I was eavesdropping (with permission!) on an interview being done on campus a few months ago. Culinary Arts student Alex Masson was speaking to Food Tourism Strategies about his program, local food sourcing and making connections in industry, and something he said resonated so deeply that I’m still thinking about it.
When asked what had made his time at Lethbridge Polytechnic so special, he answered without hesitation: “the people.”
Then he elaborated. “I’ve made a ton of friends here. Sometimes you feel like you’re the only nerd about food, especially with your friends from high school. When you come to culinary school, you meet all these other people who are nerds about food.”
I instantly related – not because of food, as I am seriously lacking in the technical details of fine dining, but because of that feeling you get when you find your people. The folks who are just as nerdy about the same things you are, who care deeply about the work and who cheer you on when you get excited about it.
For me, it’s always been writing. Certainly, very few grade school classmates were as enthusiastic as I was to be assigned an essay on symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird, but I couldn’t help it. I love researching new things, hearing people’s stories and writing about them. And it wasn’t until I enrolled at the polytechnic that I found others who truly enjoyed those things as much as I did.
When I joined the polytechnic’s Communications team, I naturally found more kindred “word nerds.” They introduced me to the ins and outs of Canadian Press (CP) Style, and, though perhaps unwillingly at first, I eventually became a “CP Style nerd,” too. Now, memorizing a mix of logical and utterly perplexing rules is not only a personal mission but a professional requirement.
In September, in a Calgary banquet room full of exceptional writers, editors, photographers, illustrators and more, I once again felt the warmth of this community. The Alberta Magazine Publishers Association hosts an amazing conference each year full of innovative and practical ideas that we can implement in our own publications. I have been fortunate to attend twice, and each time I’ve left feeling inspired and energized about my work.
To top it off, Wider Horizons was named Magazine of the Year for our Fall 2024 and Spring 2024 issues. Our talented photographer Rob Olson also won gold in the Photography: People and Portraiture category for his work on the Spring 2024 cover story, “Sanctuary.” To receive these awards from a panel of our peers – people who care just as much as we do about journalism, great storytelling or a stunning photo – is deeply rewarding.
I am so grateful for my ever-growing community of “word nerds” – the friends, colleagues, mentors and peers who continuously raise the bar, encourage each other and advocate tirelessly for what we all love. And I feel that same sense of shared passion throughout this issue: people who care deeply about what they do, and who are better for having found their people along the way.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this issue.
