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How MMJC Helped Ashley Wiseman Break Out of Her Shell and Become a Master of Media

By Rene Dunkley

Ashley's hometown: Hanover, Ontario

Ashley is the definition of purple pride. She completed her undergraduate and master's degrees at Western University and now works for at the school as a Communications Specialist.

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From journalism to communications, Ashley Wiseman loves everything about the media industry.

 As a self-proclaimed news buff, Ashley started watching the news from her early childhood days in her hometown, Hanover, Ont. 

“In the real world, there is a tremendous benefit to telling stories. Without journalism and communications, there would be a lot about ourselves and about this world that we just wouldn’t know about.”

Her post-secondary education started with the Media, Information and Technoculture program at Western University. Ashley already knew from her third year in the program that she wanted to pursue a journalism and communications graduate degree, specifically in Western’s MMJC program. After accepting her offer, she was excited to start focusing on her career goals.

Fun Fact

Any book from the Cultural Studies section in Chapters -- she probably owns it.


“Coming into the program, I knew I wanted a career in marketing and communications. I was fascinated by the program because it combines journalism and communications, which were skills I knew I needed for my career.”

Some of Ashley’s favourite moments in the Master of Media in Journalism and Communication program include the countless late nights with her classmates in the broadcast studio, grinding until the last minute to finish an assignment.

“We would be so overtired that we would be laughing at things we normally wouldn’t laugh about. We’d order pizza and lots of shenanigans would ensue.”

Getting the chance to work with a community partner for communications and journalism projects allowed her to feel a sense of pride in her work and instill confidence in her storytelling abilities. 

“Growing up, I was such an introvert, and I still was an introvert leading up to the MMJC program. In this program, you get used to chatting with different people and putting yourself in front of a camera. Before the program, I would have been horrified and running away from that.”

Happy to stay within Western’s gates after graduating, Ashley accepted her first postgraduate job as a Communications Officer with Student Experience and the Office of the Registrar on Western’s main campus. Now, Ashley is a Communications Specialist on the Western Communications team. In this position she applies many of the skills she gained during the MMJC program, including writing articles, conducting interviews, taking photos and creating videos.

“One of the MMJC professors told me that every great communicator they know has a journalism background in one capacity or another.”

Ashley’s ability to grow her journalism and communications skills in Western’s one-year communications and journalism graduate program made her an exceptional candidate for the full-time communications role she has at Western.

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.