Growing up in Fredericton, N.B., my family didn’t have much. Hand-me-down clothes, spaghetti smothered in ketchup rather than tomato sauce and setting traps to catch the mice that had infested our tiny, rundown house were all normal occurrences in my young life.

Needless to say things were rough, luxuries were few and far between. The one thing I didn’t have trouble acquiring was inspiration.  My mother and stepfather decided to go back to school, while raising children and working graveyard shifts at a Calgary hospital.  Now they are happily married and both extremely successful in their respective fields.  My younger brother was diagnosed at birth with Down Syndrome. The doctors claimed his prospects for learning to walk or speak properly were slim to none. Today, he leads a healthy life where he rarely stops talking and runs excitedly at every new challenge.

During this early part of my life I spent a great deal of time lost in my own dreams. Dreaming of a better life, dreaming of something beyond our tiny little cul-de-sac.  No, I’m not talking about earning loads of money or living in a big, fancy house. Instead, I wanted a life that meant something, a life I could look back on and be proud of, knowing that I made a difference in some way, shape or form.  It was also during this time that I gathered much of the necessary skills to be a force for good in the ever-evolving world of communications.  Skills like perseverance, integrity and leadership.

It was my leadership that steered me to the position of publishing editor at the Mount Royal University Reflector, where I served for two consecutive years. It was my perseverance that led me to a job as a paginator/copy editor at the Calgary Herald.  And finally, it was the integrity of my work that earned me the Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association award for best environmental story, while on an internship at the Bonnyville Nouvelle. Now, I have moved on to the Cochrane Eagle where I am currently working to bolster the publication’s sports section and in the vast world of online media.

Sure, I have accomplished a few things in my life but I am just getting started; my dreams continue to grow with each passing day. Hopefully on this site you will follow me on my journey.