Name: Sherina
Nickname: Sher
Program: Journalism
Favourite RU Professor: I don’t think I can pick a favourite! All of the journalism professors I’ve had so far are amazing.
What have you learned from first year that you wished you knew before starting university?
I learned so much about journalism in first year that I wish I had known before coming to Ryerson. I guess one specific thing I wish I’d learned earlier is the process of writing an article; pitching a topic, contacting and interviewing sources, transcribing the interview and writing the story. I started a digital news blog at my high school, but looking back I wish I had researched and written more original pieces for that blog.
Why did you pursue journalism?
I’ve always loved writing. I had my first article published in my local newspaper when I was in grade six, and after I continued to write for the paper I just kind of assumed I would study journalism. As I’ve grown older and learned more about the field, I have been inspired to pursue journalism to educate people about things happening around them that they might not otherwise know about. Also, as we can see from recent events (such as the Paradise Papers investigation in Canada) journalists play an incredibly important role in democracies by holding leaders accountable.
What experiences do you hope to take from the program?
One of the reasons I chose to study journalism at Ryerson was because the program is very hands on. Although I’m not even halfway through my time here, I have already written articles that I’m proud of and had a lot of great learning experiences. I can look back at my time in the program so far and see not just lectures and assignments, but articles, interviews and real-life journalism experiences. I think having those experiences has been one of the highlights of my time at Ryerson so far.
How has the program shaped your understanding and perception of the ways in which the media presents information to the public?
As I mentioned earlier, I have definitely become aware of the hugely important role that journalists play in a country. It is amazing to think of all of the scandals, injustices and even victories that people might not know about if it were not for journalists. However, during my time at Ryerson I have also become more aware of some of the challenges facing journalists. The rise of “fake news”, decreasing trust in the media and threats to freedom of the press are just a few examples of these challenges.
In your spare time, what hobbies or activities do you partake in?
I write for my personal blog (www.sherinaspeaks.com) and have written for the Huffington Post. I also contribute to other on-campus publications and website, like RUtv News and The Eyeopener. So I guess you could say I spend a lot of time writing. But I also enjoy reading (Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors), listening to music (I currently have Taylor Swift’s new album on repeat) and baking (chocolate chip cookies are my go-to recipe).
If your life could be described as a film genre, which one would it be?
That’s a good question! I’d probably say comedy. I love to tell bad jokes and puns; sometimes I’m the only one laughing, but that still qualifies it as a comedy, right?
Based on your Her Campus biography, it says that you are a cat lover. Tell me about that.
Well, funnily enough my favourite animals are actually cats and sharks (a strange combination, I know). I love my cat and I love laughing at cat videos online.
What has been the most fulfilling aspect of being involved with Her Campus?
Writing for Her Campus Ryerson has been a great experience because it has given me the opportunity to share my writing with a community at Ryerson. It’s nice to be able to write Ryerson-specific articles, or even just pieces more targeted at a university audience. It’s also been great to be part of the Her Campus community, both by reading articles from fellow writers and meeting new people. It’s an amazing group of writers, and I’m so glad I made the decision to join last year!