Photovoice 2024
Since December 2023, a cohort of 10 undergraduate students have participated in the first iteration of Photovoice, a project by the Student Learning Commons (SLC) with the support of SFU Public Square.
Through the photovoice methodology, created by Caroline C. Wang and Mary Ann Burris in the early 1990s, the participants took photos of their daily lives and experiences as students, including photos that resonated symbolically with their thoughts and feelings about “academic success.” These photos document strengths, challenges, hopes, and fears, and were followed by reflection pieces by the students and rich discussions as a cohort. A throughline of these reflections was the value of art-based methods in exploring and documenting the multi-layered dimensions of the student experience.
Through photography and discussions, the students reflected on some of the following questions and themes:
What does academic success mean to you?
What pressures and challenges impact your ability to succeed academically?
What support do you need to perform at your best?
How can we reimagine academic success to better meet your needs and hopes?
What do you know about being a student today that you wish the SLC (or other decision-makers in the university) knew, too?
SFU Public Square is honoured to showcase ten photos and reflection pieces that the students produced in this project. Through the publication of their art, the cohort is hopeful that decision-makers at various levels of the university will view, connect, and understand the student experience through a personal and vulnerable lens.
Are you a decision-maker at SFU and looking to connect with the students or staff involved in this project? Please contact the Student Learning Commons at learning-commons@sfu.ca.
What does academic success mean to you?
We invite students to share their reflections with us through the anonymous survey below.
Venus Nakahara
The first thing I ever noticed were the stairs proliferating the ‘school-on-the-top-of-the-mountain'. Stairs ascending to reveal captivating mountain top views or descending into the labyrinthian bowels of buildings. A boggling array of staircases, stairwells, and flights for new students like me to unravel. Upon doing so, the brutalist architecture indiscernibly shifts out of its sentinel form to welcome us, though it is not its place to do so. This campus on Burnaby Mountain is a monolith that imposes on unceded Traditional Coast Salish Lands. The place name in the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) language is Lhuḵw’lhuḵw’áyten, which means, “where the bark gets peeled in the spring.” My gratitude foremost extends to this Land and its Indigenous stewards, who have been here since time immemorial, for it is they who are gracious enough to tolerate my uninvited presence.
The SFU Burnaby Campus stairs are unrelenting, their structure providing function that is utterly bereft of compassion. Academia is much the same, having none of the grace of the Land and all the rigid indifference of concrete. Whether students stumble or succeed, the aging juggernaut of Academia lurches ever onward. The descending stairs captured in this photo are flanked by concrete walls, illuminated by a stark light, echoing the rigidity and austere professionalism of Academia. The worn wooden handrails represent the support we find in the social connections we make, while the window shows a well-lit walkway with more stairs leading beyond, though the way there is hidden, calling us into the future.
A River's Journey
Victoria Minty
I see the Fraser River every day on my way to school. The Fraser River is such an important part of our history, ecosystem, and a trademark of the place I call home. Despite being the longest river in B.C., oftentimes I do not spare a thought of its importance and its contents beneath the reflective surface. This picture of the Fraser River is a lot like my relationship with academic success.
In this picture there are sections of both light and dark water. The waters can be calm like in this moment, yet it can also be choppy and turbulent at times. Like the ever-changing surface of the water, there are innumerable factors that help or hinder my journey towards academic success such as health, weather, money, strikes, and hiring freezes—to name a few. Some factors are easy to deal with, a small wave, while others are a relentless current that seems to go on forever.
Like the end of my educational journey, I cannot see around the bend of the river. I do not know exactly when I will achieve success. However, perhaps like the river, there is no end or beginning. I don’t think there is an end to pursuing academic success or growing within educational contexts. Whether I achieve a high grade in a class, successfully complete a degree, or get accepted into a post-graduate program, I know that I will continue to grow and learn. I think true academic success to me is that process of learning itself. I hope in the future I will be able to nurture both my own and others' growth with the learning I’ve gained at SFU, and I will flow back into the river that I pass by every morning.
