A good story can help to change a life. This was true for third-year journalism student Emmett Steele when he decided to enroll at Mohawk College.
"Stories have always been a very important aspect of my life,” says Emmett. “They provide an escape when reality becomes too much to handle. When I was young, I was an awkward kid who was picked on in school.
But when I was reading or watching a story, I was a hero of some kind—slinging webs from rooftops or flying high above skyscrapers with a cape. Or I was a brave knight vanquishing the dragon or a big angry green man who couldn’t be hurt.”
As he grew older, he started to recognize just how important these stories were to him. How much he loved not just the stories themselves but the way they were told. “I began to admire the craft of storytelling itself,” Emmett explains.
It was this admiration that allowed him to realize what he wanted to do with his life – “I wanted to be a storyteller. I wanted to create and convey stories that will help others the same way they did for me when I was young. “ This newfound passion drove Emmett to the Journalism program at Mohawk College.
“Through the program, I’ve learned what makes a good story and gained confidence in my ability,” he says. ”More importantly, I learned how to connect with human stories. Going out and meeting people, interviewing them, being fortunate enough to learn about their lives” Emmett found that each and every person’s story was unique, and without the journalism program, he would never have heard them or had a chance to share them with others.
“Mohawk has helped me gain the skills I need to be an excellent story writer – and not just the fantastical stories that I grew up on, “ shares Emmett. Through his program, he’s learned how beautiful and touching real, human stories can be – and how wonderful it can feel to create a platform for people to share their stories as a journalist.
During his internship with the Mohawk College marketing department, Emmett assisted with writing blog posts targeted to current students, magazine articles targeted to Mohawk alumni, scripts for both video and radio spots, social media posts and so much more. His work ethic was truly appreciated and his quality of work shone through everything he was assigned. We look forward to seeing where Emmett takes his skills as he finishes his last year of study and heads out into the world.
The Journalism program at Mohawk helped Emmett to write his story and to make him Future Ready.
