Canadian QEII Undergraduate Scholars
Katie Temporal
Born in Ontario I have always been pulled to the outdoors. I spent my childhood holidays in a tent and I believe that set the foundation for my love of all things nature. Now, I spend my summers as a tree planter - hoping one day to camp under the shade of my trees. My time in Thailand as a Rotary Youth Exchange student broadened my knowledge on wordly manners, which ultimately has impacted my future studies. As a third year Global Studies student, I am passionate about human rights, resource management, and all things sustainability. I have been welcomed to Pulua Tengah, Malaysia, as a sustainability intern, working with the island's only resort and NGO conservation program. I am pleased to see these human connections intertwined with my dedication to the field come full circle, working with Batu Batu and Tengah Island Conservation feels like a reward. My passion for community, yoga, and learning are being nourished as I work with locals and Indigenous communities in the peninsula. For the next three months I'll be here; avoiding pythons and shoes.
Sam Statchuk
Born and raised all around central Alberta I knew I wouldn’t be staying there for long. My education has taken me to many different universities and countries including studying at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and volunteering at Moria refugee camp in Lesvos. Through all of these global ventures, I have learned that I have a passion for culturally immersive experiences, authentic travel and spontaneous adventures!
It was this discovery that led me to pursue my bachelor's in Tourism Management at Vancouver Island University because why not make a career out of my passion for travelling? Day to day I can be found with my head in a good book, outside trying to build my photography skills, practicing yoga, watching wildlife documentaries, drinking good wine or feeding my foodie side! I am honoured to join the community of Queen Elizabeth Scholars and look forward to expanding my worldview and understanding on a global scale. It is my hope to pursue an ecotourism and conservation internship as part of my QE scholarship and I look forward to what the future may hold.
Tanisha Wilson
My name is Tanisha, I was born and raised in Nanaimo. Currently, I’m in my fourth year of the Kinesiology program.
I am very passionate about improving the quality of life of those around me and through my internship in community and social development within Bali, Indonesia I hope to improve economic development and sustainable tourism. I hope to improve the education system and health services offered by educating and assisting Balinese people in order to create new jobs and improve economic development. Some examples I plan to incorporate into my internship will be assisting children with educational programs or workshops that build confidence and self-esteem, contributing to event organization and planning for capacity building projects and assisting with skill development programs that focus on vocational skills.
Jeremy Stehr-So
My name is Jeremy Stehr-So and I am finishing up my third year of geography and global studies at VIU. After a not so brief sojourn in the working world, I enrolled in university to feed my academic side, enjoying everything from philosophy, to French, to creative writing and of course thinking about people and the earth in geography and global studies.
I’ve paired my scholarly pursuits with all of Nanaimo’s natural offerings- biking, sailing, hiking and walking trails. You might also find me around town playing music, hosting trivia nights or cabarets, playing basketball, dancing at silent discos or grabbing a drink at the pub with friends.
This spring/summer, I will be spending three hot months working at Outward Bound Malaysia, shadowing instructors in leadership courses and learning the ins and outs of a unique brand of ecotourism, while working with people of all ages. I am so excited for the challenge and the opportunity of being immersed in a culture so different from my own, and for the countless bowls of curry laksa, mie goreng and stacks of roti!
Kashmir Lesnick-Petrovicz
Originally from Ontario, I moved to the Westcoast a few years after my first visit. From the moment I stepped off the plane, I knew Vancouver Island was where I wanted to be. I pursued my bachelor’s in Visual Arts and Global Studies at VIU to learn more about the world and my role in it. Along the way, I discovered that my passion lies within the intersection of my studies.
My degree has taught me about our impact on others, locally and globally, and that change is desperately needed. Global Studies has provided me with a foundation for understanding diverse perspectives, global problems, and possible solutions. At the same time, I’ve learned about how art can raise awareness and inspire action, conveying complex global matters and their significance in an effective, accessible, and meaningful way. I’m also a dog-lover, a bit chocolate obsessed, and a nature enthusiast at heart.
For my internship, I’ll be going to Cape Town, South Africa, to work with the Trust for Community Outreach and Education. My role will involve strengthening the voice and movement of TCOE by enhancing media communication strategies through storytelling. The goal is to bring awareness to the struggles of marginalized rural and coastal peoples in Southern Africa, while helping to advocate for alternatives that support sustainable food sovereignty, movement building, rural governance, and better livelihoods.
