A new year, a new YSN team

TORONTO - As the school year slowly gathers steam, so does a new year of The Catholic Register’s Youth Speak News, with a brand new team of writers.

For the past 11 years, YSN has offered guidance to young Catholic writers from across the country who cover events and provide insight on important issues affecting Catholic youth, while sharing the ups and downs of being faithful and young in today’s world.

While they are building their clippings and experience, YSN helps them in their writing, interviewing techniques and photography.

Many graduates have benefited from the program and have used YSN to launch professional careers in journalism.

“With the skills I learned from the newsletters and the tips I picked up through receiving professional feedback, I was able to improve my work in such a way that I could look back at my first story and see the difference,” said Luc Rinaldi, a Toronto-based member from last year’s YSN team who is now enrolled in Ryerson University’s journalism program.

“The opportunity to write for a nationally published newspaper was also a huge help for my portfolio and was definitely a factor in getting into Ryerson journalism.”

In order to become a YSN writer, candidates must go through an application process that includes filling out an application, submitting a nomination letter and resume and, ultimately, interviewing for the position.

“It was great to see so many young people apply for one of these positions, and it was a shame we could not accept everyone,” said Jim O’Leary, publisher and editor at The Catholic Register. “But we believe that our review and interview process has resulted in another fantastic cross-section of young writers.”

Once the writers finish their term in May, the team is invited to spend a weekend in Toronto to take part in professional media workshops offered by The Catholic Register and Salt + Light Television and to meet with the other writers.

For the 2010-2011 year, our writers hail from Ontario, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland.

They include journalism students, university students enrolled in other areas of interest and high school students with an interest in media.

“I’m thrilled to be a Youth Speak News writer because it will allow me to pursue my passion for writing and to share my faith with others,” said Sarah Gagliano, a Mississauga, Ont., writer enrolled in a double major in human biology and biochemistry and a minor in Christianity and education at the University of Toronto.

“It’s exciting to know that my articles will be read by individuals across Canada and I hope that my writing will serve a purpose in readers’ lives: whether that is to inspire, educate or merely to entertain.”

Michael Chen Age: 17 Hometown: Markham, Ont. Education: Grade 12 student at Mary Ward C.S.S.	Jason Coelho Age: 17 Hometown: Etobicoke. Ont. Education: Grade 12 student at Brebeuf College.	Michelle D’Souza Age: 17 Hometown: Toronto Education: Grade 12 student at Pope John Paul II C.S.S.
Annette Gagliano Age: 19 Hometown: Mississauga, Ont. Education: Third-year life sciences student at the University of Toronto	Sarah Gagliano Age: 19 Hometown: Mississauga, Ont. Education: Third-year life sciences student at the University of Toronto	Stephanie Kelly Age: 20 Hometown: Morell, P.E.I. Education: Third-year journalism student at St. Thomas University
Jeremy Keong Age: 21 Hometown: North Vancouver, B.C. Education: Third-year English literature major at the University of British Columbia	Naomi Leanage Age: 18 Hometown: Brampton, Ont. Education: First-year media studies student at the University of Guelph-Humber	Jasmine Liska Age: 21 Hometown: Biggar, Sask. Education: Fifth-year English major at the University of Saskatchewan
Seon Park Age: 19 Hometown: Coquitlam, B.C. Education: Second-year communications and political science major  at Carleton University	Angela Serednicki Age: 16 Hometown: Mississauga, Ont. Education: Grade 11 student at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School	Greg Van Dyk Age: 19 Hometown: Victoria, B.C. Education: Second-year humanities student at the University of Victoria
	Michelle Walsh Age: 21 Hometown: St. John’s, Nfld. Education: Fourth-Year primary and elementary education student at Memorial University