Fynn Adjei
Fynn was born in the Western North Region of Ghana. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and Resource Development with Philosophy from the University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. With experience working in international volunteering, he has had the opportunity to work on meaningful volunteer projects with multicultural stakeholders from all continents. He believes in the transformative potential of the travel and tourism industry in the sustainable development of countries, particularly in Africa. His research interest includes sustainable/transformative/regenerative tourism, volunteer/destination tourism, community development, and rural tourism. His current thesis focuses on the role of volunteer tourism in enhancing sustainable livelihood outcomes for host communities. Outside school, Fynn is passionate about politics and good governance in Ghana and Africa, such as eradicating poverty, expanding access to quality education, and creating opportunities for the vulnerable in society. He currently volunteers for a US-based non-profit organization that runs a soccer academy for at-risk youth in a neighborhood in Accra. He hopes to develop his research skills and explore opportunities in international volunteering as a sustainable alternative vehicle to build a mass of global citizens and achieve inclusive socio-economic development (in Ghana).
Tanmoy Dev
Tanmoy was born in Chattogram, a bustling port city in Bangladesh and made the move to Vancouver Island with the goal of earning a Master of Community Planning (MCP) degree from Vancouver Island University. Prior to embarking on this academic journey, Tanmoy earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from BGC Trust University, followed by a Master of Laws degree from Premier University in Chattogram, Bangladesh. He received the Chairman Gold Medal Award for his exceptional academic performance in his bachelor's degree.
During his time in Bangladesh, Tanmoy spent four years working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on the Rohingya Refugee Crisis in Cox’s Bazar. It was this experience that ignited his passion for community development and crisis response, leading him to pursue a MCP degree in Vancouver Island University. Tanmoy is dedicated to advancing his efforts in community planning and aims to concentrate on improving the response of coastal communities to the effects of climate change.
Pooja Choudhary
My hometown is Delhi, the capital of India. I received my bachelor's degree in planning from Amity University and a postgraduate diploma in Geoinformatics. I received a silver medal for my academic performance and thesis during my undergraduate studies. My passion for the environment has driven me to pursue a bachelor's degree in planning since high school. During my three years with the Ministry of Social Affairs, Government of India, I worked on various projects related to transportation, accessibility for persons with disabilities in public buildings, and solid waste management. However, as I worked on solid waste management projects, I became increasingly interested in climate resilience, as resilience was an integral component of the projects. It was this desire to learn more about creating resilient and self-sufficient communities that motivated me to pursue a Master's degree in Community Planning at VIU. During my master's program, I worked as a research assistant on one of the projects with Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute, which enabled me to improve my research skills and public engagement abilities. The skills I have acquired during my journey will assist me in continuing my research toward improving coastal communities' response to the impacts of climate change.
Hear from 2023 Inbound QE Scholars:
Tanzanian QEII Graduate Scholars
Whitney Lyimo
Whitney was born in Moshi, Kilimajaro and moved to Vancouver Island after finishing her undergraduate degree in Wildlife Management from the College of African Wildlife Management in Mweka, Tanzania. Her focus for her Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management is the facilitating factors that aided women in occupying tourism positions typically filled by men. Whitney hopes to honour the women of Tanzania and influence changes in gender equality. When not advocating for women’s initiative within tourism, Whitney enjoys reading, hiking, and travelling. Once she returns home, she hopes to join an academic institution, like the College of African Wildlife Management, and share her knowledge with young women who are in school so that they can exist beyond traditional women’s roles. She would also like to continue working with women within the tourism industry, sharing her experience, to help women in Tanzania break into positions typically dominated by men.
Patricia Saul
Patricia was born in Tanzania and began her journey at VIU after having completed her undergraduate degree at the College of African Wildlife Management in Mweka, Tanzania. Shortly after arriving in Canada to pursue her MA in Sustainable Leisure Management, the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to rethink her stay. Patricia decided to complete her master’s degree while living in Kamloops, BC. Her focus is to investigate how national tourism authorities create and share their narrative on social media during COVID-19. Patricia hopes to explore tourism opportunities in the interior before she returns to Tanzania.
