From Concordia to Harvard; from VJ to app creator
From being a MuchMusic VJ to a CBC reporter, Jennifer Hollett has delved into the world of journalism in almost every way possible. After graduating with a BA in Journalism and Communication Studies from Concordia in 1997, Hollett recently returned to speak about her journey, emphasizing how important it was for her to practice the skills she learned in class.
The speech was made at the Donor Student Awards Celebration, organized by Advancement and Alumni Relations to recognize donors and to celebrate student success.
“It’s not just about studying, debating ideas and theory,” she said. “It’s equally about practice. Going out there, figuring it out, trying it on for size and maybe making some mistakes along the way.”
Hollett spoke fondly about her time as a DJ for CRSG, Concordia’s radio station, as well as a journalist for The Concordian.
These extracurricular activities helped her win both the Canadian Women’s Press Club Scholarship as well as the Nick Auf der Maur Memorial Scholarship. More importantly, she said, the scholarships landed her first journalism job with Sony Music. From then on, Hollett has gone on to work at CTV, MuchMusic and CBC before graduating from Harvard University.
“Concordia got you to Harvard,” her father once told her. This, she says, is very true and her return to Canada — and Concordia — has allowed her to revisit everything she has learned at the hallowed university.
“Thank you to the donors and supporters for believing in students like me,” she said smiling. “Thank you to the students, all the young faces out there for your hard work as well as your inspiration. And just a larger thanks to all that Concordia is for teaching me at such an early age to just get out there and figure it out.”