I have a great passion for creative writing and journalism and see this as a step in the direction of an important career change and significant personal development. My professional writing experience is minimal and I have not integrated myself into writing communities which I hope this opportunity will change. I am an immigrant from Zimbabwe; the political climate of the country during my youth gave me a great appreciation for journalism, particularly investigative journalism. I was an international student studying at SFU and this decision was influenced by my upbringing; I have a degree in Political science. In Zimbabwe, journalists were tools of the state and peddled propaganda for the ruling government. At the same time the opposition was driven by journalists who I admired, who faced a great deal of scrutiny and violence because they held the government accountable. They ended up beaten and bruised, sometimes in jail. My mother passed on the habit of watching the news on a daily basis and keeping up with current affairs. I wrote for The Peak, SFU's student newspaper, submitting news and feature articles. I applied and was accepted into The Writer's Studio program at SFU in January of 2020, but due to family financial commitments I was unable to commit to it. It would have signified a shift in my personal life because I have not always been one to follow my dreams. I had a difficult time adapting to life in Canada and dealt with depression, anxiety and poverty at different points during my undergraduate career. Graduation was an achievement, a bigger achievement than I've really ever admitted. My journalistic interests are varied because I love long form stories in a number of different subjects. Sports, politics and hip-hop are some of the areas in which I've enjoyed the time and detail of long form journalism. I have dreams of merging journalism with creative writing, ultimately meaning I am better prepared to become a political commentator and satirist. Working with and accumulating information and knowledge is something I’m very interested in. These are my goals and hopefully this convinces you that I have the requisite ability to succeed. On a more personal level I enjoy interacting with people from different backgrounds and see this not only as a chance for great personal growth but also as a great opportunity to learn a great deal. I run an Instagram page for my poetry. I enjoy podcasts, which is unsurprising considering how ubiquitous they are these days. But the most appealing thing about them for me is the longform storytelling, the level of detail that can be reached about any subject.