This photo represents a lot of what the student experience is to me. I took this photo during class. While I took it, I was thinking about how much I wanted to go home and how many other things I wished I could be doing. The sun is setting in the photo; by the time my class ended, it would be dark. It was dark when I left that morning too.
It often feels like there is nothing else in my life besides school. I wake up and go to class, I’m in class all day, and when I come home, I study. On the days I’m not in school, I work. Professors tell us to have lives outside of school and to do things we enjoy, but how am I meant to do that when I barely have enough time to sleep eight hours a night and eat three meals a day?
Yet, when I complain about these things, I feel guilty. Many people do not have the chance to go to school. There are people who risk their lives to go to school or attend schools with abhorrent conditions. I am so lucky to be able to go to school on such a beautiful campus, yet I am complaining.
The biggest struggle I face as a student is figuring out how to balance everything. How do I balance unfair expectations with my appreciation for the campus and university opportunities? How do I balance the expectations of life with the limited time I have in a day?
The Pond of Reflection
Muskaan Sardana
When I arrived in Canada as an international student, SFU seemed like a maze of concrete, leaving me feeling as if I were far from home. I succumbed to self-isolation, seeking refuge from the overwhelming inner voice that felt that I lacked purpose.
After a few weeks, while walking across the campus, I saw this architectural marvel: the academic quadrangle with its serene pond at its core. Engrossed in tranquility, while hearing the bustling sound of students' footsteps, birds chirping, and the wind blowing, I saw myself in its shallow water. Gazing into the silent water, I saw my own reflection and experienced a profound connection to this once unfamiliar place.
On a freezing winter day, I clicked this alluring yet unsettling capture of a student walking on the pond, encapsulating the paradoxical beauty and uncertainty of SFU. I wondered if they felt the same as I felt that day. The frozen pond became a metaphor for the challenges SFU students face, yet the determined student stood resilient, facing the mountains and the academic quadrangle. It was marvelous to see how the student stood on the icy surface despite the fear of the frozen pond. He looked towards the mountains and the academic quadrangle, striving for success, while knowing that it is not a walk in the park.
Own Pace
Lindsey Cruz
This photo was taken while walking to class in the summer term of 2023. It was the first semester that I took a full course load at a time I usually take a break. It turned out to be one of my favourite terms and I thank a large part of that to the Sun showing up every day. The sun shining on Burnaby campus isn't bad at all.
This photo also showcases the walk to Convocation Mall, and it juxtaposes a photo I took of it when I first started my undergrad. It was a photo of graduates on the stairs, and I captioned it #goals. That was 8 years ago, and in a few months, it will be me graduating.
Back then, I had no idea that my undergrad journey would write and rewrite itself. At one point, I even thought that undergrad wasn't for me. At my lowest point, I made the choice to take it one step at a time and eventually found an area of study that actually made me excited to go to class and do the work. Somehow, I got to this point and I'm just very proud of myself.
Present is a Present
Josie Tran
It was during a 10km ride along the seawall loop of Stanley Park that I stumbled upon this breathtaking sight: the sunset casting its warm glow over the sea. The soft blue palette of the sky, the gentle tinged clouds drifting by, and the fiery red sun bidding farewell paint a serene picture that resonates with my soul. The calm silver sea, mirroring the colors above, adds a touch of magic, while the mountain stands as a silent sentinel, guarding this blissful moment. The harmonious blend of colors evokes a myriad of feelings within me—the freedom of exploration, the peace of being in nature's embrace, and the hope that comes with every sunset, promising a new beginning.
As a student whirling with academic and future career pressures in the early twenties, the photo is a reminder for me to pause, breathe, and take a little break. Recently, someone reminded me that we’re living in the present, hence we should embrace the moment and the people around us, rather than dwelling on past regrets or future fears. In this world filled with hustle and bustle, we strive daily to stay alive, yet it's crucial to infuse our pursuits with moments of exploration and joy. Otherwise, we’re merely surviving, not truly living.
