Print Futures helps graduate find her passion
Ellen Niemer (middle), now an editor at alive, joins fellow Print Futures: Professional Writing Program grads Editor-in-Chief Terry-Lynn Stone (right) and Senior Editor Sandi Gauvin (left)..
Alive editor Ellen Niemer was unsatisfied working as a paralegal when the death of a friend and mentor changed her life.
Lawyer Dugald Christie was nearly finished cycling across Canada to increase awareness of access to justice for the poor when he was hit by a van and killed in 2006.
"Dugald's death really hit me because he was so passionate about what he did," says Niemer. It was a turning point for her.
"It made me aware I wasn't living my passion and that life is too short not to follow my passion," says Niemer. She made it her mission to find her dream and make it happen. Niemer had dabbled in creative writing, so when she saw a newspaper ad for Douglas College's Print Futures: Professional Writing Program, she knew she had found her calling.
When it was time to find a job placement at the end of her first year, Niemer asked second-year students for their input. "I was told alive was a great work experience," says Niemer.
Niemer says the range of assignments she did during her practicum combined with her time at Douglas College was "the best experience I've ever had."
"I'm a strong believer that if you work really hard you ought to get a chance to do everything," says alive Editor-in-Chief Terry-Lynn Stone who worked with Niemer during her practicum. This means interns get to tackle everything from interviewing and writing to researching and answering readers' letters.
When Niemer's practicum was complete she was kept on for the summer and then given part-time work as an assistant editor in the fall. "Initially the big thing was her absolute, total reliability," says Stone. No matter the assignment, Stone says she never had to check up on Niemer to make sure she was getting her work done.
Her hard work and reliable nature paid off. Just one day after her final classes this spring, Niemer took on the role of editor. She joined fellow Print Futures grads, Stone and alive' s Senior Editor Sandi Gauvin. Her latest coups have included interviewing songstress k.d. lang and the Vancouver Canucks' Trevor Linden.
Niemer credits her skills and confidence to the practical, comprehensive nature of Print Futures. Editing instructor Frances Peck agrees it's these qualities that set the program apart from others.
"Other shorter-term courses focus on publishing or professional writing and editing. Long-term courses are very publishing oriented and publishing is a very small niche," says Peck.
Because the program doesn't pigeonhole grads, it is well-suited to students who know they want to work with language but haven't yet nailed down what exactly they want to do professionally, says Peck.
The diverse job options for Print Futures grads can suit the many personalities the program attracts. Peck recalls Niemer as a cheerful and calm student. "She won't let a pressure cooker atmosphere get to her," says Peck. On the other hand, type-A students could very well find their calling in technically exacting professions as proofreaders or copyeditors.
Peck, who started teaching at Douglas College in 2006, is proud to see students like Niemer being snapped up by well-known, respected employers in the industry. And Niemer is happy to have found her niche.
"In our first year we take a course on resume writing. We learned how to target our resumes for specific jobs. At first I didn't feel like a writer or editor. I felt like a fraud. Now I really consider myself a writer and editor," says Niemer.
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