Outlier Alumni

When many people think of a career in journalism, they likely imagine reporting in the field, writing or editing in a busy newsroom or working as a freelancer. But a journalism degree can lead to many different paths, depending on where your passions lie.

I caught up with a few of alumni working in social media, marketing, non-profit and music industries. Here is what they have to say about the twists and turns their careers have taken since leaving journalism school:

Emily Mills, How She Hustles

“Whatever it is that drives you, find different avenues to channel that passion, but do not lose sight of who you are. It’s not about the gig, it's not about the company, it's about your values and your passion - you have to continue to let that lead you.”

Emily Mills, ‘05,  the founder of How She Hustles (HSH), always had a passion for bringing people together. She has worked for CBC, CTV News, for non-profit organizations, in music journalism, in marketing and more, but her core drive in each job was to foster community. Upon networking and realizing that there weren’t a lot of women of colour in her field, navigating this industry, she decided to create a community that would reflect more of her lived experiences. In May of 2010 she hosted the first HSH brunch where Mills hoped like-minded women of colour were able to relate in their experiences. Since then, HSH has hosted numerous events, such as Startup and Slay (external link) , produced digital content, such as HERstory in Black (external link)  and has done marketing consulting (external link) . Mills has done countless speaking engagements (external link)  and celebrated HSH’s 10 year anniversary (external link)  in 2020.

HSH is one of Canada’s leading social networks and Mills has been awarded several titles, such as WXN Top 100 Canada's Most Powerful Women and was profiled for 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women. She is currently continuing her speaking engagements, doing influencer campaigns and consultancy work. She recently collaborated with The Drake Hotel for a staycation contest, where she offered someone in her virtual village a chance to take a break and to take care of themselves. They were able to curate a HSH gift box, for which she chose to include items from Indigenous women and Black women led brands, including Roots + Raven (external link) , Sequoia, inhëyl candle co (external link)  and Mary’s Brigadeiro (external link) .

As I was reading some testimonials in the Toronto Star, from participants who have attended your events, there was one from Michelle Berry that struck me: “After attending any HSH event you get that feeling of coming home.” What are you hoping participants walk away thinking about or feeling after attending a HSH event?

I really hope that people feel a sense of reflection, connection and of community when they attend. I don’t do as many events as I used to, the last event we did was sometime late last year, and it was an invite only private screening for The Woman King (external link) , starring Viola Davis. I was able to organize this screening with great help from many people including Kardinal Offishall, one of our greatest cultural ambassadors and internationally renowned MC, Wes Hall, investor on Dragons Den, author and businessman, Tyrone Edwards, broadcaster and businessman, and many more. I am still blown away by the fact that we put this together in one week! Offishall initially called me after seeing a screening of the movie at TIFF and immediately knew that more Black women and girls should be seeing this film. He asked if we could get together and book a theatre for a private viewing. I got the call on a Saturday and literally by the next Saturday, we had filled a theater with almost 300 people. What I loved about it was that it was a real testament to community. We didn’t want to share this on social media as a first come first serve sign-up, we said “Let's do this with more intention.” The predominant representation in that theater was Black women and girls from the city and they represented almost 20 organizations and collectives. There were groups representing different sectors, such as HR, arts, leadership development, communications and more. What struck me was, when we got to the screening before the movie began, we read off the names of all of the groups that had been invited and extended representatives … and to hear these collectives cheering, after group, after group was … really profound. I think for so many people in Toronto, even in this day and age, they haven't had that experience of being in a theater with all Black communities. Also, these collectives all aim to foster community in their working sectors and yet they had not had the opportunity to meet until this screening. I was really, really, really thrilled that the intention and the impact aligned. It was such a beautiful gathering.

What advice would you give current day school students who are looking to follow a similar career path as yours?

I would say cherish your classmates - I wouldn't have had the same support and job opportunities pop up without them! I give absolute credit and gratitude to my j-school colleagues. Their support meant so much but also beyond the workplace, on a personal level, I am still friends with some folks that I met at j-school. We've really formed a sincere friendship and passion for storytelling and curiosity for the world, and that has long sustained itself beyond graduation. You never know how they may enrich your life. 

To keep up with How She Hustles you sign up for their newsletter (external link)  or can follow Mills on Instagram @howshehustles.

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Hayley Gene Penner, singer, songwriter and author

“It has been so meaningful for me to write my memoir and music because I wanted it to let me heal myself … And a beautiful byproduct of that is people connecting with it in an authentic way.”

Hayley Gene Penner chose to follow a path in the music industry in L.A. after four years of journalism school. She has worked with a wide range of renowned artists including The Chicks, Sabrina Claudio, Lennon Stella, The Chainsmokers and more. She’s been singing since she was a young child, Penner released her debut album, People You Follow (external link) , in 2020. Writing 11 of the 12 songs on the album, she explores the experiences and pressures that young female artists in the music industry face and her discography also includes over 5 other released singles like still (external link)  and 1 of 2 (external link) .

