A veteran of the wild worlds of academia, Alex Hoare has begun a professional journey that’s taken her from the warm waters of the Mediterranean to the cherry tree-lined Potomac and the rocky shores of the River Avon. With a background in fine art and anthropology, and a PhD in art history from the University of Toronto, she’s excited to be back home in Ontario—and keen for opportunities to transfer her know-how in teaching, research, translation, and editing to the landscape of professional writing. Just as partial to Ridley Scott’s Alien and a killer pair of boots as she is to Caravaggio, she’s a savvy fact-finder who lives for the hunt. The author of two books, a seasoned lecturer, and a highly collaborative partner, she’ll offer her clients a carefully crafted and audience-aware product that’s full of vibrant and engaging content.
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Arjun Hari is a professional writing student with a Bachelor’s degree from U of T in Psychology & Neuroscience. During his undergraduate career, Arjun discovered a love of writing and brings a unique style to his work. An avid traveller, Arjun knows exactly when (and when not) to climb Mount Fuji and which pub Tolkien and his friends frequented. When Arjun isn’t writing or seeing the world, he’s reading philosophical fiction, watching classic films, and dreaming about humanity’s future in space.
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Having studied English at Nipissing University for her undergraduate degree, Brianna Glosnek is no newcomer when it comes to writing and close-knit classes. After moving from a small tourist town to Toronto and deviating from her planned path of teacher’s college, new opportunity and challenge are a welcome change. Writing is one way Brianna immerses herself into the artistic world around her and cannot wait to bring this passion into the CMPW program. Brianna has a deep love of theatre, classic novels, and Disney, and you can usually find her browsing a used book store or searching for the perfect almond milk latte
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Cassandra Mair prefers to be called Cass because it’s “short and sweet.” As a recent graduate of the University of Waterloo, Cass has an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English with a focus on Rhetoric, Media, and Professional Communication. Her writing strengths are in editing and attention to detail. Cass is from a village in the Ottawa Valley area. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the many small towns around her own rural home. While out and about, you can catch her shopping for candles or grabbing an iced chai from a local coffee shop. She is an avid reader with her nose always buried in a YA novel. Cass is ready to jump into the Professional Writing program to hone her skills, broaden her knowledge of different types of writing, and develop an effective portfolio to showcase her experience and talent.
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Chiara Smith has been a writer her entire life, working on short stories and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds she’s created. She graduated from Carleton University with a degree in English Literature. When she’s not writing, she likes to read mystery and horror novels (even though Scooby-Doo used to scare her as a child), trying to become an ‘outdoor person,’ and re-watching shows on Netflix to relax. A two-time NaNoWriMo winner (2013/2017), Chiara has been writing for as long as she can remember, surrounded by stories told by her parents or falling asleep to Chronicles of Narnia. Chiara hopes to one day become a famous author, just not one famous enough to be recognized on the street.
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Chinenye Emezie (Egwuonwu) is a versatile storyteller with a creative writing degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and a bachelor’s degree in public administration. Her short stories, essays and articles have appeared in anthologies, literary journals, and magazines such as Africa Book Club, The Kalahari Review, Book Lovers Hangout, S.E.E Africa Magazine, Opinion Nigeria, and VISI Magazine. As the 2013 winner of the Africa Book Club Short Story Competition and an alumna of the Hedgebrook/Vortex Women Writers Workshop, Chinenye knows how to create compelling creative pieces that transcend subjects and interests. Her debut novel, Glass House, was published in October 2021 by Penguin Random House South Africa. The book has been described as evocative and ground-breaking.
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Dawn-Marie Bennett is a Professional Writing and Communications student with a passion for pastries and a resilient spirit to boot! While starting her career with a BA in English from YorkU, she has since traversed the city of Toronto as a pastry chef for the last 10 years. While her sweet (and often hectic) days have now come to an end, Dawn is excited to continue her professional journey through her love of the written word.
When she’s not busy musing over a recipe, devouring historical fiction, or generally brightening everyone’s day, she’s drinking tea and taking naps with her two cats—Ollie and Loki.
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Delaney Smith holds a political science degree from the University of Western Ontario, enjoys writing poetry, and reading short stories. After COVID-19 upended her plans to attend school in Boston, Delaney found her interests piqued by the CMPW program. She is excited by the prospect of new educational pathways and looks forward to sharpening her writing skills during the upcoming year.
