At my core, I am a journalist first. For as long as I can remember, when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was a journalist. While I always strived to shine a light on underrepresented communities, voices and solutions, I later realized I wanted to change how I was doing that. As Deputy Editor at the Western Gazette, I couldn’t be prouder to wear that press pass every day.

When I arrived at Western University to major in Media, Information and Technoculture, I immediately joined the Gazette. As Deputy Editor, she has written and edited hundreds of stories on a wide range of coverage in the culture, news, sports and opinions sections. Turning complex topics into stories that are clear, entertaining and digestible is my favourite thing to do. Whether it’s for my own stories or other people’s, I am obsessed with finding the headlines that will make people click, the visuals that will make them think and the phrasing that will make them engage and start conversations. As a digital native and someone who used social media for social good, I understand both the challenges and opportunities the digital world presents to journalism. I’m here to meet that moment.

People deserve to know what is happening in their community. I am curious about the world around me – locally and globally – and lead with empathy and honesty. I’ve always loved catering to different audiences and helping them become informed in a way that makes sense for them. As a journalist, I always think about the “so what?” behind everything and how to bring the hidden, weird complexities and human side into every story to make it equally informative as entertaining for each person that comes across it. Turning people into readers isn’t easy and neither is making stories have impact, but it’s something I’m curious and eager about doing for as long as I can.