Her debut album release came at the same time as she launched her memoir, also titled People You Follow (external link) . Penner chronicles her move to Los Angeles to make it in the music industry. Actor Lena Dunham, who wrote a blurb for the memoir, called it a “Alice in Wonderland journey down the rabbit hole of LA’s most subtly toxic industry, and it’s also funny. brilliant, coy, playful and wise.” Penner is currently working on her second book and album release!

In 2020, you published a memoir and an album both titled, People You Follow. Do you remember what it felt like as a creative and an artist to have them both launch close to one another? Can you describe what that moment felt like for you?

It was amazing! Usually, when I do shows and go up on stage, before I sing a song I explain what it’s about: he said this and I did this and now I have this song about it that I am going to share with you. Publishing a book at the same time as releasing the album was an effective way to do that off stage. The stories and the songs I write about them are all connected in the Ebook, so you are able to listen to the song and then read the chapter that it is about at the same time. 

It was a really exciting moment for me, although it did happen during the pandemic, which was an odd time to release a book and a full album for the first time. But, I wouldn’t change a thing. It was a really beautiful experience that I am wanting to do again.

Have you ever found yourself in your career now utilizing any of the skills that you learned in journalism school?

I really do, and it comes up in really surprising ways. Firstly, every musician or artist that you work with will ask for a bio, and even though it sounds like the most simple thing, writing one that is clear, to the point and effectively expresses who you are can be challenging. I think a lot about journalism and the things I learned in school, in fact, those skills I learned proved valuable when I published my memoir, People You Follow, back in 2020. I had to include details about court cases relating to sexual assault and abuse within the music industry and I found myself leaning into skills that I developed in my court reporting classes. It has also helped in my songwriting because in journalism school you are taught how to tell a story and convey complex feelings, and I do the same thing with my work in a way. I don’t have to tell my listeners how to feel, instead I'll just tell you what happened and trust that you will feel a feeling about it.

You can listen to People You Follow, Penner’s latest album here (external link)  and read her memoir here (external link) .

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Cassandra Earle, HerUterus

“My parents had always said to me growing up, if you feel a way about something important then what are you going to do about it? How are you going to bring change or make things better for the environment around you? And I think that propelled me into starting HerUterus.”

Cassandra Earle, ‘22,  and media and rich content specialist at Ted Rogers School of Management, founded HerUterus to share her incredibly powerful journey (external link)  about being diagnosed with endometriosis at 17.

Feeling defeated about doctor’s visits, Earle started sharing her story on Instagram (external link)  during the pandemic. Her initial intention was not to make the account public, but she wanted her family and friends to be able to share her work easily. HerUterus quickly gained traction and Earle now has over 15K followers where she posts reels, photos and other content, sharing her journey and fostering a community for those who live with chronic illnesses.

Why did you choose to share your own story?

My story is unique in the fact that I was diagnosed pretty young with endometriosis, when this diagnosis would typically come much later in life, for example when you plan to have children. Also, my mom has endometriosis and I watched her struggle with it and my parents were always on top of my health, making sure that I got the care that I needed. That early intervention saved me in a lot of ways; it didn’t progress as much as it would have a few years down the line if I chose surgery then. My friends who were going on birth control for the first time would often ask me questions, as I had been using it from a young age. It made me think that if there weren’t people like me, then we wouldn’t have been able to connect about this, and people who shared a similar story as mine wouldn’t have anyone to relate to. I realized that we could learn to help each other in this way. I also realized that my journalism background and social media training provided me with a solid foundation to start with, in sharing my story, and I didn’t want to take that for granted. 

What is your motivation for continuing your venture with HerUterus and speaking out about chronic illnesses?

I think this changes but I know that younger me would have learned a lot from HerUterus and it would have made me feel less alone. That is always my goal: to make people feel less alone in their struggles, because I definitely felt like I was on my own little island … It was really lonely. I never wanted someone else to ever feel that way. If I could use this platform to prevent someone from going through the same experiences that I had gone through, then all the better. If I can help someone decompress after an appointment, that’s also great. If I can help someone and teach them about how to advocate for themselves in a doctor's appointment, preventing them from experiencing forms of medical trauma, then I've done more than I could ever possibly imagine. This is the greatest honor of my life. I think I don't think there's anything else in life that could possibly ever compare. 

Learn more about Earle’s journey on TikTok (external link) , Instagram (external link)  and www.heruterus.ca (external link) . You can also listen to her speak about her experiences on The Chronic Connection Podcast (external link)  and read her own words about her journey in The Eyeopener (external link) .

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.