When I was about to graduate from high school, I had my obligatory meeting with my guidance counsellor to talk about my post-secondary visions. I said I wanted to be a writer; not a journalist and not a novelist but a business writer. I wanted to write articles and speeches and marketing blurbs and business plans. I was even up for writing technical manuals.

I was told there was no university or community college course for that.

Little did I know (and apparently, also my guidance counsellor), the fall after I graduated, Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax offered its first Bachelor of Public Relations degree program.

It was 20 years to the month later that I began the journey to earn an Advanced Diploma in Public Relations from Nova Scotia Community College. That designation not only taught me and allowed me to pursue those dreams of writing on a professional level, it also led me into the world of event planning - an area where I had already found a passion.

After experiencing the non-profit, private sector and entrepreneurial worlds, I landed at the Wharf Rat Rally - Canada's largest multi-day motorcycle rally, held every year in Digby Nova Scotia. The position allowed me to delve into all the facets of communication from writing grant proposals, to volunteer and staff training, to rolling out new and exciting projects such as Share the Wind. From the strategic planning stage to the implementation, I had some level of involvement, and I loved it.

During my tenure at the Wharf Rat Rally, I took part in the Tourism Human Resources Canada emerit program,  Certified International Event Management Professional.  The evaluation process included compiling a grassroots, in-depth portfolio that really allowed me to understand why I was doing some of the things that had come naturally or through my past experiences. It’s a program and experience that I would recommend to anyone.

Communications Refined         902.414.8019        laura@communicationsrefined.ca