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Western's MMJC Program Grew Alexandra's Storytelling Skills and Helped Her Launch a Successful Communications Career
Alexandra's hometown: Ottawa, Ontario
Alexandra Baille-David turned her passion for storytelling into creating fairy tales.
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Alexandra Baille-David always wanted to be a writer, but she had no idea where her own story would take her.
After graduating from the University of Ottawa with a degree in English Literature, Alexandra decided to further her education with the hope of standing out in future job applications. Having done some writing for a local newspaper, she had already been bitten by the journalism bug. But, she wanted to advance her skills for the communications industry as well.
When Alexandra came across the Master of Media in Journalism and Communication (MMJC) program in the Faculty of Information & Media Studies at Western University, she knew she had to apply. At the time, the program was brand new, but Alexandra had no hesitations. “It was the perfect blend of niches,” she said.
Alexandra remembers her time at Western University fondly. She credits the program with teaching her the importance of storytelling and collaboration: “I really loved the group work. A lot of us were new at video storytelling, so we kind of leaned on each other for support and laughed at all of our mistakes.”
Fun Fact
As part of her internship with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Alexandra got to help coordinate their annual air show.
With every project, Alexandra learned from her mistakes. By the end of the year, she had the knowledge and skillset to use storytelling on every medium and channel. Alexandra said being able to tell a good story is a powerful tool, no matter what industry you’re in.
“I’m in event planning right now and instead of coming at something from a sales perspective, I tell stories,” she said. “I find that [storytelling] to be the most effective way of doing things rather than just stating what the features are.”
After graduation, Alexandra worked as a communications officer for the Canadian government. In 2019, she left the busy streets of Ottawa for Brandon, Manitoba. She’s happy with the change of pace, calling herself a “country girl at heart.”
Now, Alexandra works full time as an event coordinator for Brandon Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit organization that supports local businesses. In her role, she’s busy planning events such as luncheons, conferences and an annual gala.
On top of her day job, Alexandra became a licensed wedding planner and launched her own business, Marry On Weddings, in the spring of 2019. Alexandra’s storytelling experience is helpful for her business because she uses these skills to bring fairytales to life on her clients’ wedding days.
As for Alexandra’s own story, it’s far from over. She went into Western’s journalism and communications program to impress potential employers, but she learned that you can create your own job opportunities with your passion as well.
“Keep your options open and don’t restrict yourself to one path,” she said.
The MMJC program has allowed many students to launch successful careers in journalism, communications, marketing and other media-focused industries. If you’re interested in starting your media career, apply to Western’s MMJC program to Start Your Story!
Profiles in the Start Your Story blog are written by students in the Master of Media in Journalism & Communication program, who are enrolled in MMJC 9604 - Professional Writing.