I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and for joining the QES Community! I’m looking forward to the people I meet, the work I do, and growing in my role as an ethical storyteller.
Sara Bollinger
I am a third-year student majoring in Global Studies and minoring in Political Studies.
Born and raised in Nanaimo, I have a passion for travelling and exploring what the world has to offer. For over a year I have co-chaired the VIU WUSC local committee, a non-profit organization that combines refugee resettlement with post-secondary education. My passion for human rights and refugee advocacy has led me to pursue an internship this summer as a legal advocacy intern in Arusha, Tanzania. I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to learn, live, and grow as a person in Tanzania and become a more globally engaged citizen.
Georgia Mason-Guertin
My name is Georgia and I come from Ottawa, Ontario where I studied at Carleton University majoring in International Development. I have since transferred to the VIU Global Studies Program, where I am in my third year, to pursue a more grassroots-centered approach to development. My pursuit of an education in international development has been driven by a desire to alleviate human suffering around the globe. Although, over time I've come to care just as much about alleviating the suffering of all species and systems of the Earth.
During my summers I work as a tree planter which allows me to see the destruction firsthand caused by our resource extraction industries. However, I understand that resource extraction is the foundation of many rural economies around the globe, and that we need to provide alternatives before altering these industries.
As a QEScholar, I will be interning at the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary in Nelson, New Zealand, where I'll be involved in hands-on conservation work, native biodiversity restoration, and outreach education. I've also been given the opportunity to choose a project, in which I'll be investigating the role of the sanctuary in sustainable community development. I hope that through my internship, I am able to gain a better understanding of how environmental preservation and restoration can translate directly to sustainable economic development, so that I may take that knowledge and apply it with other communities around the globe.
Megan Kollman
Megan was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. Currently she’s in her third year of the Bachelor of Natural Resource Protection program at Vancouver Island University. She discovered her love for the wilderness and resource management after working for multiple summers in the silviculture/reforestation industry as a tree planter. You can often find her foraging for wild mushrooms and berries, fishing, and doing backcountry camping along remote stretches of beaches and old growth forests. She deeply cares about the protection of our coastal communities and the preservation of the natural resources we all depend on and love. She is excited to be applying her passion for wildlife conservation in Madagascar as a Forest Conservation Technician. She will be assisting in surveying for wildlife endemic to Madagascar and helping to reforest areas of rainforests that has been destroyed.
Emily Smith
My name is Emily Smith. I was born and raised on Vancouver Island and am a returning mature student. I have a background in the beauty industry as a hairstylist, and this career opened adventures and opportunities abroad to train students in developing countries. As a result, I witnessed many issues in the Global South, making me question my role as a global citizen. This sparked my interest in furthering my education with a Global Studies undergraduate, particularly in the field of human displacement and rights. Additionally, I am pursuing a “proficiency in Mandarin language and Asian culture certificate” and a minor in Indigenous studies. My internship will focus on eco-tourism and micro businesses by addressing economic sustainability for vulnerable and underprivileged people in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Guatemala. As a project leader and trainer for an NGO called Hair Aid International, I feel privileged to gift and certify students in haircutting using my experience as a stylist. Receiving the opportunity to become a QES scholar allows me to realize my dreams of assisting those most in need, I look forward to seeing where this internship will take me in the future.
Canadian QEII Undergraduate Scholars
Melanie Poerner Loureiro
I am a second year Bachelor of Science student pursuing a Marine Biology Major at Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. After years of working on becoming a science-literate citizen, I’ve decided to be more than that and actively “do science” with my own hands. The intent, thought and goal of studying Biology has always accompanied me, although not always followed by the opportunity to do so. I was born and raised in Brazil, arrived in Canada in 2013 after graduating with a Bachelors in Graphic Design, and would absolutely love to see more of the world and its incredible biodiversity! I am interested in biological research, marine life (fascinated by plankton!) and evolutionary biology. I practice indoor target archery on my free time, do home yoga, collect Lego mini-figures and go for long walks in parks to smile at other people’s dogs.
Jeremy Perkins
My name is Jeremy, I am a fourth year Global Studies major with a Political Studies minor. I am very passionate about trying to find solutions to issues of global justice relating to inequality, human rights, climate change and other global problems. It is my hope that I can in some way help affect positive change in this field. As of right now I will be travelling to Sydney to intern at Climate Action Network Australia where I will be working as a campaign support intern where I will be providing logistical and administrative support as well as communicating and researching across various stakeholder groups related to climate justice and energy transition.
