Now in the final year of her degree, Dowling (pictured) said she has decided to make all her projects based on the time she was in care. Photo courtesy of Tarah Dowling

A Vancouver Island University student is sharing the stories of people who were once in the foster care system and are now starting their post-secondary education journeys.

Tarah Dowling is finishing her final year at Vancouver Island University (VIU) with a bachelor of arts degree. She is highlighting her and other students' journeys through the foster care system and now getting an education through the Provincial Tuition Waiver program.

The program allows B.C students who are current or former children or youth in care to have their tuition and eligible fees waived for them. This would allow these students to attend a post-secondary institution or an approved union-based trade training provider without worrying about how they would afford to do so.

Growing up Dowling was in foster care and didn’t know about the tuition waiver program until she was older and applied to school at VIU.

“When I first applied to the school, I was actually denied the grant because I already had an Associate of Arts Degree that I got for myself when I was in school in the US that I paid for, and I only got that because I was trying to work towards a bachelor's, and I didn't know if I'd be able to financially be able to pay for that,” Dowling said. “At that point, the provincial waiver program only allowed for one degree. So I ended up having to take a job, and I moved across the country, then I got an email in my inbox that said I had been awarded $28,000 to finish my degree at VIU.”

She said she has always valued education and jumped at the chance knowing she could return to school to finish her bachelor's degree.

Now in the final year of her degree, Dowling said she has decided to make all her projects based on the time she was in foster homes and the struggles she went through being in and out of the foster care system.

In a directed study photography class, Dowling decided to do a community-based art piece discussing the tuition waiver program and going through foster care.

For this piece, she highlights 15 people including herself who are in the tuition waiver program with portraits taken of them through the printing process of cyanotype.

Cyanotype photography is a camera-less printing technique that involves capturing an image with UV light and chemicals to create monochromatic blue image prints.

“So I created the project because I felt so alone in my struggle with being a foster child, and I've always wanted to kind of connect to other people that have gone through that and to share their stories, and myself included,” Dowling said.

She said she was able to connect with other students in the tuition waiver program at VIU who were all excited to share their experiences in the foster care program.

“It was just really inspiring and exciting to see that people weren't afraid to share their experience, because I think that there's a lot of stigma around being in foster care, being in foster homes, and I think that it's because of some such a sensitive subject, not everyone wants to share their experience,” Dowling said. “So I was really kind of touched that so many people had the courage to want to share their experience and to be photographed.”

Dowling shared that her experience in care isn't something she shares often, feeling a bit of shame about her experience.

“There's a negative stigma around it kind of almost puts you in this box that you probably got traumas and maybe you're messed up and you're just not like a normal person if you've had that experience,” Dowling said.

But she said she hopes sharing the stories of those who have been through the care system and are now seeking higher education, will put a new light on those once in care.

She also said she hopes this artwork will bring attention to the Provincial Tuition Waiver program so more youth who are or were in care know they have the opportunity to start their own education journey.

Dowling’s art piece titled We Are the Change You Want to See will be on display at the VIU Library on the fifth floor starting later this month.

Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.