Meet the Team
Effective April 7, 2021, the University of Alberta News site will be the new home for YouAlberta. Please visit ualberta.ca/youalberta to read the latest stories by U of A students.
2020–2021
Alex
Alex is currently a MA student in East Asian Studies working on a thesis on K-pop and Korea. She’s also a mental health advocate and volunteers for Asian Mental Health Collective. In her spare time, she’s often watching online K-pop concerts, tweeting about advocacy and academia, or working on her 5 star Animal Crossing island.
Francine
Francine is a fourth year university student in the secondary education program with a major in physics, and is an avid lover of bread and cats. When she’s not spending time working and studying, you can catch her reading a book, playing video games, or finding various ways to be a loaf.
Gurbani
Gurbani is a third-year software engineering student at the U of A. She was born in New Delhi, India and she came to Canada a couple of years ago to pursue her degree. As an international student she tries to communicate her experiences and learnings through her passion for writing. She is also the Vice President External of the International Students’ Association (ISA). When she’s not studying or writing, she works on strategies to manage her time appropriately. She also spends time programming, learning Zumba, and reading “not-cliche” young adult fiction, if she ever finds that time to do so.
Laura
Laura is in the second (and hopefully final) year of her Master’s degree studying Classical Languages. She can always be found with her nose in a book. Whether it’s academic reading or for pleasure, she will read pretty much anything. She’s passionate about languages like Middle Welsh and Ancient Greek and will pet every dog she sees.
Morenike
Morenike is in her second semester of a rehabilitation science degree. Born in Nigeria and raised in England, she relocated to Canada for her undergraduate degree. She is passionate about research, communications, and knowledge translation. She hopes to one day work in health communications/marketing, and eventually health policy to promote equity and literacy for all! Apart from her studies, she is a blogger who writes on faith, music, sports, food, and traveling! This year it’s all about channeling the #mambamentality!
MorningStar
MorningStar is a Cree student in her last year of Native Studies. She enjoys going on runs, making her own jewellery, and pushing herself to find comfort in the uncomfortable. With the season changing, MorningStar finds herself reminiscing about the One Direction concert she attended in 2015, and the times of laying out in the sun as those days are now few and far in between.
Nathaniel
Nathaniel is a fourth year economics and political science student pursuing his BA. He is also on a 12-month work term with the Faculty of Arts where he is a Student Recruitment, Engagement and Communications Intern. In addition, he is a communications director for OASIS (Faculty of Arts Student Association). Nathaniel is passionate about helping/serving members of his community and hopes to one day translate that into starting his own consulting firm.
Sandy
Sandy is in her third year of pharmacy school. When she’s not working at the pharmacy or writing for the YouAlberta blog, she’s usually experimenting with new recipes at home, exploring hiking trails, or trying a new racquet sport. Sandy is excited for another year of writing for YouAlberta and being part of a team of very creative minds.
Valentina
Valentina is a fourth year BA psychology and economics student. She’s originally from Venezuela, but lived in Costa Rica before coming to the U of A (she is still not sure how she’s been able to survive three Edmonton winters). She loves talking about anything especially if it’s pop culture (and/or Harry Styles) related. She just started running and is now planning to run a marathon someday!
2019–2020
Alex
Alex is currently a second year MA student in East Asian Studies, focusing on K-Pop and Korea. She’s also a mental health advocate and GSA councillor. Off-campus, she’s often travelling, going to K-pop concerts, and recording her journey on her blog and vlog channel.
Anusha
Anusha is a fourth (and final) year B.A. Political Science (Honors) student with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Anusha loves learning about feminist theory, pop culture, and masculinities. Off campus, she enjoys a good so-cheesy-it’s-terrible romance, has a wild affinity for birds, and can relate every experience in life to an episode of the PBS show Arthur.
Azra
Azra is a fourth year pharmacy student determined to make the most out of her last year on campus. The University of Alberta has been her home for the last five years and she is excited to share her tips and experiences with her fellow students. Writing is her passion and she’s excited to be a student blogger this year again!
Francine
Francine is a third year university student in the secondary education program with a major in Physics, this year’s YouAlberta Publication Assistant, and a Gemini. When she’s not spending time working and studying, you can catch her reading a book, playing with her three cats and dog, or playing Stardew Valley.
Freya
Freya is a fourth year BA Sociology student who delights in turning little things into big adventures. Freya always sides with sustainability and social justice, be it through her writing or delicious vegan treats. Nowadays, Freya can be found sipping black coffee, saying yes to every invite, and hiking in the mountains.
