IABCLondonAward08

By Sandra Coulson
Posted April 1, 2008

It was 2005 and Belinda Stronach had just caused a huge political upset by crossing the floor of Parliament to sit with the minority Liberal government. Most eyes were on the maverick MP as she made her first appearance as a new cabinet minister in Newmarket. But Katherine Low, a university student working for Stronach’s Service Canada portfolio, was focussed on the media scrum crowding the minister. Katherine soaked up the high-stakes atmosphere and later poured over the resulting media coverage.

“What’s so interesting on the communications side is working with different media and seeing how they do things differently,” says Katherine, who spent three summers as a media liaison for the department’s student employment program.

It’s that kind of curiosity that draws Katherine to the communications field and helped her earn this year’s IABC London Award.

Established in 1988, the $500 prize is given annually to recognize a University of Western Ontario student enrolled in a communications course or stream of study who demonstrates an interest in pursuing a career in communications and who showcases aptitude and interest through extra-curricular involvement, academic success and a personal essay.

Katherine graduates with a master of arts in journalism in April yet she already has impressive credentials. With Service Canada, the St. Thomas native worked with local news media, put together media products and trained other liaison officers across Ontario, and edited an internal department publication. “It was a fabulous experience to work there,” she says.

After she graduates, Katherine will be employed for the summer as a copy editor at a Toronto newspaper. But she would like to return to London next, hoping it’s the size of city where she can find an employer who will give her a wider range of communications experience than she might get as a junior employee in a major city like Toronto. Her plan is partly influenced by her experience with IABC.

“I think IABC is a really important organization,” Katherine says. “Seeing that London is a little bit smaller than Toronto, I think it’s great that there’s this networking opportunity... There have been countless events this year where they really tried to get students to meet employers and people in the communications field. That’s really exciting for me and something that hasn’t happened for me before.”

IABC London has actively engaged London’s student community with events such as Speed Networking and informal mix and mingles, which allow students to network with some of London’s most experienced communications practitioners. IABC also hosts an annual event organized by students in Fanshawe College’s Corporate Communication and Public Relations Program.

For more information about student involvement with IABC, please contact one of our Education Liaisons.

Katherine Low earns IABC London Award