Sarah Boesveld

“I wanted to do it all,” said Sarah Boesveld (external link)  ‘08 as she began recalling her early years at Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Journalism program.

“Back then, we had streams in the program. You can go print, you could go broadcasting, go magazine. I did print, but I wanted to do it all,” she explained.

Before applying to the program, Boesveld was interested in food writing, so she reached out to the Ottawa Citizen’s food editor for advice.

“That’s why I got into journalism,” she said. “When I was in high school, I would read the Ottawa Citizen food section, and then I emailed the food editor. He told me his background. His advice was just go out and be a journalist… I followed his advice, and so that took me here.”

Years later, Boesveld still remembers how terrifying it was to be sent out to do streeters.

“I remember being asked to go to the Eaton Centre and just approach random people and do streeters. Right away in first year, which is terrifying, but important,” she laughed. “It was really foundational because I was able to get hands-on practical skills that I could build upon to be able to be a strong storyteller and to be able to identify what a story is and how to go about getting it, how to be ethical in going about getting it."

In her third year, Boesveld joined The Eyeopener (external link) , where she later became a news editor. That’s where she learned what newsroom culture looked like.

“That’s what I really value about my time at TMU. [There] is a really supportive culture in the Journalism program and the opportunities to…get real hands-on experience and mentorship through The Eyeopener. I don’t think I could have got into the newsrooms that I did if I didn’t have that experience,” she said.

Since graduating, Boesveld has worked for various media outlets such as the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, and Chatelaine. She credits her work at Chatelaine as the most impactful, describing it as “changing the game on how women’s journalism was done in Canada at the time.”

Today, she works in public relations for Covenant House Toronto (external link) . Her current role combines the foundations she learned as a journalist with her passion for advocacy to create change.

“We understand that intrinsically, in order to get something done and move it ahead, you need public attention around it,” Boesveld said. “You need to help shape the public’s view and their understanding of an issue.”

At Covenant House Toronto, Boesveld uses a trauma-informed, benefit-focused approach to storytelling. She works closely with youth who have experienced homelessness and trauma.

This is why it is important for her to have their stories be told in a way that gives them agency, a voice, and to make them feel proud for sharing their story.

“I'm really proud of the work we're building at Covenant House, the advocacy work, like getting the mayor's attention on the issue of youth homelessness, being an actor, really showing leadership within the sector to try to advance the issue and help more young people experiencing homelessness,” she said.

That sense of purpose shapes the advice she offers to students navigating their own careers in journalism. For Boesveld, thinking about what you love about journalism, continuing to grow and learn while giving back is important.

“What do you love about journalism, but also are there issues that you care about? What is it about storytelling that really kind of gets you excited? Then… use those as your north stars and… try to seek out opportunity where you can have that stability and structure too,” Boesveld said.

“I’m not going to be perfect at it, but that's how you grow, and so being open to growth opportunities and trying new things and just keeping that care and humanity at the core of it. You just have to do the right thing for you."

Grads at Work is a series of profiles of alums. If you know of a notable grad you’d like to see featured, send us an email at mediaunit.connect@torontomu.ca.