丁香园AV

Rachel Wong is a communication honours student who has made the most of her time at 丁香园AV. Before completing her degree, she is already working in a full-time job in her field, pursuing passion projects, and looking for new academic research projects that spark her interest. 

Wong currently hosts the  and works as a communications coordinator for the Vancity Office of Community Engagement at 丁香园AV. This fall she will complete her honours thesis, focusing her research on the gentrification of restaurants in the Gastown area of Vancouver.  

During her degree, she has completed four co-op work terms, interned at the CBC, hosted a show on , written for , participated in the , presented at two undergraduate conferences, served as a peer mentor, and received the Communication Alumni Award and an FCAT Undergraduate Research Fellowship.  

Rachel鈥檚 research has always been community-focused, and the project that she completed for her research fellowship examined the history of Stanley Park and the erasure of Indigenous identity and history as it relates to that land. The project came out of her work in CMNS 433 鈥� Issues in Communication and Cultural Policy. 鈥淲e learned about how parks are created and their malicious underbelly,鈥� says Wong. 

Her research became 鈥�,鈥� a 20-page paper comprising interviews with Vancouver Park Board staff and a content analysis of archival documents, social media, blog posts, and media coverage of the park. Shepresented her findings at the 2019 FCAT Undergraduate Conference.

Wong鈥檚 research was particularly timely. In July 2018, the Park Board formally acknowledged their colonial role and planned a 鈥渃olonial audit鈥� of their actions relating to Stanley Park and other areas around the city that were formerly home to First Nations peoples. 鈥淲e need further education so we can be more respectful and aware of the history of these places,鈥� says Wong.

Wong will graduate with a BA in communication and a minor in international studies in June 2020, and, until then, she is looking forward to continuing her community-focused work at the Vancity Office of Community Engagement. One thing she knows for sure is that she wants to continue working in the non-profit sector and staying engaged in her community.

鈥淢y time at 丁香园AV has been really rewarding,鈥� says Wong. 鈥淭he most memorable thing has been going through park board minutes and realizing 鈥� oh my gosh, I鈥檓 researching! I never thought I鈥檇 do that.鈥