The road in the picture mirrors my life journey—a path filled with unforeseen challenges and encounters. All I can do is stay the course, keep moving forward with determination and hope. Things will happen as they should, we don’t need to worry too much. Things that already happened, we can’t reverse them either. What we can control is our presence in the here and now, we can choose to transform ordinary moments into either extraordinary memories or miserable ones.
Shine like Sun
Vinisha Kadyan
Student life is full of surprises, but that does not mean you cannot shine like the sun. When I was in my first year, I was overwhelmed by the new world in front of me. I was confused and juggling academic and social life. I am sure others felt the same way, and why not? It was everyone's first experience.
As students, we should remember that each obstacle we overcome and every achievement we attain contributes to our journey. By embracing challenges with resilience and determination, we can indeed shine brightly like the sun, illuminating everyone around us.
We seek to shine like the morning sun in this vibrant tapestry of student life’s dawn, where new horizon waves are drawn amidst studies and fun whirlwinds. In the confusion of choices, we find ourselves, and we find us balancing books with touches of laughter. Just like the sun that paints the sky with different colours, we yearn to stand out, brave and bold with smiles on our faces. Being a student is not easy, but it is a fun part of life. In the grand symphony of life’s ballet, let our hearts sing and spirit sway.
Unexpected Scenery: An End of the Semester Shift in Perspective
This was a photo I took in December. Around this time in the semester, I’m always so preoccupied with school that I don’t have enough time to walk outside of campus. If I had walked inside like I usually do, I wouldn’t have noticed this beautiful sunset, so I took this photo. I hadn’t planned on using this photo for Photovoice, but I think that it really speaks to the project.
No matter how much I plan out my semester, there’s always one assignment or class that manages to throw me off. Likewise, there are also surprises like this sunset that I’m only able to notice when I least expect it—a reminder that everything will be okay.
A Solitary Introspection
Cairen Nicole Galarion Velasquez
Academic success is simultaneously isolating yet validating. Much like the surrounding darkness presented in the photo, finding your way in academia is a lonely path. A dark, uneasy, and solitary path. There are times in your journey where you can be easily bridled with moments of uncertainty and anxious breakdowns. The path is not easy, and quite frankly, difficult to find at times. Yet, such a path can still be lit up. The photo centers on what seems to be light shining out of a window. That light is representative of the joys and guidance that one experiences through this lonely path of academic success. Family, friends, professors, colleagues—they could be that light to shine this lonely path.
With that said, this photo is quite introspective. There’s a slight confusion whether the perspective of the photo might have been taken inside a room, looking out of the window, or taken outside a room, looking into the window. Much like that confusing explanation, academic success requires a lot of introspection. There’s a constant confusion on the credibility of your work, where it feels like you know so much, but it may not be enough. It’s a confusing path that either leads to success or enraging self-doubt. Yet, at the end of the day, everyone is on a different journey.
My version of academic success may not be the same as your ideas of academic success. We’re all trying to grow and prosper with our current circumstances. Academia just so happens to be a confusing, but self-fulfilling journey.
Beauty Around the Corner
Mishael Abu-Samhan
Academic success is exhausting; long hours studying, back and forth between classes, and the constant pressure of performance. It is rarely the case that students get to appreciate the fruits of their labour, and, when they can, the shadow of next semester looms closer.
Likewise, SFU Burnaby can sometimes be a sad place, characterized by utilitarian concrete and dreary days. But there’s always beauty around every corner. Case in point: this art exhibit in the AQ illustrates exactly that. As students hustle from class-to-class, these stunning pictures wait idly by for someone to appreciate them.
Of course, academic success is important—no student would deny that. That said, academic success shouldn’t blind you from appreciating the beauty around the corner.
Partners
Student Learning Commons (SLC) is an academic writing and learning center with the mandate to assist and support SFU students in their academic pursuits. Their vision involves the academic empowerment of SFU students by fostering a sense of belonging to a community of learners and writers.
SFU Public Square holds space for SFU and its communities to learn together and work towards equitable and sustainable solutions to our world's complex challenges.