Canadian QEII Undergraduate Interns
Jeffrey Fontaine
Jeffrey is a Bachelor of Arts student, majoring in Geography and minoring in Global Studies. He plans to explore the issues of poverty, food security and climate change throughout his internship. These goals are in line with those of the BRiCC Knowledge Network of enhancing coastal communities’ response to climate change and developing sustainable and local agricultural production. Jeremy plans to enhance his understanding of international perspectives from a ‘first-hand’ perspective; Jeremy has identified that it’s the personal connection with people and their stories that really create that understanding of the issues that they may be facing. Through this scholarship, he worked as an Environmental Conservation Advisor with the Tanzania Tourist Board in Arusha, Tanzania.
Alexander Harte
Alex is taking his Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Geography. He plans to explore the topics of community development, disaster and emergency management, and climate change. Alex has identified that responding to climate change is a localized process as each community will be affected differently, whether it be economically, physically, or culturally. Through his internship, he hopes to learn about and to create change alongside one of these communities. Alex undertook an internship placement in Hanoi, Vietnam as a Student Engagement Officer for the Centre for Sustainable Rural Development.
Charlynn Jelier
Charlynn is taking her Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Global Studies. Her interests include working with the community to combat the effects climate change has on gender equality, which relates to the BRiCC theme of enhancing coastal communities' responses to climate change. Another key area of interest for Charlynn involves conducting research and workshops on economic activity among women which relates to the BRiCC theme of improving the capacity to foster sustainable economic activity. Ultimately, Charlynn plans to gain experience relevant and necessary to a career in sexual health education and program implementation. She worked with the Tanzania Tourist Board as a Sustainable Livelihood Development Officer in Arusha, Tanzania.
Erin Normandeau
Erin is taking her Bachelor of Tourism Management and hopes to explore and assist in developing sustainable tourism products and services that support decent work and economic growth, sustainable communities and responsible consumption and production. Erin plans to explore best practices of sustainable tourism in parks and protected areas that support the management and development of conservation and land/water protection and address the needs of local communities and assist in developing sustainable economic opportunities through tourism. Erin undertook an internship position with the Tanzania Tourist Board in Arusha, Tanzania as a Social Networks and Marketing Officer.
Rose Williams
Rose is taking her Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and Political Studies. Through her QES internships, she aims to explore gendered aspects of development and the ways organizations are seeking to enhance the representation of vulnerable groups, such as women, youth, and LGBTQ individuals. Having grown up on small islands, she is interested in learning about enhancing coastal communities’ response to climate change, water management and sanitation and specifically how local concerns and vulnerabilities can be translated into policy and action. Working as a Student Engagement Officer with the Hue Tourism Office (HUETC), Rose completed her international in Hue, Vietnam.
Kayla Zielke
Kayla is a student in the Natural Resource Protection program at VIU. As a QES Scholar, she hopes to gain experience working with communities of different cultural backgrounds and be involved in educating the public of the detrimental effects of climate change, and its impacts on local ecosystems. Furthermore, she would gain a better understanding of the effects of climate change and how it may have negative impacts on tourism and other industries, and how those impact the local economy. Kayla worked as a Soft Skill Training Officer for the Hanoi Tourism College in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Canadian QEII Graduate Scholars
Lainy Nowak
Lainy Nowak is a graduate student in the Master’s of Community Planning program. She will be conducting her research in New Zealand with a focus on Coastal Resilience and Disaster Management. Her work will address key issues within VIU’s QES program of Building Resiliency in Coastal Communities. These include the capacity to foster sustainable economic activity, particularly tourism, developing and managing parks and protected areas in or near coastal communities, and coastal communities’ responses to climate change.
Canadian QEII Undergraduate Interns
Kristina Vaudry
Kristina is in her third year of a Bachelor of Tourism Management with a Major in Recreation and will be working with partners at the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary. Her internship and role as a QE Scholar will provide her with tools to reach her career goals, where she aspires to conserve wildlife and the environment through parks and protected areas; provide leisure in a sustainable manner; and utilize tourism to sustain the local environment, economy and culture.
Sally Haynes
Sally Haynes is in the fourth year of her Global Studies degree with a minor in Economics. Sally brings valuable experience, having worked with non-profit groups both locally and internationally. Her international internship with the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary in rural Ghana will allow her to follow her passion and deepen her learning of Sustainable Economic Development.
