Dear readers,
My name is Robynne Henry, and I’m the new reporter for the Bonnyville Nouvelle. I can’t wait to report on the events in and around the community of Bonnyville, and take in everything this town has to offer. Before that though, let me introduce myself.
I knew that I wanted to be a journalist in the eighth grade, and angled all of my schooling for the profession from that moment on. I graduated from the journalism program at Durham College in 2013, and used my advanced diploma to bridge over to university to gain a degree in communications and digital media studies, with a minor in criminology and law, from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
One of my teachers in university said something that resonated with me, and made me realize why I chose journalism as my career. I’m paraphrasing his exact quote when I say that university creates people who have a thirst for knowledge, and want to learn new things as much as they can. We realize that not everyone has the same background as us, and see this as an opportunity to learn from them. These differences between myself and others is what attracted me to journalism, because this profession introduces me to people, allows me to learn about their experiences, and share their stories with others.
During my schooling, I wrote for a number of newspapers and blogs in order to hone my craft. My assignments ranged from sporting events to local council, and taught me that I loved newspaper reporting the most. This love was what prompted me to apply to the Bonnyville Nouvelle, and what brought me so far away from my hometown.
I have officially been in Bonnyville for about a week, and rolled into town after a five-day, 2,559-kilometre journey from my hometown of Oshawa, ON with one of my very best friends. Adjusting to minor differences between Alberta and Ontario have kept me on my toes, and I’m sure that I will make a silly mistake within the first few weeks of living in Bonnyville. The move has not completely sunk in with me yet, but I’m planning on making the best of my time here.
I want to be proud of the work that I do here as a reporter, and that starts and finishes with you, the readers. Keep me informed on events that you want to see covered, don’t hesitate to contact me with your story ideas, and teach me anything and everything that this town has to offer.
