization, networking and connections between faculty, students, alumni and individuals working within the criminology field. This event will have a raffle, and one on one connections with individuals that are working to make our communities safe and ensure everyone has access to the resources they need to be successful in life. Link in bio.

Happy Thank You Thursday! 🌟 🎈❤

A massive THANK YOU to all the incredible people who rocked Giving Tuesday at VIU! 🚀

Your support is already transforming dreams into reality with a total of over $350,000 raised for scholarships and more. 🎓

This year marks a new record for first-time donors to VIU.
We are so grateful and welcome our new donors—welcome to the giving party! 🎉

This community is the force driving positive change and making our future shine bright. 🙌

VIU's Alumni Association will be at Milner Christmas Magic on Sunday, December 3, 2023. Bring your family within your household and check-in with your alumni ID at the VIU Alumni table for free entry. The first 100 alumni and their immediate families within their household will receive a welcome treat and alumni will receive an entry into a draw for a chance to win 1 of 3 prizes.

To receive a second entry into the draw, use your alumni discount to purchase an annual pass for you or your family. Bring your receipt back to us as proof to receive your second ballot.

The park opens at 5pm and entry closes at 8pm. The park closes at 8:30pm. Milner Gardens will have a small concession near the house and their gift shop will be open. There is no ATM on site.

See the link in our bio for more information!

We had a great time catching up with our wonderful alums at the Nanaimo Meet & Greet!

Several deans and professors came to chat with their former students and VIU President, Dr. Saucier, gave an inspiring speech. Follow our socials and sign up for the perks app (viu.alumni-perks.com) to find out about the next event!