Our People: Meet Justin Perry

Putting people at the core of everything we do is paramount at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). We’re proud to be a people-first organization, where employees are supported, valued, and empowered to thrive, both personally and professionally.

Through the Our People series on BCIT News, we celebrate the passion, expertise, and impact of individuals who help shape a better future at BCIT and beyond.

Meet Justin Perry, Faculty, School of Construction and the Environment and Instructor in the Forest and Natural Areas Management (FNAM) program. Justin has been working at BCIT for over five years, and he is also an alum of the FNAM program.

What has been your most memorable moment working at BCIT? 

Creating the TEDx talk I gave about holistic wildfire management. I spent months writing and refining, consulting with knowledge keepers, BCIT staff, and industry experts. Giving the presentation was enjoyable, but the whole experience of putting it together gave me a focus and honed my ability to reflect, write, and present.

The process of creating something is as important as the final product, sometimes more so, and this is a lesson I’m trying to pass onto our students. Graduating and getting your diploma or degree is a fantastic accomplishment but I try to highlight it’s important to enjoy the journey along the way too. The relationships you build and the memories you create while at BCIT are as important as the accreditation you walk away with.

What do you enjoy the most about working in post-secondary education?

Working with young people who want to change the world. When people are passionate, they hunger for knowledge. Some students radiate energy, quickly taking in what we teach, consuming it like tinder thrown on to a bonfire.

Education is one of the most effective ways that we change the world in a positive way. I’m grateful to be able to lift others up. We as teachers benefit so much from this process too.

What are projects or initiatives that you have completed at the Institute that you are proud of? 

There are several initiatives that I am proud of:

• I worked with Julia Alards-Tomalin, Sebastian Leiva, and Maddy MacDonald to update our FNAM program page website. Before we updated it, the page was a wall of text, but I spent the summer putting together a video showcasing what we do in the program. I think young people benefit more from videos than long walls of text, so our improved page will generate more attention for FNAM. Prospective students will have a better idea of if the program is the right fit for them before they apply. I’m grateful to FNAM alumni, Jonathan Jakes, and Tanya Steinauer who were open to being interviewed for the video.
• I spent this summer as a project lead for Aeriosense Technologies, a company that uses drones and cutting-edge technology for utilities inspections. I’m proud to say that we were able to hire a first year BCIT Fish, Wildlife, and Recreation student, Easton Hoisington to work with me. Easton and I worked together across BC, from Cape Scott to Tumbler Ridge to Iskut. I think we both learned a lot from each other and walked away with lots of good memories.
• Working with TREK and receiving funding to go to the First Nation’s Forestry Conference in Penticton last April. I got to support some of our students who were there, develop relationships, and learn from knowledge keepers.

Is there an Institute event or initiative that you look forward to every year?

I always appreciate the BCIT Indigenous Garden Harvest & Food Security Gathering. Zaa Joseph from Indigenous Initiatives is one of the main organizers of this event, and we get to work together to help run it.

Zaa is a long-time friend and confidant. Zaa is someone I can connect with deeply in a safe environment on campus. Our students are lucky to have him as an Advisor. Our program’s renewable resource students also benefit so much from having this event on campus as it highlights Indigenous perspectives towards land stewardship.

Feedback from our students is always so positive, and they say it reinforces what we’re trying to teach them in the classroom. This event brings together people from across BCIT and this year, it will be on September 24. The event is open to everyone, and people can register through this link.

Do you have a favourite spot or activity at the BCIT campuses that you enjoy spending your time at?

My favourite spot is the grassy area with the pines tree in the SW01 courtyard. BCIT is fast paced, and there are times when we can benefit from slowing down. Before teaching or after a few hours of sitting at my desk I benefit from quiet time to let things settle and to clear my mind. It’s also beside the Indigenous plant garden, which radiates positive energy. Especially on sunny days you’ll often find me there.

Share with us how what you are passionate about outside of work.

I enjoy flying planes. I earned my private pilot’s license from Glacier Air in Squamish. Seeing Sea to Sky from the air is an awesome experience, and aviation builds your ability to focus. I’m grateful for all the aviation instructors I’ve had. They took something extremely complicated like aviation and made it as simple as possible. This style of making things clear and accessible is still the main foundation of how I teach today. You never know how your hobbies will lead into other things. It’s good to learn as much as you can in life while doing things you enjoy.