It’s always been a dream of mine to be a reporter in my hometown. My journey to fulfilling that goal took nearly a decade.
I was born and raised in Airdrie, and I graduated from Bert Church High School in 2010. I played on Airdrie minor hockey teams from the time I was five-years-old until I turned 18. In my final year, when the realization came that I was no Dana Tyrell or Ty Rattie, I made the decision to hang up the skates and get started in the real world.
Fresh out of high school with no concrete plans for further education, I did what a lot of Albertans do – join the oil and gas industry.
In the back of my mind, I always wanted to be a writer, but I never saw a clear path to make that dream a reality. I was never the smartest in school, and I thought maybe if I stuck it out in the oil and gas sector, I would put myself in a financial position to become a journalist. Although I’m a liability on any construction site and my old colleagues will tell you I was a nightmare with power tools, I stayed in the industry because the money was good and I had an in.
When the jobs started to disappear in 2016, I finally made the decision to go back to school. By then, I was 25 years old. I told myself that whatever I did next, it would be something I loved doing.
In 2017, I graduated from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and took my first reporting job in Whitecourt, Alta. At the time, I knew I would have to relocate in order to eventually find my way back home.
After seven months in Whitecourt brought my next opportunity reporting on provincial politics in Regina, Sask. I knew if I were successful in that role I would finally have a shot at returning to Airdrie.
People always tell you if your job is what you love to do, you’ll never work a day in your life. After only one year as a journalist, I can say that is bang on.
Now, with nearly a year of reporting full-time, here I am. I have never been so excited to start a new job.
I look forward to telling the stories of the people and places I know and love. Now the fun part starts.
Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @Jay_Strickz
