Hey, Golden Hawks! My name is Serena Austin, I’ve just completed my third year here at Laurier Brantford, and I will be The Sputnik’s Editor-in-Chief for the 2022/23 school year.

From my very first campus tour, I knew Laurier Brantford was where I wanted to be. From the downtown campus to the smaller classes, it was clear to me that community was a very important part of Laurier Brantford. And what’s more important in a community than a newspaper? 

Being a Digital Media and Journalism major, volunteering and working at The Sputnik has been a goal of mine since I received my acceptance letter in December of 2018.

In first-year, I was a volunteer writer in the news section. The feeling I got after seeing my name printed next to my work for the first time was indescribable. 

My second year was our fully remote year and I had stepped away from clubs and councils. Things changed around this time last year, when The Sputnik announced that their new Editor-in-Chief would be my good friend from first-year, Hana Kidwai! It was like a lightbulb moment.

I was so happy for Hana, and at the same time, reminded of my own goals. I applied right away. 

I’ve spent this past year as The Sputnik’s social media and website manager. I’ve been having so much fun publishing articles and photo galleries to our website, announcing new issues on social media and overseeing our photo contests. 

I’ve learned the value of a strong online presence, something I’d like to maintain next year, even as we (hopefully) won’t have to rely on it as much. I’m especially excited for our first full year of printing since the beginning of the pandemic, and getting to see our issues all around campus again.

I have a lot to learn over the summer, but I know next year will be a great one for The Sputnik, and I can’t wait for all of you to see how things unfold. 

Have the BEST summer ever.

Serena