2017: Tyler Krueger stands in celebration after the awards ceremony presenting her with the annual Dick Close Scholarship from the Pacific Rim Foundation. Tyler is pictured here in white with (from left to right) Aaron Rodgers (PRF board member), Holly Baker (benefactor's family) and John Platenius (PRF board member). Photo credit: Westerly News.
Update from Tyler
June 2021
Hello everyone!
In several short weeks, I will be attending my virtual convocation at Simon Fraser University. It
is said with both joy and a heavy heart that this chapter has come to a close. This final year at
Simon Fraser University also marks the four and final year that I will be receiving funding from
The Pacific Rim Foundation and I could not be more thankful.
When I first came to SFU I had a very narrow mindset about my goals and aspirations as a new
student there- I had my mind fully set on academics and nothing more. Leaving a small town to
pursue bigger dreams left me scared of what I would encounter years down the road.
Moving to Vancouver was definitely a culture shock, and going from a high school of 150 students to a university of 35,000 was quite nerve wracking. As the weeks passed by, I started to realize that four years would be a journey that I didn’t want to travel alone on and I began to open up and try new things. I started to make friends- some of which will be life long relationships and some who came and went, but I learnt something new about myself after every encounter. I joined the SFU cheer club for a year which is a sport I had always wanted to pursue. I started figuring out which types of classes make me most happy and what I’m most passionate about- which is visual arts and creating moments for others to enjoy through both online and offline platforms. Not only was I pursuing my passion throughout my studies within SFU’s
Communication and Publishing programs, but outside of that I have been working i Vancouver’s creative industry gaining a kind of experience that wasn’t taught within the curriculums. Within the last three years, I’ve spent any remaining time outside of my studies working on building a future within the creative industry. Most notably, I’ve been published as a model in Vogue Italia, Moevir Paris and most recently, Wedluxe Vancouver. I’ve built authentic followings on both Instagram and TikTok and hope to pursue a career on YouTube in the near future.
The brand I’ve created around myself and my lifestyle captures an authentic version of myself which drives and inspires others to both be themselves and love themselves. I never thought that standing at a height of 5’0” that I would be published in magazines around the world, or that I would be helping others gain confidence to put themselves online. I’ve truly found my passion in communication and will be turning it into a career of influencing. Although this is still quite a new career path, I’ve accepted the challenges that are to arise and can’t wait to get started on this next chapter.
I plan to continue to use the knowledge I’ve gained within my studies at SFU in conjunction with my platforms to both inspire and educate others on larger worldly matters.
This has been the most exciting and eye-opening four years of my life and none of this would have been possible without the help from The Pacific Rim Foundation. With financial aid while attending university, I was able to focus on my studies full-time and finish my degree with honours in four years which granted me extra time to pursue my creative dreams on the side. Without The Pacific Rim Foundation, I wouldn’t have had the luxury of attending school without financial stresses which wouldn't have allowed me to have much free time to find what my true passions really are. I am truly grateful for this foundation as I would not be where I am, or able to wake up, do what I love and help others without it.
Thank you,
Tyler Krueger
January 2020
As always, I can’t believe that another semester has flown by. Instead of staying on Vancouver Island during the summer months, I decided to fully make the move out to Vancouver to pursue my own creative projects.
This year I had to make some changes in my academic schedule to keep myself on track for graduation by next year. I decided that it was in my best interest to take this semester off the cheer team, and focus my time after class on creative projects that compliment my degree. With only three semesters left, I focused on courses that will integrate and add to my desired career path. Specifically, the remaining Communications courses will focus on the more technical side of advertisements such as, videography, sound, and graphic design.
Outside of my studies, I’ve worked on my own creative projects that have not only allowed me to practice my skills but allowed me to become apart of Vancouver’s booming creative industry. Over the course of the semester I was able to create my own blog, speaking out on personal experiences that I’ve had working with other creatives around the area and I launched my own personal Youtube channel that shows viewers exactly what we do behind the scenes on photography or videography projects. I can definitely say with confidence that the avenue I’ve chosen to take within my studies is something I will be doing for the rest of my life.
Creating is something that I’ve always taken passion in and to be able to do that everyday for my own personal projects and my studies is really a dream come true. Without the generous funding from the Pacific Rim Foundation I would most likely spend my spare time working a part time
job rather than applying the skills learned in my studies on extra creative projects. I am forever thankful to be able to do what I do everyday.
June, 2018
Hello all,
I’ve finally completed my first year at SFU, and I’m glad it’s finally over but I’m also incredibly shocked at how fast these past eight months have gone by. In this past semester I enrolled myself into several different classes that have shown me to broaden my academic horizons and allow me to apply myself in a more creative way.
I’ve taken several communications courses at SFU that focused mainly on the origins of sound in media and how television has shaped society. Unlike my first semester, I was able to creatively apply myself in ways that got me around the city. I was able to create different sound projects that allowed me to really dive into another part of education that I didn’t know existed. Before I knew it, hours would pass me by in the labs through editing and conditioning my pieces that I normally would’ve spent writing papers, but I’ve found that I’m much prouder of the outcome of my technical pieces rather than my written ones. After giving it a lot of thought, I’ve decided to switch majors more related in this field which will hopefully lead me into the production of music and film.
I also took a course in sociology, which was one of my favorites by far. Learning about human interaction in everyday life that has shaped society today has made me look at my own life through a different lens.
