Hello, I’m Barbara.

I am an engaging and meticulous freelance writer and photographer with an eye for detail.

I am hard-working, punctual, and competent. I aim for perfection and expect others to do the same. I like to get the job done properly and efficiently, but with a sense of fun along the way.

With a lifetime of experiences to draw inspiration from and more than twenty years work experience in the airline industry, I love to write with honesty and passion about interesting people and places. In a world where the emphasis is on material things, I place importance on giving back to those less fortunate. To this end, I am involved with charities who have built schools in Kenya and Ecuador, as well as those whose focus is on children with special needs.

Building schools for the Michael “Pinball” Clemons Foundation and in the Masai Mara, Kenya with other like-minded contributors.

Driven by a curious nature, I look for creative angles to write human interest stories about people, parenting, health, and travel, with an ultimate goal to inspire, support and educate.

I have experience in digital photography, InDesign and Adobe Photoshop. I am a dependable, flexible and encouraging team player who is as much at ease working collaboratively as independently. I have juggled multiple roles of mother, wife, student and office manager with competence. Loyal and professional, I will always go the extra mile to ensure my work is on-time.

Resume

Experience

SNAPD Oshawa

Photographer. June 2017 – present

Attend local events, engage with participants and take photographs which tell the story and illustrate the feel of the occasion. Upload images to company Facebook page and write a short description for the company website.

METROLAND MEDIA

Reporter. March 2017 – May 2017

Internship position.

Writing tight news stories, sports, and features.
Posting content to the website and social media site.
Generate fresh and interesting story ideas.
Some layout duties and knowledge of CP style.

THE CHRONICLE

News editor/ journalist/ photographer. April 2016 – present.

Produced and contributed to the campus newspaper for Durham College and UOIT serving a population of 20,000.
Expertise in InDesign, Photoshop, infographics, feature writing and general reporting.

BROOKLIN TOWN CRIER

Freelance journalist. May 2016 – present.

Contributor to a local community newspaper. Written articles and sought out interesting local interest stories.

OSHAWA-WHITBY THIS WEEK

Freelance journalist. July 2016.

July 6, 2016, Durham Region welcomes future leaders.

RAYMOND JAMES LTD.

Branch Administrator. 2011 – present.

The role provides ongoing administrative support to the branch with responsibility for providing effective service to clients and the financial advisor.
Performing additional project-based duties including organizing client appreciation events.

BREAK FROM FORMAL EMPLOYMENT 2000 – 2011.

Raising a family.

SWISSAIR

Station Supervisor, Manchester Airport, Manchester, UK 1987 – 2000.

Responsible for the smooth running of Swissair’s ground operation at Manchester airport.
Involved in staff scheduling, training and evaluations.
Co-ordinated airline station activities with airport management and handling agent.

Station Supervisor, Sarajevo, Bosnia, 1997.

Following the cessation of hostilities, travelled to Sarajevo, Bosnia to establish the Swissair office.
Successfully established the second civilian airline to operate out of the city since the Bosnian War.
Individually assigned to train local staff, set up office infrastructure and develop customer base with only basic technology.

Education

Durham College, Oshawa, Ont. – Sept. 2015 – present.

Journalism

Graduated in June 2017 with a diploma in Journalism with honours and highest ranking student in the Web & Print sector of the course.
Skilled in the art of writing for broadcast, news writing, critical thinking and opinion writing, photography and videography, interviewing and research and radio broadcasting with a high degree of competence.

St. John’s College of Further Education, 1979 – 1981.

B.E.C. National Diploma in Business Studies with Travel and Tourism.

Awards and Acknowledgements

sports-assignment-womens-volleyball-durham-lords_0803-1

My 2016 award-winning photograph of Durham Lords women’s volleyball team celebrating a winning point.

April 2016. Recipient of three awards at the second annual Durham College Journalism Awards for best interview, best photograph, and best opinion piece.

April 2017. Recipient of the best feature story at the third annual Durham College Journalism Awards.

June 2017. Graduated as highest-ranking student in the Journalism Web & Print Class at Durham College.

Hobbies and interests

Cheque presentation with Michael “Pinball” Clemons, John Tory, Toronto mayor and Bill Howe.

A keen believer in putting others first is involved in various fundraising activities which help a variety of charities.

Has helped to fund 17 schools in Kenya and Ecuador for the Michael “Pinball” Clemons Foundation.

A member of Group 74 and 100 Women who Care, two community women’s service groups which have helped raise funds and organize community events for local charities.