Hi, my name is Rachel and I am currently a fourth-year student at the University of Victoria studying Urban, Health and Development Studies in the Geography department. I was born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, living working and playing on the unceded land of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ nations. I am a first-generation Canadian, my father was born in Oxfordshire, England before moving to Pretoria, South Africa where he spent his youth. My mother was born in Durban, South Africa with parents from Scotland and Lebanon. Coming from such a multi-cultural background I have always been fascinated by culture/history/migration and was drawn to human geography because of this.
My studies have helped to broaden my worldview, and open me up to new ways of thinking and understanding. I have been focused on post-colonialism, reconciliation, and perseverance of minority groups across the world. Deconstructing our built environment, and unlearning Eurocentric ideologies are essential to my area of study, and I try to use this lens in all my classes and projects.