Introducing our newest YSN team

By 
  • September 26, 2008
{mosimage}Youth Speak News (YSN) officially began in the year 2000, with young writers local to the Toronto region. Since then, it has grown to include writers from across Canada — from the Rockies to the Atlantic provinces — bringing our readers news about youth from a youth’s perspective.

“I think young Catholics need to be aware of, supported in dealing with, and educated about the issues that affect our church and our world,” said Jessica Williams, our newest Albertan correspondent in Calgary.

This year’s group of 10 writers  also hail from British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Our newest team will begin contributing columns and news stories in our Oct. 12 issue,  writing about Catholic youth issues pertinent to their geographical region.

YSN provides these high school and university students a forum for voicing what is important to them, while offering them guidance in their writing, information gathering, photography and interviewing techniques.

Our writers have shown a passion for Catholic issues and for putting their pen to paper.

Samantha Hermack, the first writer from New Brunswick in several years, echoes the desire of many YSN contributors.

“I wish to discover whether journalism is my calling, to grow as a person and a writer and to learn more about my faith,” she said.

Some of our writers bring insight into the faith through their experiences in parish youth ministry as leaders or helpers, as delegates to the World Youth Day events and to other local, provincial and national Catholic youth conferences.

For the second year, Sr. Hosea Rupprecht, a Daughter of St. Paul, will join The Catholic Register to offer these writers her spiritual guidance and prayers. The YSN team uses e-mail and Facebook to connect with Rupprecht, who is based in Toronto. They will also be able to connect with each other to share their ideas and experiences.

As usual, our YSN team will travel to Toronto at the end of the school year for a media retreat hosted by The Catholic Register and Salt + Light Television.

Salt +Light offers them the opportunity to learn more about TV journalism, through contributions in our monthly YSN team newsletter and a TV workshop offered during the media retreat.

Editor’s Note: These young people are full-time and part-time students who are volunteering their time this year to write for the youth pages of The Catholic Register.
Dominique Bennett
DominiqueBennett.jpg Home: Toronto, Ont.
Studies: Grade 12 at Senator O’Connor College School
Age: 17		 Stephanie Buosi
StephanieBuosi.jpg Home: Brampton, Ont.
Studies: Grade 12 at St. Augustine Secondary School
Age: 17
André-Joseph Cordeiro
AndreJosephCordeiro.jpgHome: Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Que.
Studies: CEGEP in Media Arts at John Abbott College
Age: 18
 Valeria French
ValeriaFrench.jpg Home: Toronto, Ont.
Studies: Human Resources at Centennial College and Theology at the University of Toronto.
Age: 21
Samantha Hermack
SamanthaHermack.jpgHome: Grand-Bay-Westfield, N.B.
Studies: Grade 11, Homeschooled
Age: 16		 Anna-Therese Pierlot
AnnaTheresePierlot.jpgHome: Morell, P.E.I
Studies: Grade 12, Morell Regional High
Age: 17
Mary Sawchuk
MarySawchuk.jpgHome: South Gillies, Ont.
Studies: Literature at Redeemer University College in Ancaster
Age: 21		 Jessica Williams
JessicaWilliams.jpg Home: Pincher Creek, Alta.
Studies: Communications at Mount Royal College in Calgary
Age: 22
Darryl Wilson
DarrylWilson.jpgHome: Victoria, B.C
Studies: Communications/ business at Camosun College/Royal Roads University
Age: 24		 Hillary Windsor
HillaryWindsor.jpgHome: Windsor, Ont.
Studies: journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa
Age: 18
More in this category: « Students prepare to cast their vote Stewardship on school's curriculum »

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