Meet the people changing your community for the better
There’s a special kind of magic that happens when young people decide to show up with their whole hearts for the Vancouver Island community.
At UVic, our learners aren’t waiting for permission or perfection: they are stepping in with muddy boots, big dreams and a belief that community care is world‑changing work.
What does it really mean to show up for your community?
Jack Taylor’s journey is stitched together by Métis roots, mentors and communities that taught him to stay open, resilient and true to his values. Now he’s paying that forward with wholehearted leadership that strengthens youth, culture and connection.
Community is the fabric that bridges family, culture, and support.”
Could getting outside be the key to building better communities?
Merah Gasmo reminds us that belonging is built through people and places, the familiar faces, the yet‑to‑meet neighbours and the land that holds us all. Her work sparks connection in a world that often rushes past it, inviting everyone to slow down, step outside and rediscover what it means to feel at home.
By creating opportunities for people to play, learn and spend time together outdoors, my work helps bring people together in meaningful ways while also strengthening their relationship with the land. When people feel connected to each other and to place, communities become stronger, people feel a greater sense of belonging, and daily life becomes a little brighter.”
What does a clam harvest have to do with belonging?
Kinoogeix Mikki Mitchell’s path is a celebration of connection—to Alaska, to the South Island, to her teachers who shape her experience, and the Nations whose lands sustain her. Through scholarship and relational work, she embodies the power of reciprocity. After all, strong communities are built through shared knowledge, place and care.
Community means a lot to me, and has changed a whole lot over the years. Traditionally it comes from my Indigenous roots, my matrilineal lineage of strong women in Alaska and serving that community. But since coming to UVic, I’ve learned it’s also the connections that I make and foster of those I choose to be in relation with.”
Understand how Mikki’s work on clam population studies gives back.
What would you do if your community gave everything for you?
Rooted in the love and trust that shaped him, alumnus Jayesh Vekariya shows up for his neighbours with the same steady presence his own community once offered him. His work with joni, a sustainable period care company, and local organizations proves that when we choose connection over convenience, we create a more sustainable world.
Victoria is full of people who simply want to do something meaningful with their lives and show up for others in real ways.”
UVic in the community
Territory acknowledgement
We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.