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Ask a Grad

Ask a Grad allows you to email a Print Futures graduate to find out more about our program. It's a great chance to talk with someone with a similar background or with similar goals.

Grads can't answer questions about admission requirements, schedules, and deadlines. For those questions, contact the coordinator .

Writer, editor, and certified proofreader Barbara K. Adamski (Class of 2005)

WHILE I HAD WRITING AND EDITING EXPERIENCE before attending Print Futures, the program gave me much-needed skills with computer software, the elements of design, genre study, and the finer points of editing. In fact, not a day goes by when I'm not reminded of one of my classes, whether I'm working with a designer to fine-tune a brochure or studying the genre of annual reports.

I did most of the program as a part-time student, first while working with the provincial government, then later as a freelance writer and editor. By the time I graduated, I had some great clips, a strong network of fellow writers and editors, and a few regular clients.

I'm very much a generalist, and my clients like that. I enjoy seeing how connections form between the various types of work I do: the way writing an encyclopedia entry on lacrosse leads to editing a website about the legacy of a local botanist; how grabbing an editor's attention with an article on an ultramarathon through Death Valley results in a profile of a chocolatier. These connections allow me to transition between genres, subjects, and tasks, which keeps me on my toes.

Before Print Futures: Resume consultant; columnist for a Japanese newspaper; Japanese agent/interpreter for an international airline; deputy sheriff
After Print Futures: Self-employed writer and editor , working on fascinating projects such as writing copy for interactive kiosks, conducting photo research on aviation history, editing and fact-checking encyclopedia entries, and writing articles and radio scripts on topics ranging from healthy cooking oils to blood-donor dogs
Member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada and the Editors' Association of Canada (currently member-at-large on EAC's national executive)

Ask Barb about Print Futures.

Freelance writer and editor Jenn Farrell (Class of 2002)

A FRIEND TOLD ME ABOUT THE PROGRAM a day before the application deadline, and I ran down to the college without knowing exactly what I was getting into. Print Futures knocked my socks off. I learned how to write and edit, and do research, and write some more. I wasn't great at everything, but I grasped the concepts and the gist of things, and applied them in ways that worked for me. Print Futures students learn enough to walk into just about any entry-level writing job and not stay entry level for long. You'll become the go-to generalist: the person in the office who can generate fresh newsletter article ideas by looking at previous issues; track down and interview an association head for the next article using some great research-based questions; write, edit, and proof the piece in record time; then lay the whole darn thing out yourself because the design guy has a hangover, again.

Although Print Futures was serious and challenging, my memories include a lot of laughing and horsing around with other students. Working alongside and sometimes in partnership with my classmates was tremendously valuable. I made friends and met my husband in the program, and I now count several instructors as friends. I also found out that I could write stories, and the pieces I worked on were the beginnings of my book, Sugar Bush & Other Stories.

Before Print Futures: Waitressing and retail; wife and mom; co-owner of a Victoria clothing consignment store
After Print Futures: Freelance editor, mentor/facilitator, and writer; former managing editor, subTerrain magazine; author of Sugar Bush & Other Stories (Anvil 2006) and The Devil You Know (Anvil 2010)
Grand prize winner, Maclean-Hunter Endowment Fund for Creative Non-fiction (2002)
Member, Board of Directors, British Columbia Association of Magazine Publishers
Diploma Publishing (Langara)

Ask Jenn about Print Futures.

Magazine editor Stuart Harries (Class of 2001)

FOR ME, THE BENEFIT OF PRINT FUTURES was the opportunity to focus my attention on my passion -- writing. Thanks to the program, I get to apply my passion every day in numerous and ever-changing ways. I'm happy to say that the days of mind-numbingly boring assignments are long behind me.

Currently, I engage my passion as executive editor of the Teldon Media Group in Richmond, B.C. Teldon publishes alive , Canada's natural health and wellness magazine; blush for the modern mother; and its newest venture, alive Australia . The Teldon environment is stimulating and diverse. Each workday, I enjoy encounters with new writers, interesting researchers, and a team of dedicated professionals keen to be the best publishing group they can be.

Before alive , I was employed right after graduation as the managing editor of Tactics Magazine and soon became its editor. Tactics has nearly 2,000 subscribers in 24 countries; it's a subscription-only, high-gloss trade publication that examines and supports shopping-centre marketing around the globe. For the International Council of Shopping Centers, I've acted as a media industry expert, leading roundtable discussions and speaking at numerous conventions in the United States.