Gurbani
Gurbani is from New Delhi, India and is in her second year of software engineering. She’s also a peer tutor with the University of Alberta Residence Services, loves reading romance and drama novels, and is looking forward to sharing her experiences at the university.
Laura
Laura is in her first year of her Master’s degree studying Classical Languages. She can always be found with her nose in a book. Whether it’s academic reading or for pleasure, she will read pretty much anything. She’s passionate about studying rare and confusing ancient languages like Middle Welsh and Oscan and Umbrian, and will pet every dog she sees.
Sandy
Sandy is in her third year of pharmacy school. When she’s not working at the pharmacy or writing for the YouAlberta blog, she’s usually experimenting with new recipes at home, exploring hiking trails, or trying a new racquet sport. Sandy is excited for another year of writing for YouAlberta and being part of a team of very creative minds.
Valentina
Valentina is a third year BA Psychology and Economics student. She’s originally from Venezuela, but lived in Costa Rica before coming to the U of A (she is still not sure how she’s been able to survive two Edmonton winters). Her writing career started after winning a short-story contest in the first grade.
2018–2019
Aidan
Aidan has lost track of what year he is in, but is certain that he is certifiably old at this point. He is an avid gamer and a seasoned if somewhat cynical journalist. So it goes. He hosts a podcast called Panic Mode with his girlfriend, which discusses game design and how understanding it can make you a better gamer. He is not fond of writing about himself in the third-person.
Azra
Azra is in her fifth year of university, yet somehow her life is still a mess (how do you adult?). You can probably catch her around campus laughing through painfully awkward situations or laughing so hard that the situation becomes awkward. Either way, laughing is good for you, so she must be really healthy.
Danika
Danika is entering her final year of Nutrition and Food Science and loves seeking out all the good things happening on campus and in the city. She’s a big fan of dance, plants, and alpacas, with a love of food, photography, and friendships. She’s excited about sharing her experiences in order to help others get the most out of theirs!
Freya
Freya is a third year BA Sociology student who delights in turning little things into big adventures. For example, when she was six, she asked her dad, “How can I get in the newspaper?” This culminated in a 91km hike and a signed letter from the Queen of England (Freya can show you the hard copy). Nowadays, Freya can be found sipping black coffee, saying yes to every invite, and hiking mountains in the pursuit of making a difference.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah is a fourth year Political Science student with a minor in English. Originally from Canmore, he’s been a Toronto Maple Leafs fan since birth and will geek out about anything related to superheroes or Harry Potter. A loyal weekly viewer of This is Us, he also loves hiking in the mountains, playing hockey, reading and writing. Interested in storytelling and human rights, Jeremiah hopes to one day pursue a career in social justice and journalism to help make a difference in the world.
Melissa
Melissa is a fourth-year in Global and Development Studies at Augustana. When she isn’t silently correcting people’s grammar, Melissa works as the Editor-in-Chief of the Augustana Medium. She is a fan of dad jokes, feminist podcasts, and non-fiction books.
Niabi
Niabi is in her sixth (and hopefully final) year of a BA double majoring in English and Spanish with a focus in Translation. She is a relentless optimist, extroverted on most occasions, and always loves a good laugh. When not jamming out to Reggaeton, you can find her trying to cuddle every dog she sees, popping a Benadryl because she’s allergic to dogs (and everything else), or serving herself “eyes-are-too-big-for-your-stomach” helpings.
Sandy
Sandy is a second-year pharmacy student. She was born in Shanghai but grew up in Edmonton. When she’s not learning how to pronounce the drug “Ezetimibe” or helping out at the pharmacy, she’s on a mission to find the best noodle dish in town. Nothing gets her as hyped about her weekends as going on a noodle hunt but photography, hiking and making piano covers of popular music comes close. She hopes to use the blog as a platform to share unique stories on campus with a creative flare.
Sam
Sam is a 3rd year Political Science Honours student. He is a City of Edmonton Youth Councillor, University Senator, and a Managing Editor for The Green Medium. Sam is a proud Edmontonian and is firmly convinced that it is the greatest city on earth because of the amazing people that inhabit it. Curious about virtually everything, he is always happy to talk to someone new and learn a thing or two (or three).
