Shq'apthut Team

Staff Biographies

Marie Scoretz

My name is Marie Scoretz and my heritage is Coast Salish (Tsleil-Waututh), Metis (Manitoba), on my mother's side, and Irish/Scottish on my father's. I am a 1997 graduate of the Bachelor of Arts Child & Youth Care Program, and the First Nations Child & Youth Care Diploma. Working in Services for Aboriginal Students since 1997 has been interesting, challenging and rewarding.

I enjoy hearing about the varied communities that students come from, and like the challenges that I am sometimes faced with. I love to see students look to higher education and be able to advise them so that they can achieve their goals. I really enjoy being introduced to family members of current and former students who are planning to attend programs at VIU.

My husband, Ken, and I have been married since 1974. We have two adult children and four grandchildren. I enjoy reading, gardening and teaching my grandchildren about the world around them.

Jennifer Christoffersen

My name is Jennifer Christoffersen (Shade). I am a descendant from the Laich kwil Tach Nation and a proud member of the Wei Wai Kum Band. I completed the First Nations Child and Youth Care Diploma, and have a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care degree from Vancouver Island University. I then went on to obtain a Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, specializing in Indigenous Governance, Law and Sociology at the University of Victoria. I am married, have one son and have worked at Vancouver Island University since 1998. Gilakas'la

Yvonne de Quincey

I was born in England and raised in South Africa. I travelled to different countries in Africa before choosing Canada to make my home and raise my family. After spending some time in the Okanagan, I relocated to Victoria, where I worked for the Ministry of Education. Moving to Nanaimo, I began working at VIU (formerly Malaspina) in 1997, for the Faculty of Science and Technology before finding my niche here at Shq’apthut. I have been fortunate enough to gather much knowledge from many different cultural backgrounds during my journey. I believe passionately in equality and in education. I greatly enjoy meeting students and their families and learning more about Aboriginal ways.

I live with my partner, Patrick. I have three adult children and 4 four grandchildren who we both enjoy visiting. Our hobbies include travelling, hiking gardening and birding.