Iya Mendoza

Carleton '27

Iya Mendoza is a writer at Her Campus for the Carleton University chapter in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She writes on an extensive array of topics—including culture, wellness, opinion and local news—and has a particular interest in building off of her own life experiences in her writing in a way that is both relatable and entertaining. Ultimately, she hopes that people enjoy reading her pieces just as much as she enjoys writing them.

Iya graduated in 2023 from Notre Dame High School in Ottawa with the top grade in university-level English. In grade 12, she wrote an article for the Kitchissippi Times—a local community newspaper—about her senior year experience and the essence of time and change. Throughout the year, she also volunteered for the Children's Liturgy at Our Lady of Fatima parish, as well as designed the logo for the science department merchandise at her school. She would love to gain work experience someday through an internship at a news station. She is currently in her first year at Carleton with a major in Journalism, and plans on applying for a double major in Journalism and Communications + Media Studies.

Iya has enjoyed writing for as long as she can remember, and some of the little stories and poems she wrote as a kid still sit in her old drawers. Aside from writing, Iya loves drawing, painting, exploring, being in nature and spending time with her family and friends. She also finds much joy in photography and can be caught taking photos of virtually anything in her day-to-day life: anything from her view from bus windows to her excessive campus coffees. She hopes to pursue photography as a part of her future journalism career. She's a die-hard fan of caramel lattes and cute stationery, and still periodically aches over One Direction's supposed "18-month hiatus" (97 months as of today, but who's counting?).