2020 has shown us that no matter how perfectly you plan your life, there will be uncontrollable factors… like a global pandemic… that may alter your path. The Unplanned is a place where first-year students of UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning have gathered to navigate their thoughts on starting a Master’s program in planning at a time of high uncertainty. They will also share lessons they have learned, whether through classes or experiences in life that have trickled into their thoughts and decisions.

Grab a drink and a snack and join us as we dive into an unplanned journey.

The Cohort

Vanessa Sun

Hello!! My name is Vanessa 🙂 I am a bubble tea and Starbucks addict. My addiction started during my undergraduate studies, where writing my countless papers for my political science and history specialization got me hooked to the coffee / bubble tea shop vibes. Often I find I do my best writing and thinking there. Perhaps the lack of coffee shop hopping has left me undecided in which area of planning I want to concentrate on, every part of it seems SO interesting! One thing I do know is that I love the concept of community engagement and sustainability. I hope that this blog will help me see which areas I want to concentrate on!

Katie Turriff

Shé:kon! Katie iónkiats, wakenien’kehá:ka táhnon rotiskaré:wake ne akhwá:tsire. Ahkwesáhsne nithoné:non ne akhwá:tsire, nek tsi Belleville nitewaké:non. Hi, I’m Katie, I’m Mohawk and my family is Bear Clan. My Mohawk family is from Akwesasne, (my white family from here and there in Europe), but I was born and raised in Belleville, Ontario. I’m one of the Indigenous Community Planning crew ’22, bringing my knowledge from University of Waterloo Planning ’20 to the table. There, I focused my studies on Indigenous planning theory as it compares to Western planning theory, and I’m keen to explore the practical realm of planning work. In my spare time I bead for clients and for fun, bike/walk to explore new neighbourhoods, and roughly attempt to study Mohawk language and culture from all the way out here in Coast Salish territory.
You can read more about my work at www.katieturriff.ca.

William Canero

Mabuhay! I am Will. A Third Generation Filipino-Canadian living on the unceded Coast Salish Territories we know colonially to be Vancouver. Political Scientist by trade, Queer by design. I frequent the local artist scene.

Ask me about my thoughts on grant applications for artists!!