Hi everyone, 

My name is Hana Blaicher, and I am a 4th-year Psychology major, minoring in Business at UVIC. I was born and raised on the island, but have lived in 11 different houses. I’ve lived as far as Cowichan Bay and as close to UVIC as Gordon Head, just 4 minutes down the road from campus. I have been working as a lifeguard, Swim Instructor, and receptionist for the past 5 years at a local rec centre and love it. 

One of the things I have been doing the longest is playing Rugby. From 9 to 22 years old, I have been having fun on the field. It is one of my favourite things, and I have had the privilege of playing with some of the same people for the last 10 years. When I’m not playing rugby, I am busy outdoors or driving up the island. Of my friend group, I am always the designated driver 1. Because I get really car sick, and 2. because it is one of my favourite things to do. My love for exploring the island started from a young age, with Sooke Potholes being one of the places I can remember the most. If you have not had the chance to visit this beautiful park, it is a 50 ish minute drive and has some of the coolest rock formations, and you guessed it, potholes everywhere. One of my other favourite locations is Tofino or Hornby Island. Now these two are a bit of a trek, but don’t let that discourage you. Tofino being a 4.5-hour drive, and Hornby island is “just” a 3 hour drive and 2 ferries away. The lengthy travel time is so worth it. One of Hornby island’s gems is a beach called Tribune bay with some of the clearest water you will see on the west coast (look it up! It won’t disappoint). 

When I’m not out exploring, I am working toward my goal of being a Clinical Child Psychologist. Psychology was something that has always fascinated me. I took AP psychology in Highschool and originally planned to go to Dalhousie in Nova Scotia to complete my degree. That plan changed due to being the prime grad class of Covid-19 pandemic. I decided instead to take a gap year and redirect my studies somewhere else, ultimately choosing UVIC. My experience at UVIC has been full of fun and being able to do everything I love doing on the island all while continuing learning & growing my knowledge in school, work, and life. 

 

To end this intro off, I thought it would be cool to leave you with a fun fact. That being said, I was born with a built-in best friend, aka I am an Identical twin.  No, we both don’t go to UVIC. She continued her studies at Camosun. No, we can’t read each other’s minds, but we do finish each other’s sentences, so some could say we do. Yes, we have played tricks on people. Our 2nd grade teachers didn’t notice we switched classes, but the students sure did. That is one thing we have done and decided we don’t ever need to do again, at least not  purposefully. Funny enough, we both work at the same recreation centre, and when people see me at reception and then go into the pool and see her, lifeguarding or teaching a water fit class, they immediately think that I can change my outfit really quickly or I’m just working all the time.