Articles from:June 2024

• Brock’s 2024 Indigenous Leader finds magic in doing what’s difficult

  Friday, June 28, 2024 | By Connor Wilkes

   

  Jon Davey, Chief of Staff to the President and CEO of Scotiabank, is the honouree for Brock’s 2024 Indigenous Leaders Speaker Series.

  This article written by Sarah Ackles, it originally appeared in The Brock News

  There are seminal moments in life that determine the impact someone will have on the world.

  When proud Haudenosaunee man Jonathan (Jon) Davey (BA ’05) was presented with those monumental calls to action throughout his career, he knew his overarching goal was to honour his ancestors and “make things better for future generations.”

  Davey often reflected on the refrain of his father when faced with decisions about how to best serve his community and become a person of substance.

  “What’s the more difficult thing to do?” his father would ask.

  As Davey told the attendees of the fourth annual Indigenous Leader Speaker Series on June 20, “That’s where the magic is — where you don’t want to go and what you don’t want to do.”

  

  Jon Davey (BA ’05), Chief of Staff to the President and CEO of Scotiabank, was the selected speaker for Brock’s 2024 Indigenous Leaders Speaker Series, which took place online on June 20.

  The community webinar took place in the lead up to National Indigenous People’s Day, which recognizes the heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people across Canada.

  Hosted by Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement Robyn Bourgeois, the speaker series is a partnership between the Office of the Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement and the Goodman School of Business.

  “I didn’t want us just to focus on the hard things Indigenous people go through —which we have to — I also wanted to celebrate indigenous excellence,” Bourgeois said. “Jon embodies the spirit of Indigenous excellence.”

  Davey is a proud member of the Lower Cayuga of Six Nations of the Grand River. A lawyer by trade, the Brock graduate and Board of Trustees member is currently the Chief of Staff to the President and CEO of Scotiabank. He also spent a decade working with the Federal Crown counsel in the Aboriginal Law Division of the Department of Justice Canada.

  As a young person beginning his academic journey, however, Davey admits he was nervous to leave the comforts of his home in Hamilton, Ont., where he felt acceptance of his culture and heritage as the son of a Haudenosaunee father and non-Indigenous mother.

  When he arrived on campus, however, he said he found a community where he could “stand tall and be proud” of who he was while completing a Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication in an environment that both supported and challenged him.

  “Brock’s probably had the most integral impact on me becoming a person, becoming a young adult, and taking responsibility, and I’m very grateful for the support I received throughout my time here,” he said. “When my four years was up, I didn’t want to leave; I was comfortable again, like I had been before I left home.”

  Along with that strong sense of community, Davey has also looked to the traditional teachings of his ancestors to guide his career decisions, noting that he approaches challenges and opportunities with a “good mind and good heart.”

  He ties this back to the messages of the Two Row Wampum belt, the symbolic record of an agreement made in 1613 between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and Dutch settlers. It features two parallel beaded rows that represent two boats, reflecting two entities that progress side-by-side in mutual respect.

  “When you think about the Two Row Wampum there is this idea of harmony and peace and I want to see that more and I want to be that change,” he said. “There is harmony, but there still needs to be shared understanding, there still needs to be a bridge from time to time.”

  He said the common thread woven through his work — whether with the federal government, in the financial sector or directly with the community — is understanding and sharing “that value of partnership and working together, and, at the same time, exemplifying it.”

  He also stressed that it is crucial to thank those who supported and charted a path forward before him, and that he hopes to do the same for future generations who will continue to do the work after him — including his two young children.

  Although he joked that lawyers are often taught to give “recommendations” rather than “advice,” he also left new and future graduates with some parting words from his father, which he said have always served him well.

  “If you have something of substance to say, you’re always going to have an audience,” he said.

  A recording of the event will be shared on the Indigenous Leader Speaker Series web page.

• Canadian newscaster’s journey began with Brock internship

  Monday, June 10, 2024 | By Connor Wilkes

  This article written by Amanda Bishop, it originally appeared in The Brock News

  When Alessandra Carneiro (BA ’16) first began dreaming of a career in broadcasting back in high school, she couldn’t have guessed that she would be sitting behind an anchor desk a few years later.

  Today, the Brock Media and Communications alumna is an anchor and reporter for CTV News Barrie and has anchored nationally for CTV News Channel.

  She advises students approaching graduation to keep lessons learned in the classroom fresh in their minds as they may need that information sooner than they think.

  “I remember learning about the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and thinking at the time, you know, will I ever really need this?” she says. “Now, every single day, the CRTC and its regulations are vital to my work.”

  Carneiro frequently returns to campus to speak with students in the Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film (CPCF) about how her experience in the fourth-year internship course enabled her to achieve her career goals.

  “My internship at the local cable station taught me every aspect of the business, from what to look for when shooting a story to how to make sure that your writing matches the visuals to editing,” she says. “My supervisor knew my goals and helped me get the right stories to create a good demo, and that ultimately got me my first job on camera.”

  But Carneiro didn’t have a chance to use the demo right away. While still in her fourth year at Brock, she took the first job she could find with a major media company, handing out swag at events. After graduation, she worked in radio marketing and promotion before moving into media sales.

  When an opening finally came up for an anchor in Yorkton, Sask., Carneiro had her demo ready. She landed the role at age 25.

  She soon moved to Saskatoon, where she spent two years as a weekend anchor and reporter. The news stories she filed sometimes attracted national attention, and she was able to return to Ontario three years ago for her current role at CTV Barrie.

  Carneiro says that in a changing media landscape, her Brock degree has provided her with the context and agility to take on roles in various parts of the industry.

  “When I came into the business, I wasn’t solely coming from a journalism program or a broadcasting program,” she says. “My program included a variety of different ways to approach media and to learn about different sectors, which gave me skills and knowledge that have really helped me on my career journey.”

  Kate Cassidy (MEd’01, PhD’13) regularly invites Carneiro to speak to current CPCF interns and says that she is “a shining testament to the value of our media program’s comprehensive foundation, enriched by experiential learning.”

  “I truly appreciate Alessandra’s willingness to return to the classroom and mentor our students,” says Cassidy. “Her journey serves as a powerful reminder that with diligence and passion, they too can become trailblazers, just as she has done.”

  Carneiro always reminds students that openness can make all the difference to a career path.

  “Be open to every opportunity, even if it’s not the opportunity that you initially had in mind, and be willing to learn every aspect of a field because you will find your way,” she says. “ And network fearlessly — the careers of friends and mentors grow with yours, and they become voices in leadership who can vouch for what a hard worker you are and how passionate you are.”