Taya Bremner
BA Major in Applied Geography, Minor in History
Updated as of February 2021
After I graduated from Kwantlen in the Spring of 2020, with a Major in Geography and a Minor in History, I went on to UBC to get a Bachelors in Education. I started the teaching program online at UBC in September 2020 and am currently halfway through the program. I will be teaching high school Social Studies. My Geography degree has given me a unique perspective in the program as many of my colleagues are History majors. Geography has allowed me to approach Social Studies in a very hands-on and practical way that has resonated with many students. My goal is to teach some Geography courses in the future and to continuously bring a geographical lens into the primarily historical Social Studies classroom.
Avneet Mathroo
BA Major in Applied Geography
Updated as of February 2021
Currently, I am a project administrator at a company called BGIS. I work alongside three different project managers to assist with their project objectives and delivery. BGIS is a leading provider of real estate management services, including facilities management, project delivery services, energy and sustainability solutions and much more. This is my first step into this field of work and I am finding it quite interesting.
Eventually, my goal is to become a project manager. I would like to control projects, like building new infrastructure and parks within a city, first-hand. If you asked me a couple of years ago what my post-grad plan was, I would have said teaching. However, I changed my career direction the closer I got to completing my degree in Geography at KPU and, like most young adults today, I am slowly but surely figuring out what to do for the rest of my life.
Ben Ricketts
BA Major in Applied Geography
Updated as of February 2021
Since graduating from KPU in 2020 I have been working on my Master’s degree in Planning from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Learning skills like research methods and the basics of GIS at KPU have been huge assets in collecting and managing the spatial data that I encounter in my program. My favourite subjects in Geography courses at KPU continue to be my favourites during my graduate studies. In planning, we learn how people interact with space, about inequities in planning practice, and how we as future planners can help create equitable cities and regions.
My thesis project is on wayfinding theories in Universal Design. I am examining how navigable the streets of Halifax are for those unfamiliar with them, and in which ways they might be improved. My passion is finding design solutions to help spaces become user friendly for all and studying planning is preparing me to be part of those solutions.
Aidan Shirley
BA Major in Applied Geography
Updated as of February 2021
Early in my Geography education at KPU, I was taught the difference between ‘place’ and ‘space’—a distinction that became deeply relevant to my post-graduation interests. Before beginning my degree, I focused mostly on locations as unique destinations and not so much on the social, cultural, economic, and environmental relationships that connect them. The education I received at KPU has helped me find meaningful work in public policy and urban planning, both of which rely heavily on geospatial relationships to improve the lives of citizens at a variety of scales.
Following graduation, I was fortunate to continue working in a role that originated from a placement in the ARTS 4800 practicum program. This saw me engage with civic and provincial leaders around issues of mutual concern, learning about innovative solutions and success stories from across Canada. While I continue this work, I am also employed full-time as a Planning Technician at CityState Consulting Group. This position allows me to contribute to forms of development that I have long seen as a sensible solution to our region's missing middle’ housing crisis—from small-lot subdivisions to mixed-use low-rise apartments and plenty in-between—while nurturing a better understanding of the policies and practices that guide urban development.
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