2017–2018
Alvin
Alvin is heading into the final year of his Business degree in Accounting and Finance. When he is not crunching numbers or compiling financial statements, he is always staying on top of breaking news and current affairs. A self-proclaimed foodie, Alvin loves a good bowl of poke, Nando’s chicken, and you can always win him over by offering some Purdys hedgehogs. He is excited to be able to share the stories that reflect the diversity and inclusivity of campus life at the University of Alberta.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah is a 2nd year English student. Originally from Canmore, he is a loyal Toronto Maple Leafs fan and a proud Lister alumni. A member of the Youth Advisory Group for the Canadian Commission of UNESCO, Jeremiah has a keen interest in literature and human rights and hopes to work in a field where he can be involved in social justice. In December of 2015, he launched a social media anti-discrimination campaign called the World Mosaic Project and now continues to work on and spread the campaign’s message.
Melissa
Melissa is a second year BA in Global and Development Studies at Augustana. Her favourite pastimes are drinking tea, eating chicken wings, rock climbing and playing her ukulele. Melissa loves wearing bright red lipstick to match her hair and her sarcastic personality!
Niabi
Niabi is a fifth year BA student double majoring in English and Spanish. She is a relentless optimist, hazardously curious, and loves a good laugh (her friends would say that she has a juvenile sense of humor). When not jamming out to Reggaeton, you can find her trying to cuddle every dog she sees, or serving herself “eyes-are-too-big-for-your-stomach” helpings.
Rachel
After spending a year in work experience being too cool for school, Rachel is spending the last year of her English degree eating as many $1 donuts from the Undergrind as she can. When not on campus, she’s snuggling up to her gecko and eagerly awaiting another season of Arrested Development.
Sam
Sam is a 2nd year double major student in Political Science and Economics. He is the President of Greenfield Community League as well as a Co-Head of The Green Medium, an Emerald Award winning blog. Sam has a deep love of hockey, sitcoms, and Superman (who he will defend to the death), and is proud to be a walking encyclopedia of Gilmore Girls trivia. Curious about virtually everything, he is always happy to talk to someone new and learn a thing or two (or three).
Taylor
Taylor is in her fourth year, trying out her third faculty. After getting a taste of Sciences and Education, she decided Business was truly the faculty for her. When she is not studying for that elusive 4.0 GPA, you can find her glued to her computer, writing a new post on her personal style & beauty blog, when-im-older.com. And if she gets bored of that, you can most definitely bet she’s busy taking countless Snapchats of her Goldendoodle, Oakley.
Kevin S
Kevin is a first-year Education After Degree student, with his first degree in Computing Science. He can be found taking photos, eating and trying to cook interesting food, and exploring new places. But mostly he spends way too much time following politics on the internet. Kevin is running the YouAlberta social media this year, which you should follow on Twitter, like on Facebook, and subscribe to on Instagram!
2016–2017
Catherine
Catherine is a 2016 BSc graduate (in Bio and English) who will be tackling a BEd in Secondary Education this September. She currently works at the Centre for Teaching and Learning and her passions include children’s health and flat-faced pets. When she isn’t eating or chuckling to herself, Catherine enjoys playing piano, exploring the river valley and spiralling into existential reflections while stargazing
Jeremiah
Jeremiah is a 2nd year English student. Originally from Canmore, he currently serves as a Residence Assistance in Lister Hall. A loyal Toronto Maple Leafs, he has a keen interest in literature and human rights and hopes to work in a field where he can be involved in social justice. In collaboration with his friends, he’s created a social media anti-discrimination campaign called the World Mosaic Project.
Kevin
Kevin is a 1st year MA (Thesis) Anthropology student. A research nerd, his interests include topics on gender/sexuality, food, and anything Southeast Asia. Kevin prefer cats over dogs and just like everyone else, he always skip ads when watching YouTube videos. A self-confessed TV buff, he will watch teen or any slice-of-life dramas with no shame. His favourite candy is Starburst. The lemon Starburst to be exact.
Melissa
Melissa is a second year BA in Global and Development Studies at Augustana. Her favourite pastimes are drinking tea, eating chicken wings, rock climbing and playing her ukulele. Melissa loves wearing bright red lipstick to match her hair and her sarcastic personality!
Niabi
Niabi is a fourth year BA student double majoring in English and Spanish. She’s a relentless optimist, hazardously curious, and loves a good laugh (her friends would say that she has a juvenile sense of humour). When not jamming out to Reggaeton, you can find her trying to cuddle every dog she sees, or serving herself “eyes-are-too-big-for-your-stomach” helpings.