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Elissa Bronswyk was born and raised in Toronto, where she currently enjoys city life with her husband, two children, extended family, and friends. Elissa has many years of experience working in the financial services sector and has decided she is ready for something new. She is looking forward to the year ahead and getting a taste of different writing styles!
With a BA in Economics from Queen’s University and an MBA from York University, Elissa has a wealth of knowledge and experience in writing and business. In her spare time, Elissa enjoys bike riding (in nice weather) and spin classes (in poor weather), reading historical fiction, listening to podcasts and sampling the Ontario craft beer scene.
Check out Elissa’s portfolio (coming soon).
Emily Jordan is a writer and professional communications student based in Toronto, Ontario. Before attending Centennial College, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Honours English from Ryerson University and has a background working in research and internal communications. Driven by her love for clear and concise writing, Emily hopes to apply her skillset to the field of technical communications.
Outside of school, Emily can be found watching her way through her Letterboxd watchlist, scrolling on Twitter, and developing well-crafted playlists on Spotify.
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Eugenio De La Vega is an experienced copywriter and content writer from Cancún, Mexico, currently residing in Toronto, Canada. Eugenio previously studied Communication at the Anáhuac University of Cancún, where he also played American football. Having grown up in Mexico, he is bilingual in English and Spanish. In addition to reading and writing, he is passionate about fitness and meditation. He possesses the invaluable skill of active listening, which has allowed him to excel in the field of professional writing. Eugenio is excited to embark on the new adventure presented by the opportunity to study at Centennial College.
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Laura Cozzi is an adventurer who appreciates the textures of life. Avid hiker, vegetable grower and middle-of-nowhere camper, her passion for wild spaces and thriving ecosystems is woven through all her endeavours. Laura believes that authenticity thrives closest to the hands of the creator. That’s why she is most passionate about working with small, sustainable businesses. Laura hopes that through writing and design she can support environmental resilience and community cohesion. Previously she has created social media content for a ‘Reduce Food Waste’ campaign and designed a wine label for a small, organic winemaker.
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Maggie Tse is a professional writing student living in Toronto, Ontario. Before deciding to take a leap into the writing world, she graduated from Ryerson University with a BA in Social Work and a minor in Psychology. Mixing these two disciplines with her love for writing, Maggie wants to utilize these skills to make a positive impact on the world. In her spare time, she dabbles in poetry, creative writing, and showcasing what sticks through tiny handmade zines. Otherwise, you can likely find her watching something of the post-apocalyptic comedy genre, or out searching for a new favourite cafe.
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Passionate about writing in all its forms, from creative content and web design to technical writing and editing, Mairi Sutherland is excited to be a part of this program and gain practical skills doing what she loves. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from the Gustavson School of Business, Mairi has experience working in marketing and operations roles in industries such as personal wellness, tech and even gourmet food production. In her spare time, Mairi can be found baking gluten-free goodies, hiking with her puppy or bingeing a book/tv series.
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Matt Shields graduated in 2005 from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree, specializing in history, with a political science minor. Having enjoyed creative writing since an early age, Matt is excited to hone his craft, learn new skills (like coding) and start a career in the vast field of writing and communication. Passionate about faith and environmentalism, Matt writes daily blog posts focused on his faith, and often about the climate crisis as well. For entertainment, this “old-soul” enjoys true classics, from silent films to listening to the strains of the harpsichord.
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Quinn Henderson is an accomplished writer who has authored and contributed writing to a rich variety of web- and print-based media. In addition to obtaining a BA and an MA in History from Queen’s University—where he completed a graduate thesis in 2019 on white power and race history in Canada—he has worked as a researcher, world-builder, and copywriter for a science-fiction webseries, has lent his writing expertise as a ghostwriter for The Urban Writers writing several short books, and has maintained his own personal pop culture newsletter Qollage. As a creative storyteller he has also led tours for The Haunted Walk of Toronto, catering to the needs of the city’s chill-seekers.
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Shannon Attard is a writing student living in Toronto, Ontario. Shannon has a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing and English from York University. Throughout her undergrad Shannon involved herself in her campus community, publishing an article for York University’s website, and working on the editing department for York’s Publishing House Leaping Lion Books. Shannon is a diverse writer that is not only interested in creating content for professional communications, but also enjoys writing creatively, primarily short fiction.
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