If someone had told me 20 years ago that one day I’d be writing an editor’s message for my alma mater’s alumni magazine, I would have laughed and said, “no way.” As a Broadcast Journalism graduate working in radio, my passion was live, breaking news, the rush of hourly deadlines and the excitement and satisfaction I felt each time I captured the perfect soundbite for a story. None of those things, I believed, were compatible with long-form writing. I had also mused from time to time about what it might be like to return to Lethbridge Polytechnic as an instructor, but it was always a fleeting thought, and I never pursued it seriously.
In my 15 years working in radio news (14 of them in Lethbridge), I covered every type of story imaginable – wildfires and floods, a jet crash, all levels of government, court and crime, sports, and every now and then, when time allowed, a positive, inspiring, human-interest story. It’s difficult at the best of times to do a story like that justice, but when you’re allowed 30 seconds of airtime to tell it, it’s almost impossible. I found myself pouring over the extended website copy, making sure the tone was just right, the voices were properly represented, and that the story would strike a chord with our online readers. Writing those pieces filled my cup in so many ways.
As the years went on, my passions and priorities changed – as passions and priorities tend to do. I became less interested in the thrill of breaking news and the demands of hourly deadlines. I wanted a new challenge and a change of scenery, so in January 2022 I accepted the position of media relations specialist at Lethbridge Polytechnic. I had covered many great stories in Centre Core, in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium and in the Trades, Technologies and Innovation Facility during my time as a reporter and the campus had always felt like home. I was excited to share the institution’s stories of people and programs alike.
My very first week on the job, then-editor Lisa Kozleski asked me if I would be interested in writing a 600-word Makers, Doers and Thinkers profile for the Spring 2022 issue of Wider Horizons. I had hoped that one day I would be given the chance to write for the magazine, but week one? I said “yes” without hesitation. (Up until then, my claim to fame had been a photo of the back of my head in the fall 2015 issue as I interviewed then-President Dr. Paula Burns at a construction site.) I wrote about a 1981 graduate of the Rehabilitation Services program, the life-long friendships she made on campus and the camping trips they still plan together to celebrate reunion milestones. Cup filled.
Those early stories sparked a passion for long-form feature writing that I maybe always knew I had, but never had the chance to fully explore. And while my satisfaction these days may come from the perfect transition instead of the perfect soundbite, the intent is still the same – to convey, to the best of my ability, stories that will resonate and inspire. It’s something we strive to do with every issue of Wider Horizons, and to be honest, I’m still pinching myself to ensure my part in it is real. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy this issue.
