Roxy Granikovas has spent eight years at UFV building spaces where everyone can feel included. Now that they’re graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy (Honours), their efforts are being recognized with the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal. Each year, this award honours a student who’s made outstanding contributions in support of inclusion, democracy, or reconciliation.  

“I’m at a loss for words,” Roxy says. Though the medal may have come as a surprise, they’re more than deserving. Through their work as vice president, president, and treasurer of the UFV Pride Collective and Vice President External of the Student Union Society (SUS), Roxy has demonstrated their commitment to making UFV a welcoming place for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. After all, equity, diversity and inclusion have been longtime passions of theirs.

“I’ve always said my life’s mission is to leave the world a better place than when I first came into it, so I love helping people. I love fostering community, safer spaces, bringing people together, and making everything fair and equitable for everyone. I just think the world is such a beautiful place when we all bring our diversity and come together to collaborate. It creates more opportunities for everyone.” 

In their time as a student, Roxy took on multiple leadership roles. One of their favourite projects with the Pride Collective was planning UFV’s first Queer Prom. Roxy also collaborated with Campus Recreation to create a gender-inclusive exercise program for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and allies, and with the UFV Library’s Student Engagement Working Group to distribute free pronoun pins to students.  

“Roxy was instrumental in our joint project,” says Camille Callison, University Librarian. “They were a wonderful mediator to bring student feedback on the vocabulary to ensure multiple pronoun pin options (and therefore students) are represented.”  

To make UFV courses more accessible to those with financial needs, Roxy worked on UFV’s first zero textbook cost program alongside SUS and the Office of the Registrar. This helps people easily identify which classes don’t require the purchase of a textbook when selecting their courses.   

“A lot of students face food insecurity or debt. Some students even skip meals to be able to afford their textbooks,” Roxy explains. “Or they choose not to purchase a textbook and therefore don’t have access to the same materials and information as other students.” 

By providing that information up front, students can more easily plan and choose courses that fit their needs.  

While much of their work has centred around inclusion, Roxy’s contributions to democracy also make them a worthy recipient of this award. At SUS, they helped facilitate two successful “Get out the vote” campaigns to encourage students to speak up about their needs and worked with Elections BC to provide voting booths on campus. 

After pouring so much of themself into making the school a better place, it feels bittersweet to leave. 

“I love UFV,” Roxy says with a smile. “It’s my community, my people. I really enjoyed my university experience here and being a part of this community has been one of the best opportunities of my life. While I’m happy and excited to be graduating, I’m also sad to be leaving UFV — but I may find myself back here one day.”  

After graduation, Roxy looks forward to a summer of camping, travel, and music festivals. Then, they hope to publish their honours thesis on the importance of teaching children philosophy. Roxy’s thesis argues that children can possess moral agency, and fostering their critical thinking skills at an early age prepares them to be future decision makers for our world.  

With luck, they’ll be as passionate about building equitable, inclusive communities as Roxy is.  

“I wasn’t expecting this award at all,” Roxy says. “It’s a great honour and I’m so flattered to be the person selected. I thank everybody who’s been a part of my journey here; it’s all of them who have gotten me where I am today.”