Paige R
Paige is a fourth year BA student with a double major in French and Spanish. She is passionate about anything cultural (especially cuisine) and loves to travel anywhere new. Her hobbies include feeling guilty for taking naps but doing it anyways, watching old French films, and running long distance.
Rachel
Rachel is always up for a good adventure, as long as it doesn’t involve spiders. When not snuggled in a corner connected to headphones and attached to a good book, she’s spending her last year at the U of A tracking down as many quirky people and events as this campus can offer. She would willingly and gladly roll down more hills — and believes this is a valid pastime — if not for her allergy to grass.
Taylor
Taylor is in her fourth year, trying out her third faculty. After getting a taste of Sciences and Education, she decided Business was truly the faculty for her. When she is not studying for that elusive 4.0 GPA, you can find her glued to her computer, writing a new post on her personal style & beauty blog, when-im-older.com. And if she gets bored of that, you can most definitely bet she’s busy taking countless Snapchats of her Goldendoodle, Oakley.
Zach
Zach is a sixth-year Sociology major with a creative writing minor. Scared of being a real adult and being awake before noon. He can be found either eating, sleeping, meandering in the river valley, or watching a Toronto Blue Jays game. He misses having long hair because now none of his hats fit properly.
2015–2016
Albert
Albert is a final year MD/MBA student. When not at the books, he enjoys playing guitar, squash, dancing, cooking, travelling, and adrenaline sports. As a kid, Albert would often throw up whenever startled, to the dismay of haunted house employees. With a stronger stomach, he intends to try unique food on every continent.
Colin
This is Colin is franco-albertan, hailing from the rural town of Saint-Paul where they have a landing pad to welcome any potential alien life forms. Weird? Maybe, but what’s really weird is how many awesome people there are in that town. He loves sports, books and movies and he might love Lego a little too much. Colin is currently taking a victory lap with a political science major and economics minor over at Campus Saint-Jean, and he wants you to know that if you haven’t had the chance to go there yet, you’re missing out.
Jobey
Jobey is in her fifth and final year studying Spanish Language and Literature & Women’s and Gender Studies. She gets most of her inspiration from Vines & YouTube videos and over enthusiastically quotes them any chance she gets. When Jobey is not spending her days and nights in Rutherford Library, she can be heard from miles away “trying” to whisper.She really can’t whisper. Like, not even a little bit.
Kevin
Kevin is a 4th year Anthropology Honors student. He hails from the Philippines and has been living as a proud Edmontonian for half a decade. When not busy, which is a rare occurrence, Kevin enjoys long walks, volunteering, and binge-watching past seasons of Survivor. He aspires to become a ‘cool’ social scientist while trying to get his Twitter account verified (though he doesn’t tweet much).
Niabi
Niabi is a third year student just starting a BA in English with a Spanish Minor. She’s a relentless optimist, hazardously curious, and tends to laugh a lot (her friends would say that she has a juvenile sense of humour). When not spending money she doesn’t have on clothes, or jamming out to Reggaeton, you can find her in a movie theatre, reading a book that involves sword fighting and dragons.
Rachel
Rachel never leaves her house without a pair of good headphones, her current favourite read, and a cup of tea. She’s a third-year English Major and Linguistics Minor who mainly enjoys hanging out with cats, but will leave their side for the promise of some live music and the company of friends. Some of her dreams include sleeping in and never running into a scary insect ever again.
Shadi
Shadi, a soon to be graduate of the Specialization in Mathematics and Economics program, is a fond admirer of the Spring and Summer, Bluetooth speakers, and ItDog. He plans on eventually doing graduate work in the incredibly cool field of Econometrics. In his free time, he enjoys his bike not breaking, and people not yelling at him to stay off the road.
2014–2015
Aala
Aala is in her final year of the Neuroscience program. Now, onto the real important stuff: any doctors out there reading this? She’s got a serious case of wanderlust-itis, and was wondering if there were any immediate cures? Because it’s got her on Pinterest, pinning images of places she’ll likely only visit in her dreams. At any point during the day, you can most definitely find her in the lineup for Tim Horton’s (ANY Tim Horton’s really, she’s got quite a radar for it) getting her daily Iced Capp fix.
Chris
Chris is in the sixth year of his Bachelor of Music with a concentration in Trumpet Performance. When not practising, you can find him planning community service events for his fraternity, two-stepping all night long at Cook County, or discovering the best restaurants in Edmonton. He also loves long walks through the River Valley and enjoys looking at pictures of cute puppies by candlelight while watching romantic comedies — that’s only partially a joke.
