Day in the life: Heather Richards

Heather Richards might not be a name you recognize, but if you’ve been to a 50th anniversary event at UVic, you’ve seen her handiwork. For the past two years, Heather has been a constant force behind the celebrations. “I’m really passionate about UVic,” says Heather. Considering what she’s accomplished in the past few years, it’s no wonder why.

After receiving her MA in English from UVic in 2011, Heather jumped straight into a job with the university’s 50th Anniversary Organizational Team, first as an Event Assistant and then as an Event Coordinator. There’s a twinkle in her eye and an easy smile when she’s asked about the practical application of her thesis on theatre companies in early modern Lancashire—but the skills she developed as a UVic student have certainly come into play as a UVic staff member. Some examples include communicating with the UVic community about events, organizing materials on UVic’s great moments in history and writing content for the anniversary website.

“This job has been really fascinating,” explains Heather in her charming British accent. “I’ve met a lot of interesting people.” The only downside? Sometimes she finds herself too busy to attend the events that she worked so hard to plan and execute.

Heather grew up in England, in an area known as “the Wirral.” She moved to Victoria in 2009, but it wasn’t the first time she had been to Canada. After receiving her undergraduate degree, Heather spent seven months working as a counsellor at a YMCA camp just outside of Calgary. There, at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Heather feels she had an authentic Canadian experience: wildlife spotting, canoeing, hiking and living in a tipi. She even got to shovel snow in April.

During that time, she fell in love not only with Canada; she also met her future husband, Aaron, who she married back in her hometown in 2009. Years after their counselling experience, they would both return to Canada as UVic students, Heather pursuing a master’s in English and Aaron a bachelor’s in philosophy.

In addition to studying at UVic, Heather and Aaron live in family housing, have participated in campus clubs and worked various jobs on campus. “For the last four years, our whole lives have been UVic,” Heather says with a smile. All of this has added to her excitement over celebrating the 50th anniversary. Not only is she celebrating UVic’s achievements as an employee, she is also celebrating as an alumna.

As the anniversary comes to an end, Heather is still busy, archiving and documenting events for future celebrations. “I’ll be happy and sad when the job’s done,” says Heather. Sad that the celebrations are over but happy that she and her team will have accomplished something memorable. Perhaps in the future, the UVic community will look back on these celebrations as another of its great moments in history.

So what’s next for Heather after the 50th anniversary period is over? She hopes to find time to travel across Canada with Aaron. For now, however, she’s still focused on the anniversary. The final event, Shared Achievements, takes place on June 27 and celebrates UVic’s achievements under the leadership of David Turpin. RSVP at www.uvic.ca/achievements.