This is My Niagara

Diana Lenartowich

Hi Niagara! My name’s Diana Lenartowich, a born and raised Port Dalhousie girl and business communications student at Brock University. I’m excited to be working with the NEDC and showing people from all over just how awesome my home region can be, from the wineries and waterfalls that everyone knows about to the lesser known gems here like tantalizing restaurants, sunny beaches, unbelievably skilled craftspeople, and innovative scientists and engineers making world-changing discoveries. There are plenty of sports and activities that I love, like yoga, sailing, and rollerblading, and Niagara is such a perfect place to enjoy all of them. The campaign for This Is My Niagara is so important for the residents here and for those who may be joining the community in the future...can’t wait to tell you all about it!

 

Dan Miksza

Hello, my name is Dan Miksza. I am a fourth year film student in the Honours program at Brock University. This internship initially attracted me because it looked like an incredible opportunity to learn and promote the region while also gaining valuable real world work experience that I could take with me into a future career. After just over one month as an intern it has turned out to be exactly that; everyday an exciting and beneficial experience.

 

Kristina Gottli

Hi! My name is Kristina Gottli and I’m a fourth year Business Communications student at Brock University. I’ve lived in the Niagara region my entire life, and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to be an integral component for the promotional opportunities and fun experiences the Niagara area provides. My interests include crocheting, knitting and sewing (some say I was a cat in my previous life, as I have adoration for yarn and string.) I also like to make people laugh. When not working or in class, I enjoy going to shows and discovering local music, as well as taking in all of the tastes and flavours downtown St. Catharines has to offer. In the future I hope to obtain a career within the public relations field so I can never stop talking, smiling and cracking hilarious jokes.

 

Kate Book

Hi I'm Kate Book.  I am a Business Communications Honours student at Brock University who has a passion for marketing, advertising, and public relations. I love to travel and I recently just returned from Australia, where I participated on an Exchange. I try to stay active both physically and also within my community. I enjoy being a part of “This is My Niagara” because I have lived in Niagara my whole life and have really grown to appreciate the sights, activities, and the people within and would like to show other people all that we have to offer! 

 

Tamar Sarkisian

My name is Tamar Sarkisian. I am a fourth year Media Communications student at Brock. I am interning at NEDC because I grew up in the Niagara Region and want more people to realize how great of an area it is. I grew up playing in the St Catharines Jets Soccer League and spending my summers in Port Dalhousie.

 

Mike Spadafora

My name is Michael Spadafora. I am from Brantford, Ontario and have lived in St. Catharine’s for the past four school years while attending Brock University. During my time here, I have grown to think of the city as my second home. The community at Brock is like nothing I have ever experienced. I have made some friends I know I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life and have had more opportunities to network with professionals than I could have ever imagined. I am now in my fourth year at Brock and as a result of these networking efforts I am now apart of an internship program at the Niagara Economic Development Corporation, working on a campaign entitled “This Is My Niagara”. The goal of the internship is to promote the Niagara region to businesses so they will choose this region to operate in, providing more jobs for students from Brock University and Niagara College. Both educational institutions boast an enormous amount of talent in the students that graduate, yet there is a negative perception of the region as there are a limited number of opportunities here for these students after they graduate. My perceptions of the Niagara region have greatly improved in the short time I have spent with this internship and am very confident that as we move ahead, more students will be positively affected, greatly increasing the likelihood of this campaign being a success.

 

Lauren MacDermid

Hello, My name is Lauren MacDermid and I am a fourth year Popular Culture honours Major at Brock University. I enjoy spending my leisure time painting, swimming and relaxing at my cottage in Muskoka. I plan on entering the communications field upon graduation either in advertising or public relations and am using this internship with Niagara Economic Development Corporation to get as much work experience as possible while in school.

 

Hilary Ostrom

Hi I'm Hilary Ostrom.  I am currently in my fourth year at Brock.  I'm studying Business Communications.  I'm originally from Keswick Ontario, a tiny little town compared to St Catharines and the rest of the NIagara Region.  When I'm not studying, I really enjoy hiking, running and spending time with friends.  After I graduate I'd love too work in advertising or promotions.   

 

Danielle Scott

My name is Danielle Scott and I am in my fifth year of my Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Popular Culture at Brock University. I will be done by the end of December of this year and I am looking forward to studying for my LSATS as I have a hope of pursuing a law degree next year. I come from a small town, Cobourg Ontario and have enjoyed growing up there however when I am finished university in December I plan to travel, study and work. My interests throughout my university career have primarily been within the field of communications, and my internship at NEDC has helped to solidify my interest and hone my previous knowledge of the communications industry as well as learning new and useful skills I can carry with me into my professional and academic careers in the future.

 

Deanna Tatham

My name is Deanna Tatham and I am in my fourth year at Brock University studying Business  Communications. I have been living in the Niagara Region for four years and my favorite part, which I only really explored a few weeks ago, is Decew Falls. This landscape is like climbing and hiking into a different more exotic part of the world. This year I am interning at the Niagara Economic Development Corporation and more specifically the Niagara Social Project. This campaign is important for the NEDC because as social media increases it becomes the more prominent source of promotion. Our intentions are to promote the Niagara Region through many social media platforms including music video and social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. The Niagara region has so much to offer and we want to spread the word!

 

Chris O'Connor

Hey folks, I'm Chris O'Connor, I originally hale from Vancouver, British Columbia but am now currently living in the Toronto area.  I have been in the Niagara Region for the past four years studying Business Communications at Brock.  I am currently working on the Workplace Attraction Project which is showcasing the Niagara region for those looking to find out more about their community or to find a place to live.  With only a few weeks into the project I have discovered that Niagara has alot more to offer then I thought.  I never knew the amount of advanced technology that is stationed at NGen or the amount of festivals that are constantly happening; it seems every week there is a new way to discover the culture of this region. As we progress with this project I hope that families in the community along with individuals will discover just as much as I will be and realize Niagara has more to offer then just the falls.

Sarah Petrenko

Hi! I'm Sarah Petrenko. I'm currently in fourth year at Brock University studying Communications (Media, Culture and Society stream) with a minor in Sociology. I have lived in St. Catharines all my life and was given the opportunity to be raised in the beautiful, Niagara Region. When I'm not focusing on my studies, I enjoy spending time with my dog, Boris, and going boating with my dad. Once I have completed university, I'm hoping to find a job that I will love and will let me make a difference in the world.
 

 

Courtney Dunford