Dan
Dan is a fourth year student with a Political Science and History double major. As such, people are his passion. He loves reading about the cultures and the societies that they create, the problems that they face and the amazing ways that they have overcome their obstacles. He figures that there are at least one or two people out there who, like him, enjoy learning about those around them too.
Edward
Edward is currently in the fourth year of a Biological Sciences major with a minor in Sociology. As he nears the end of his degree, he’s really taking the time to enjoy this thing called “student life.” When not struggling with being un-photogenic, he can be found near the back row of class, not because he think he’s cool, but because he likes to observe his surroundings from the best view possible.
Jobey
Jobey is a fourth (+2) year BA student studying Spanish Language and Literature and Women’s and Gender Studies. She doesn’t really know what she wants to be when she grows up, but if she had to choose, she would probably say Shakira because her hips don’t lie. And honesty is important to Jobey. She has two obsessions that keep her heart perpetually pleased and her bank account endlessly empty: shoes and travel.
Kiera
Kiera is a fourth year Biological Sciences student with an English minor, trying to keep life interesting. She likes to consider herself a glass-half-full type, and is most at peace spending quality time with loved ones (with a little wine and cheese on hand). When not trying to balance her student group with studying, she can be found testing out different hobbies.
Paige R
Paige is a fourth year student aspiring to become a Conference Interpreter after completing a bachelor of arts in French, Spanish and Japanese. She has a passion for everything cultural and is a total linguistic nerd. Away from her favourite study spot on campus, you can find her training with the Rowing Team or taking naps wherever possible.
Shadi
Shadi is currently doing a double major in Mathematics and Economics — an amalgamation of the two most enjoyable fields fathomable. Now — pull up an ear and listen reader: there lives a thriving ecosystem of academia addicts and campus-culture aficionados throughout the U of A, and he’s hoping to get these stories to you. Also, from time to time, he’ll try to make you smile with “humor”.
Shannon
Shannon provides YouAlberta with the graduate student perspective. She’s currently in the last year of her degree and has (quite) a few years of experience on the U of A campus as both an undergrad and graduate student. Her passions include science and getting others involved in science related activities, volleyball, hiking, and camping. As a bonus, she’s full of tips on how to have fun on a student budget.
2013–2014
Billy
Billy is a second year Arts student still scavenging through the course catalog for that perfect major. When not feeding my reality TV addiction or scurrying to finish my latest assigned reading, he’ll be searching our campus for the most intriguing stories about diversity, academic success and the quirks that make our university the gem that it is.
Erin
Erin is going into her eighth, and final, year at the University of Alberta. When she grows up, she wants to be a fairy princess… but since the U of A doesn’t offer that program, she’s working to complete her Bachelor of Elementary Education. She can usually be found consuming excessive amounts of caffeine in the library, volunteering with her sorority sisters, or hitting up the latest campus events.
Trenton
Though he spends a staggering amount of his time thinking about a syllabus for an imaginary Batman 101 class, Trenton’s major is actually Political Science. He loves to read, eat, and play around in Photoshop (sometimes all at once). If you’re ever looking for someone to debate about a variety of nerdy topics, then he’s your man.
Yasir
When he’s not busy with engineering school, Yasir loves painting in abstracts. He’s also a huge movie buff and will watch anything with zombies in it. His experience at the university so far has brought forward a tremendous amount of personal growth, and I can’t wait to help share the wonderful stories and student experiences of this amazing university.
Winter/Spring 2013
Kate
Kate is a second year Political Science major at the U of A, although she’s probably spent enough time on Twitter to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Social Media Studies. When not tending to the delicate balance between academia and the Internet, she’s usually obsessing over karaoke, colorful pants and carbohydrates.
Liz
Liz is about to enter the world of teaching. She’s in the process of completing her last semester at the University of Alberta in the Faculty of Education. Capturing memories and the world around her through photography is what Liz does best. And laughing out loud at life is what she enjoys the most. When it comes to free time, she doesn’t have much, but when she does, Liz spends it singing, dancing poorly, and scouring Pinterest for excellent recipes and crafts.
Paige G
Paige is a third-year English and Sociology student at the U of A. The best parts of her degree so far have been her two study exchanges (Quebec City and Italy), finally deciding on her major (after three switches) and her involvement with student media on campus. Paige loves taking planes to new places, enjoys a good cinnamon bun, and adores her dog.
