Tianna is a queer student in her final year at VIU. She’s taken so many different electives that everyone forgets Creative writing is her major, and she’s also minoring in SWAG. Between her studies, day (night) job, internship at Caitlin Press, and work with The Nav, Portal, and Sad Girl Review, it’s safe to say she’s pretty deep in her girlboss era.

Mike is a web designer, writer, and videographer who has lived and experienced stories from all over Western Canada. He is on his third journey through VIU pursuing his degree in Digital Media Studies. In his non-VIU life, Mike spends his time hanging out with his wife and kids, exploring Vancouver Island, and learning how to be a better global citizen. This is Mike’s second year at The Nav, and he is looking forward to telling the stories that matter to Nanaimo, and especially the VIU community.

Carly is a fourth-year business student majoring in HR and minoring in Marketing. With a passion for connecting, Carly is the self-proclaimed queen of LinkedIn. A true busybody; if she’s not commuting up and down the island, you can find her either at the driving range, trying out a new restaurant, or taking in all the beauty Vancouver Island

Barbara is a Latin American international student majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in English. In her free time, she enjoys playing Sims, watching (bad) movies, pretending to write while spending way too much time on social media, and going into random hyper fixations.

Sophia is in her third year at The Navigator and fifth (final!) year of the Creative Writing and Journalism program. Outside of The Nav, she volunteers as a Peer Helper and is doing another year of Portal Magazine. This summer, a solo trip to Japan ignited Sophia’s wanderlust. She hopes to return soon, next time with a stop in Korea.

Jenaya is a multi-genre writer and artist in her third year as a Creative Writing student. She spends her free time building a portfolio of tattoo designs and dreams of studying in Australia and Taiwan, publishing novels and tattooing.

Ella—short for Ellisif—is a passionate English and Liberal Studies student in her second year. She enjoys fashion and Lana Del Rey, and she spends her free time reading, writing, and thrifting.

Ben is a fourth-year Digital Media Studies student. Though his work as a videographer covers a variety of topics, he is particularly passionate about telling stories that focus on the natural world. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, baking, recording music, reading nature books, and looking for birds. This year, Ben has a new obsession: transit.

Austin is in his final year of the Digital Media Studies program and is currently the play-by-play commentator for the VIU Basketball teams. His love for sports has moved from the playing field to the Nav newsroom, where he hopes to share sensational stories and energetic interviews of your favourite Mariner student-athletes, coaches, and teams!

Jack is a fourth-year Creative Writing and Media Studies student who spends their island time writing novels and creating digital art. They are also the President of VIU’s Creative Writing Club. Their art, script, and poetry is featured in Portal Magazine, which they were co-Managing Editor of in 2023.

Sam is a poet, editor, and oxford comma enthusiast. She is in her fourth year at VIU, studying Creative Writing and English. When she’s not at The Nav, she’s working on Portal Magazine, editing children’s books at Strong Nations, or losing a game of chess in only four moves.