Jamie Humphrey
Jamie is working towards a Bachelor of Arts, Major in Global Studies. She is passionate about studying sustainable and inclusive community development, with a specific concentration on gender equality. Her QES internship, working with Global Vision International’s Women Empowerment project in Kerala, India will provide a first-hand insight into the lives of women working toward sustainable economic development within their own communities.
Avryl Brophy
Avryl is majoring in Natural Resource Protection at VIU. Her career goal is to work in environmental consulting, focusing on protecting and recovering wildlife populations and natural ecological reserves. She will be interning in Grenada alongside another QE Scholar from the University of Manitoba and a peer from St. George’s University of Grenada. Her internship will focus on the morphology and song of the Grenada House Wren. Her work aims to foster environmental awareness and protection, with benefits of the knowledge gained being shared both in Grenada and in Canada.
Celina Glabus
Celina is currently majoring in Women’s Studies with a minor in Global Studies. Her long term plan is to pursue a career in human rights law. She will also be working with Global Vision International, within their Women’s Empowerment project and will be based in Gordon’s Bay, South Africa. Her work will bring a gender lens to VIU’s QES program goal of enhancing capacity to foster sustainable economic activity, particularly tourism and coastal communities’ responses to climate change.
Canadian QEII Undergraduate Interns
Haley Robinson
Haley Robinson is a fourth-year student in the Natural Resource Management Geography program at VIU. This summer she will be working in Punta Gorda, Belize at the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE). As TIDE’s education and outreach intern, she will assist with and develop the annual environmental summer camp, as well as help to facilitate conservation awareness in local schools and communities. She is excited to work with TIDE and share her passion for the environment with the children of Punta Gorda this summer.
Stephanie Govier
Stephanie Govier is a third-year Bachelor of Natural Resource Protection (RMOT/RMAP) student and is working towards a career in environmental management and protection. Stephanie has an educational background in biology and in recent years has worked in provincial parks as a park ranger and public educator. In Belize, Stephanie will be completing an internship with the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute and will be assisting with the planning and monitoring of coastal areas.
Projects will include the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation system for the Belize Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan, assisting in the management of Goff's Caye management area, supporting the development of new projects, and providing support to community partners and stakeholders.
Kala Mackintosh
Kala Mackintosh was born and raised on Vancouver Island. She has a passion for sustainability and an insatiable appetite for the outdoors. Kala is a fourth year Global Studies student in the Bachelor of Arts program. This summer, Kala will be in Stann Creek, Belize, working as a community development and education intern with the National Garifuna Council. She will be assisting the communities of Dangriga, Seine Bight and Hopkins to determine viable and sustainable economic activities with the aim to increase the regions resilience to climate change.
Canadian QEII Graduate Scholars
Sarah Hain
Sarah Hain is a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management program. She is originally from Kitchener, Ontario, and is new to the Island since September 2015. With a background in International Development Studies from the University of Guelph, and a passion for travel, Sarah has decided to look deeper into how tourism can be used as a tool for sustainable development. The purpose of her research will be to explore the impact of amenity migration on tourism development in Belize, and its implications for local ownership and participation in the development process.
Teunesha Evertse
Teunesha Evertse was born and raised on Vancouver Island, and received her degree in Geography specializing in Urban & Regional Management from VIU in 2014. She is the Master of Community Planning student representative to the Faculty of the Social Sciences and is currently working as a research assistant for the Criminology and Sociology departments. Teunesha’s research interests include the place-resilience intersection and place-capital planning, specifically in smaller coastal communities facing transition.
Devan Cronshaw
Devan Cronshaw is a graduate student in the Master of Community Planning program at VIU. His past experience includes entrepreneurship, sales, and recruiting. He hopes to mix his past experience with his current interest in bottom-up community development and collaborative land-use planning. During his time as a researcher in Belize, Devan intends to partner with a local community development organization and explore alternative development structures and how this can create empowerment and resilience in coastal communities.
Darren Lucas
Darren Lucas is a graduate student in the Masters of Community Planning program at Vancouver Island University. He has worked as a geological assistant for various mineral exploration projects and a research assistant for Environment Canada. His research in Belize will focus on the physical resiliency and adaption of coastal communities in the face of climate change and the subsequent sea level rise.
