Recent graduate credits SCRIBE with helping her land job in knowledge mobilization

Alumni Spotlight: Sandra Clark

Year graduated: 2018
Degree earned: Master of Science in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences
Employer: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Position: Education and Knowledge Exchange Specialist

How long were you a part of the SCRIBE program?

I was part of the first cohort of graduate students to join SCRIBE. I started in November 2017 and even stayed on to write one more story after I completed my degree. I wrote six articles for the CBS website.

Do you feel that SCRIBE helped you develop skills that are important for your career?

I do! Absolutely. For example, to apply for my current position, I needed to put together a knowledge translation portfolio, including published writing samples. SCRIBE gave me the opportunity to improve my writing and diversify the topics I can write about. When selecting articles, I intentionally chose to work with research that I was unfamiliar with so that I could learn about other research taking place in the College of Biological Science. This allowed me to practice identifying and communicating key messages in fields I was unfamiliar with, a skill which I bring to my new position in cancer care. 

Also, I think that the back-and-forth editing process was very valuable. Sarah Bates, research manager for CBS, was an amazing resource. While it could be challenging to get the interviews coordinated and articles finished, I am so happy that I persevered. Most graduate students are very busy, and sometimes it’s hard to make time for extra-curriculars, but I would definitely recommend the program to anyone looking to improve their science communication skills.