Brighton Mbilinyi
Brighton was born in the highlands of Tanzania and came to Canada as a recent graduate from the College of African Wildlife Management in Mweka, Tanzania, with a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Tourism. He came here with the goal of pursuing a Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management at VIU and, in the summer of 2021, successfully defended his thesis. His focus is on the role of safari tour guides in Tanzania, and the factors that impact their ability to promote sustainable and responsible tourism. Outside of school, Brighton has a passion for wildlife photography and loves to play soccer. When he returns home, Brighton hopes to focus on the benefits that sustainable tourism may have on local communities in Tanzania. More specifically, he hopes to advocate for sustainability and to encourage people through leadership. He intends on returning to work with the College of African Wildlife Management and to pursue his PhD in due course.
Belizean QEII Graduate Scholars
Yasel Acosta
Yasel was born in Orange Walk Town, Belize. Yasel is currently enrolled in the Masters of Sustainable Leisure Management program. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Galen University, Belize, in the field of Environmental Science. Yasel shares a passion for the Earth and believes that everyone should live with general respect for the environment and all its inhabitants. She also enjoys travelling and meeting new people. Coming from a small coastal country where tourism is one of its biggest revenue, Yasel hopes to acquire a vast range of knowledge from the Sustainable Leisure Management program that she can take back home to help her little country develop sustainability and competently in this world of climate change.
Miriam Juarez
Miriam was born in Punta Gorda Town, Belize. As a native in a coastal community, she enjoys swimming and collecting shells on the beach. She is passionate about both nature and science. At St. John’s Junior college in Belize City, Miriam obtained an associate degree in Natural Science and recently completed a bachelor’s degree in Biology Education from the University of Belize in Belmopan City. Over the past seven years, she taught at various high schools across Belize and was inspired to become an educational leader because she wants to empower herself and others to be independent thinkers that can productively contribute to society. Using her background in science and teaching, Miriam hopes to research ways in which stakeholders in education can collectively promote culture and environmental awareness in schools. Miriam is also interested in science education especially for young women in Belize.
Kenneth 'Kenny' Williams
Kenny is from Punta Gorda Town, Belize C.A. He holds Associate Degrees in Natural Resource Management and Business Science, and recently completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management at the University of Belize. With experience working in Local Government, he has had the opportunity to work on numerous community-based projects. His research interest are in proper planning of the agriculture, fishing and tourism industries which will promote the sustainable socio-economic development of Belize’s Coastal Communities.
Erin Jamal Sanchez
Eric has a Bachelor of Biology from the National University in Belize, where he also served as the President of the Student Council in 2014-2015. He is also currently a CARICOM Youth Ambassador in Belize and involved in a Master Project plan that aims to design a community geared towards development and green living. He is now studying in the Masters of Community Planning program at VIU.
Shirley Humes
Shirley Humes hails from coastal Punta Gorda, the southernmost town in Belize. At an early age, she developed a love for nature that led her to pursue her first degree in Biology and Natural Resources Management. Since 2006, she has been working in the Physical Planning Section of the Lands and Surveys Department, Ministry of Natural Resources, and is currently a Physical Planner. Her work has sparked an interest in the impact of unplanned tourism developments on small, indigenous, coastal communities; her research in VIU’s Masters of Community Planning program will focus on this topic.
Alfred Cal
Alfred works in Belize’s Ministry of Natural Resources as a Senior Land Information Officer. He has several years of experience in the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. His research interest is to develop “Building Footprints” and household geodatabase for Dangriga Town, a coastal community in Southern Belize. His research falls into the BRiCC theme of Coastal Communities Response to Climate Change.
Stacey Cayetano
Stacey Cayetano worked as a GIS Technician in Belize’s Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Belize. During her studies at VIU, Ms. Cayetano plans to create a model for baseline erosion rates for Caye Caulker, Belize, based on present-day climate data, which will help predict the pattern of erosion and identify the location of high-risk areas. It will also help build capacity to assess and implement mitigation measures towards erosion control and provide Caye Caulker with an assessment of the social, economic, and environmental costs of erosion.