Aaron Wong
Aaron Wong is currently completing his Masters of GIS Applications at VIU. He has always had a passion for combining GIS with his marine science background to help conserve coral reef ecosystems around the world. During his time in Belize, he hopes to increase the percentage of “no-take” areas in Marine Protected Areas around Belize to promote recovery and resilience of the ecosystem.
Canadian QEII Graduate Scholars
Sky Skagfeld, Master of Sustainable Leisure Management
Skye Skagfeld is currently a graduate student in the Master of Sustainable Leisure Management Program at VIU. She was born and raised on Vancouver Island and holds an undergraduate Degree in Tourism Management also from VIU. Her passion for travel brought her to Singapore where she taught English as Second language at the University level for seven years. She returned home to the island to continue her education and as a self-taught artist is combining her love of visual art and travel as a subject of research. Exploring how the tourism industry aids in sustainable development and resilient communities, the purpose of Skye’s research will be to identify creative tourism opportunities within coastal Australia.
Zachary Haigh, Master of Community Planning
Zachary Haigh received an undergraduate degree in Natural Resource Management and a minor in Business from the University of Victoria. Having spent the last 5 years as a produce buyer in Victoria and Vancouver, he is currently a graduate student in the Master of Community Planning program at VIU. Zachary is particularly interested in the role that planners can play in addressing food security and while in Belize his thesis will be to determine the potential for government funded agricultural cooperatives as a tool for addressing their goals for increasing food security in Belize.
Canadian QEII Undergraduate Interns
Adam Barron, Bachelor of Education
Adam Barron holds a Bachelor of Arts, Honours in Latin American Studies, Minor in Hispanic Studies, from the University of Victoria and is currently a fifth-year student at VIU in the Post Baccalaureate Bachelor of Education. He is the editor-in-chief of PLVS VLTRA, the undergraduate journal of the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies at UVic, and he is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Vancouver Island Education Journal, the journal of the Faculty of Education at VIU. This summer he will be working as a Community Development and Education Intern for the National Garifuna Council (NGC). His responsibilities will include meeting with community representatives and NGC executives from Hopkins, Dangriga, and Seine Bight to determine viable and sustainable economic projects that will assist these communities in becoming more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Elise Boulanger, Bachelor of Arts, Global Studies
Elise Boulanger is a 4th-year Global Studies student who will be interning with the Lebeha Drumming Centre in the village of Hopkins Landing, Belize. The focus of this internship is to support diverse musical groups, including the Garifuna, a cultural group of Belize, through the production and marketing of their music and the development of cultural tourism in the area. This collaboration with the Lebeha Drumming Centre and the local Garifuna community of Hopkins will ultimately contribute to the creation of sustainable livelihoods for local musicians as tourism develops rapidly in the surrounding areas. Elise, an operatically trained singer, is excited to enrich her musicianship to share with others, and inspire her own musical projects.
Jessica Pyett, Bachelor of Arts, Geography & Natural Resource Management
Jessica Pyett is a fourth year Geography student in the Natural Resource Management program at VIU. This summer, she will be interning at the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute in Belize. Over the course of the internship, Jessica will assist with planning and water quality monitoring of Belize’s sensitive coastal areas. She is eager to provide support to the Belizean community while gaining knowledge on sustainable development of coastal resources.
Melanie Messier, Bachelor of Tourism Management
Melanie Messier is a fourth year student in the Tourism Management program and is working towards a career in rural and regional development planning. Melanie was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and has a passion for sustainable growth and healthy culture. This summer, she will be completing an internship as the Cultural Promotion Intern in the area of Stann Creek, Belize. Melanie will be working in cohesion with the National Association of Villages Councils & District Association of Villages Councils to promote the best interests of rural communities. She will assist in scoping opportunities for cultural tourism in coastal communities by identifying linkages and extensions of tourism strategies between the communities of Seine Bight, Hopkins, Independence, and Georgetown.
Megan Prosser, Bachelor of Arts, Global Studies
Megan Prosser is a fourth year student in the Global Studies Program. This summer she will be in Belmopan, Belize working as a Coastal Villages Planning intern with the National Association of Village Councils (NAVCO). As an intern, Megan will be assisting in the assessment and implementation of strategic development toolkits for 3 coastal villages. Megan is excited to work with NAVCO to help promote the interests of rural communities while exploring her interest in sustainable development.