Before Print Futures: Pursuing a mind-numbingly repetitive and desperately boring career in finance
After Print Futures: Editor, Tactics Magazine ; senior editor, alive magazine; now, executive editor, Teldon Media Group
Member, Editors' Association of Canada

Ask Stuart about Print Futures.

Technical writer Rob Hughes (Class of 2002)

ENROLLING IN PRINT FUTURES WAS THE BEST DECISION I've made in my life. My experience in the program was intense and transformative, as only two years spent living well outside my preconceived "comfort zone" could be. I laughed, I cried, I grit my teeth to meet deadlines in the company of the finest classmates I've ever worked or drank with.

Print Futures isn't just about learning how to write. It's about learning how to communicate effectively -- in print or in person -- to just about any audience, from the casual magazine reader to a boardroom of corporate executives. I'd recommend the program to anyone who thought they could write but wasn't sure where to take that ability or how to make a living from it. My primary goal was to become a technical writer, and I was hired for my tech-writing job just a couple of months after graduation. Away from the office, I've pursued my passion for arts writing by contributing numerous features and reviews to an internationally distributed music quarterly.

Before Print Futures: Closed caption writer for television post-production -- an enjoyable, dead-end job
After Print Futures: Technical writer, Xantrex Technology, Counterpath Corporation, and now contract tech-writing
Senior member, Society for Technical Communication; former editor of Coast Lines , the chapter newsletter for Canada West Coast STC, which received a Distinguished Technical Communication Award in the STC Newsletter Competition (2004)
BA English (British Columbia)

Ask Rob about Print Futures.

Editor Catherine Jones (Class of 2004)

FOR 16 YEARS, I WORKED AS A CORPORATE LEGAL ASSISTANT for the same lawyer doing the same tasks day after day. While the pay and benefits were good, the thrill of the job was definitely gone. Now I'm the managing editor in a busy business-to-business publishing company, Bongarde Media, that specializes in workplace safety material. My responsibilities include overseeing the production of weekly ezines, monthly newsletters, and a quarterly full-colour 32-page magazine. I write a daily enewsletter, compile special reports, and edit several annual products. I've also tackled video production and manage the company's annual safety-industry awards. I'm especially proud of SafetyXChange.org . It's the only international safety community of its kind, and we have over 17,000 very loyal members who tune in every day and who regularly tell us how invaluable they find our site. You can't get that kind of love in a law firm.

Simply put, my job as an editor would not be a possibility for me if I hadn't gone through Print Futures. There are many B2B publishing companies out there, each requiring a university degree or many years of journalism and editorial experience. I had neither. With my Print Futures diploma and freelance work acquired through my Print Futures contacts, I was able to offer both relevant experience and a publishing-focused education.

Before Print Futures: Corporate legal assistant
After Print Futures: Managing editor, Bongarde Media
Scholarship winner, Editors' Association of Canada (BC Branch) Award for Outstanding Graduate in Print Futures (2004); in Washington, DC, SafetyXChange received third place for Best Interactive Content from the Newsletter & Electronic Publishers Association Foundation (2006)

Ask Catherine about Print Futures.

Technical writer and freelance magazine writer Rob Klettke (Class of 2007)

The program is challenging. There were times when I thought that I had wandered into the wrong classroom. But when I got out there in the real writing and editing world, I realized I had learned a lot. I learned how to quickly assess a writing task, do the appropriate research, and then produce something coherent and appropriate. I learned how to start a draft (unfortunately I'm still learning how to finish). I learned how difficult it is to write well, but also how rewarding it can be.

Before Print Futures, I had been a semi-retired designer who was expected to use a designer's sleight-of-hand to distract people from the content of poorly written documents. After Print Futures, I am a communicator who can skilfully combine writing and design into an effective, communicative document. A few months after Print Futures, I was hired to be a technical writer for a multinational company. This daytime job allows me the freedom to moonlight in magazine writing, one of the many interests I picked up along the way.

Before Print Futures: A disenchanted graphic designer moonlighting in restaurants
After Print Futures: Technical writer (graphics specialist and photographer), Honeywell Video Systems; freelance magazine writer, alive magazine
BA English (Simon Fraser); Diploma Graphic and Visual Design (Kwantlen University College)

Ask Rob about Print Futures.

Communications coordinator Kate Lancaster (Class of 2007)

FOR 20 YEARS, I CHASED THE ACTING CARROT. I had some successes, a lot of failures, and a lot of dead-end jobs to pay the rent. Once I finally realized that the odd nibble at fame wasn't enough to sate my creative needs, or my bank account, I began the search for a new career.

