Masthead

Elijah Robinson Managing Editor
Elijah is a fifth year English and Journalism student at Vancouver Island University. He began his post secondary career chasing eggs on the pitch, and splitting (book) spines off of it. A few grey hairs and a sports-career-ending hip injury later, he found himself to be an old man without direction—until he found The Nav.

Joe Thoong Art Director
Joe is a fourth-year graphic design student at VIU. In 2019 Joe represented Canada in the 2019 World Skills competition in the graphic design category, placing 5th in the world. When he's not designing or training for extreme ironing competitions Joe can be found collecting traffic cones for his cat Crema.

Kaleigh Studer Arts Editor
Kaleigh Studer is a third-year Creative Writing Major and the new Arts Editor of the Navigator. She grew up in Nanaimo and loves all the opportunities the west coast has to offer. Mountain biking, swimming, traveling and brewery hopping are some of her favourite activities with friends. After living in Berlin for two years her passion and a keen eye for art and culture grew. She is excited to be searching out local stories and events taking place in Nanaimo.

Kiara Strijack Copy Editor
Kiara Strijack is a fifth-year creative writing and psychology student. She has been published in Portal and The Nav and has received the Meadowlark Award for fiction and the Pat Bevan Award for poetry. You can find her hanging out with her pet rats.

Kristen Bounds Features Editor
Kristen Bounds is a fourth-year creative writing major focusing on non-fiction and journalism. Her writing mostly centres around her passion topics: environmentalism and social justice. Apart from talking about plastic to anyone who will listen, she enjoys reading, surfing, and is quite partial to a cold hazy pale ale.

Lauryn Mackenzie News Editor
Lauryn is a third-year Digital Media Studies student. Lauryn was the Junior Reporter for CHLY 101.7FM, has written for the Powell River Peak, and was an editor for Portal. When she’s not looking up fun facts about bees, she’s probably fantasying about Portland, Oregon.

Sean Desrochers Sports Editor
Sean is a fourth-year English and Creative Writing student and is by all accounts a great guy. He is practically famous from working at CHLY radio and the VIU Student's Union, and he greatly enjoys watching and playing sports - although he is much better at one than the other.

Carrie Davis Videographer
Carrie Davis is an indigenous videographer and 5th year Media Studies student. She produced the films Ageing Out and Victoria Orange Shirt Day and currently works for the Office of Aboriginal Education and Engagement & the Navigator Student Press.

Jade Vandergrift
Jade is a third-year creative writing/spanish language and culture student. She is a food enthusiast who loves cooking almost as much as she loves eating. Her work has been featured in Portal and The Nav.

Teigan Mudle Graphic Designer
Teigan Mudle is a designer and freelance illustrator in her final year of graphic design at VIU. She previously graduated from the College of New Caledonia with honors. She spends her free time debating the finer points of competitive duck herding with her cat, who is an expert on the subject.