Lastly, living in Vancouver has opened up many opportunities outside of SFU’s walls which has invited me to enjoy my surroundings and broaden my horizons- from trying new foods, to going to new places, and meeting new people, I’ve been able to get myself out of my comfort zone. With many memories to take away and new friends, I’m beyond excited to see where my academic journey takes me.
June 2021
Hello everyone!
In several short weeks, I will be attending my virtual convocation at Simon Fraser University. It
is said with both joy and a heavy heart that this chapter has come to a close. This final year at
Simon Fraser University also marks the four and final year that I will be receiving funding from
The Pacific Rim Foundation and I could not be more thankful.
When I first came to SFU I had a very narrow mindset about my goals and aspirations as a new
student there- I had my mind fully set on academics and nothing more. Leaving a small town to
pursue bigger dreams left me scared of what I would encounter years down the road.
Moving to Vancouver was definitely a culture shock, and going from a high school of 150 students to a university of 35,000 was quite nerve wracking. As the weeks passed by, I started to realize that four years would be a journey that I didn’t want to travel alone on and I began to open up and try new things. I started to make friends- some of which will be life long relationships and some who came and went, but I learnt something new about myself after every encounter. I joined the SFU cheer club for a year which is a sport I had always wanted to pursue. I started figuring out which types of classes make me most happy and what I’m most passionate about- which is visual arts and creating moments for others to enjoy through both online and offline platforms. Not only was I pursuing my passion throughout my studies within SFU’s
Communication and Publishing programs, but outside of that I have been working i Vancouver’s creative industry gaining a kind of experience that wasn’t taught within the curriculums. Within the last three years, I’ve spent any remaining time outside of my studies working on building a future within the creative industry. Most notably, I’ve been published as a model in Vogue Italia, Moevir Paris and most recently, Wedluxe Vancouver. I’ve built authentic followings on both Instagram and TikTok and hope to pursue a career on YouTube in the near future.
The brand I’ve created around myself and my lifestyle captures an authentic version of myself which drives and inspires others to both be themselves and love themselves. I never thought that standing at a height of 5’0” that I would be published in magazines around the world, or that I would be helping others gain confidence to put themselves online. I’ve truly found my passion in communication and will be turning it into a career of influencing. Although this is still quite a new career path, I’ve accepted the challenges that are to arise and can’t wait to get started on this next chapter.
I plan to continue to use the knowledge I’ve gained within my studies at SFU in conjunction with my platforms to both inspire and educate others on larger worldly matters.
This has been the most exciting and eye-opening four years of my life and none of this would have been possible without the help from The Pacific Rim Foundation. With financial aid while attending university, I was able to focus on my studies full-time and finish my degree with honours in four years which granted me extra time to pursue my creative dreams on the side. Without The Pacific Rim Foundation, I wouldn’t have had the luxury of attending school without financial stresses which wouldn't have allowed me to have much free time to find what my true passions really are. I am truly grateful for this foundation as I would not be where I am, or able to wake up, do what I love and help others without it.
Thank you,
Tyler Krueger
January 2020
As always, I can’t believe that another semester has flown by. Instead of staying on Vancouver Island during the summer months, I decided to fully make the move out to Vancouver to pursue my own creative projects.
This year I had to make some changes in my academic schedule to keep myself on track for graduation by next year. I decided that it was in my best interest to take this semester off the cheer team, and focus my time after class on creative projects that compliment my degree. With only three semesters left, I focused on courses that will integrate and add to my desired career path. Specifically, the remaining Communications courses will focus on the more technical side of advertisements such as, videography, sound, and graphic design.
Outside of my studies, I’ve worked on my own creative projects that have not only allowed me to practice my skills but allowed me to become apart of Vancouver’s booming creative industry. Over the course of the semester I was able to create my own blog, speaking out on personal experiences that I’ve had working with other creatives around the area and I launched my own personal Youtube channel that shows viewers exactly what we do behind the scenes on photography or videography projects. I can definitely say with confidence that the avenue I’ve chosen to take within my studies is something I will be doing for the rest of my life.
Creating is something that I’ve always taken passion in and to be able to do that everyday for my own personal projects and my studies is really a dream come true. Without the generous funding from the Pacific Rim Foundation I would most likely spend my spare time working a part time
job rather than applying the skills learned in my studies on extra creative projects. I am forever thankful to be able to do what I do everyday.
June, 2018
Hello all,
I’ve finally completed my first year at SFU, and I’m glad it’s finally over but I’m also incredibly shocked at how fast these past eight months have gone by. In this past semester I enrolled myself into several different classes that have shown me to broaden my academic horizons and allow me to apply myself in a more creative way.
I’ve taken several communications courses at SFU that focused mainly on the origins of sound in media and how television has shaped society. Unlike my first semester, I was able to creatively apply myself in ways that got me around the city. I was able to create different sound projects that allowed me to really dive into another part of education that I didn’t know existed. Before I knew it, hours would pass me by in the labs through editing and conditioning my pieces that I normally would’ve spent writing papers, but I’ve found that I’m much prouder of the outcome of my technical pieces rather than my written ones. After giving it a lot of thought, I’ve decided to switch majors more related in this field which will hopefully lead me into the production of music and film.
I also took a course in sociology, which was one of my favorites by far. Learning about human interaction in everyday life that has shaped society today has made me look at my own life through a different lens.
Lastly, living in Vancouver has opened up many opportunities outside of SFU’s walls which has invited me to enjoy my surroundings and broaden my horizons- from trying new foods, to going to new places, and meeting new people, I’ve been able to get myself out of my comfort zone. With many memories to take away and new friends, I’m beyond excited to see where my academic journey takes me.