I had always been interested in writing, but worried that I'd be jumping from one creative (read non-paying) career to another. It wasn't until I attended a Print Futures information session that I discovered the myriad ways to make a living as a writer, besides crafting the next great Canadian novel. In fact, it appeared that I could make a better living as a writer than I had as an actor and still be creatively fulfilled -- who knew?

Print Futures gave me the tools I need to write in any genre and style, and for any audience. Upon completion of the program, I immediately found employment as the communications coordinator for Place des Arts, an integrated arts centre and music school in Coquitlam. I have been able to combine my experience in and passion for the arts with my newfound love of writing and communication.

If you love to write, but also love a decent paycheque, Print Futures is the program for you.

Before Print Futures: Actor, stand-in, background performer, waitress, store clerk, Friday
After Print Futures: Communications coordinator, freelance writer, editor, and document designer
Scholarship winner, the BC & Yukon Association of Community Newspapers (2007); Beth Anderson Memorial Bursary winner (2006)

Ask Kate about Print Futures.

Executive director Terry-Lynn Stone (Class of 2002)

IN MY OTHER LIVES, I was a registered nurse in England where I worked in accident and emergency. There I learned to think on my feet, pretend I wasn't panicked and work until I dropped (all great skills for working in publishing). In my next life, I was a full-time mom, 4-H leader, and volunteer with the Cancer Society. I even worked on a mink farm -- great reasons to get further edutation. I went to university to earn a BA in English, which taught me how to think critically but didn't equip me for the working world in any practical way. So I came to Print Futures.

This program is all about getting ready for a great job. I am constantly amazed that everything -- the formal learning of the program and the informal discussions and interaction with students and staff -- is so relevant to the work I do. My advice? Take Print Futures seriously and get out of it everything you can.

Before Print Futures: Registered nurse; full-time mother
After Print Futures: Editor-in-chief, Alive Publishing Group and Teldon Publishing; now, executive director, Kamloops Brain Injury Association

Ask Terry-Lynn about Print Futures.

Freelance copywriter John Vigna (Class of 2001)

THE FIRST THING I DID AFTER GRADUATING from Print Futures was take a two-month trip to China, Mongolia, and Russia. I called it a reward for completing the program, but it probably had more to do with avoiding the job market, or fear, or both. When I returned to Canada, I tried to work as a technical writer -- right when the dotcom bomb hit. So I combined my skills as a technical writer with my creative writing interests and became a self-employed copywriter, which is what I am today. It's been an exhilarating, uneven process.

Print Futures armed me with the skills, confidence, and know-how to enter the job market in a variety of communication-related jobs. The program provided me with the security and support of a built-in network of like-minded communicators: fellow classmates, instructors, and working professionals. Mostly, though, the program challenged me not just as a writer and reader, but as a careful listener -- skills that have proven to be indispensable.

Before Print Futures: Various jobs (pro basketball player, treeplanter, surveyor, bookstore manager, and more)
After Print Futures: Freelance advertising/marketing copywriter for high-end real-estate projects across North America; writing and editing teacher for Vancouver Community College and Malaspina University-College
Member, Society for Technical Communication; member, Editors' Association of Canada; award winner, Entrepreneur of the Year, Business-to-Business Category, Lower Mainland Self-employment Programs (2002)
BA English (Calgary); MFA Creative Writing (British Columbia)

View John's video clip .

Ask John about Print Futures.

Freelance business writer Tashon Ziara (Class of 2000)

MY LOVE OF THE WRITTEN WORD has led to a satisfying (if unpredictable) career. I've interviewed and written about the CEOs of many of Canada's leading companies, politicians (including a few prime ministers), foreign dignitaries, community leaders, and everyday heros. Today, my clients include The Vancouver Board of Trade, Spirit of Vancouver, and 2010 LegaciesNow.

Print Futures is a very demanding program, and I was the single parent of two children under the age of three when I entered Douglas College. I found the program to be timely, relevant, and thorough in preparing me to compete for work in a market where many of my colleagues have degrees in journalism, English, or communications.

In the years since graduating from Print Futures, I've established myself as a sought-after business writer with more than 500 published pieces; written four books (including the Canadian bestseller The Power of Tact ) with Peter Legge, publisher of Canada Wide Magazines & Communications; and developed a diverse group of clients who do their best to continually keep me on my toes.

Before Print Futures: Construction labourer, traveller, securities trader, obituary writer
After Print Futures: Business writer