Hi, I’m Emily. For most of my life, I lived on a tree farm in the middle of nowhere, Ontario, Canada. Growing up in the countryside, I always wondered what the rest of the world was like.
That curiosity has never stopped.
Whether reporting on mental health innovations in India or profiling researchers on ocean sustainability, I’m constantly seeking a way to communicate messages that matter.
It was somewhere far away from the tree farm, though, that I realized I wanted to be a writer.
In the summer of 2012, I journeyed to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for an academic internship at the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ). While there, I monitored print media coverage across four English newspapers and became familiar with issues of free expression. CIJ works with activists, artists, and politicians to challenge media restrictions and censorship. Our Internet freedom campaign, “Stop 114A,” became an international news story that involved support from both political and artistic communities, with a nation-wide Internet blackout on August 14, 2012.
That trip and those interactions will never leave me.
Now, I’m a Content Strategist at Charitable Impact. Our Impact Account is like an online bank account for charitable giving. With this account, you can support any registered charity in Canada and manage your giving the way you want to. As part of the Experience Design team within the Product Department, I bring a content perspective to products, projects, and strategic decisions—including the development of an upcoming iOS mobile app. I also take a lead role in designing content that’s clear, consistent, and user-friendly.
Before moving to Charitable Impact, I was the Climate Change & Clean Energy Communications Specialist at the David Suzuki Foundation (DSF). DSF works with government, business and individuals to conserve our environment by providing science-based research, education and policy work, and acting as a catalyst for the change that today’s situation demands.
As a member of the Science & Policy department, my main focus was developing a departmental communications strategy, leading all editorial content, and liaising with media to cover stories on climate, clean energy, transportation, and other science and policy issues. I also gave several public talks on climate solutions across Canada, including two with MSF/Doctors without Borders.
Prior to my DSF experience, I was Communications Manager at Green College, an interdisciplinary graduate student residence known for its innovative free public lectures at the University of British Columbia. From redesigning the website to interviewing visiting scholars, artists, and journalists, I helped cultivate the voice of the College and collaborate with other departments at UBC to promote our creative vision.
In May 2015, I graduated from UBC with a Master of Journalism, specializing in human rights reporting. Over two years I grew more as a writer, editor, and team player, gaining experience in radio and video production to social media research.
In the summer of 2014, I interned at CBC Radio in Toronto as part of the Day 6 team. I helped to produce the weekly one-hour current affairs show, wrote blog copy and worked with web producers to develop successful posts. I also had the opportunity to intern with The Tyee in Vancouver, writing on everything from issues of inequality in the workplace to the mining spill in Mount Polley, B.C.
In my second year, I was honoured to be a fellow with the International Reporting Program at UBC. Our team focused on mental health in developing countries and innovative programs of delivery and care. In December 2014, I traveled to India with three of my colleagues, along with School of Journalism Director and Associate Professor Peter Klein and Dr. Videsh Kapoor of the Faculty of Medicine. Our award-winning multimedia project, Out of the Shadows, went live in the fall of 2015 and has appeared on Al Jazeera and in The New York Times.
Shortly after graduation I wrote and edited website content, as well as edited policy documents, for the UBC Fisheries Centre’s Nereus Program. My work included featuring Nereus Program fellows and alumni in profile pieces and connecting their research to the global discussion of ocean sustainability.
My communications career is vibrant. I’m eager to see beyond the tree farm that raised me, with an unwavering passion for connecting with people and organizations and telling their stories.
Here’s to the next adventure.
