Liberal Studies

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.

When Trevor Ballyntine was growing up, graduating from high school seemed like a stretch – never mind university.

Now Trevor, who graduated from VIU’s Liberal Studies program last spring, is on his way to becoming a lawyer. He recently had the opportunity to meet Justice Russell Brown of the Supreme Court of Canada.

We caught up Trevor recently to learn more about what brought him to this stage of his post-secondary career and how VIU helped shaped his decision to pursue law.

Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun, graduated with a degree in Liberal Studies and Philosophy from VIU in 2018 with dreams of following his father and other family members into a career in Indigenous law. Right after graduation, he started a full-time job as Project Coordinator with Petroglyph Development Group, the economic development arm of Snuneymuxw First Nation, and soon started pursuing a career in Coast Salish art as well.

Have you ever wondered what life is like after a Liberal Studies degree? Shortly after graduating from VIU in May 2019, Braedan Zimmer found himself travelling around western Canada and the United States as a representative with independent academic publisher Broadview Press, using skills he learned as a Liberal Studies student. Here’s his best advice for those looking to follow in his footsteps.

How did you end up in Liberal Studies at VIU?