About this class In February 2024, Durham College will mark the 50th anniversary of the campus publication, The Chronicle, with a special DC Talks: Alumni Series event, spotlighting one journalism graduate from each of the past five decades. This event recognizes that journalism graduates have pursued a wide range of careers and ventures, highlighting the versatility of their skills and the impact they have made in various fields. The event aims to inspire current students, facilitate networking among alumni, and highlight success stories. This event is produced in partnership with the Faculty of Media, Art & Design, the Journalism – Mass Media program, the Durham College Alumni Association, and the Campus Library. Panellists Chris Bovie, ’87 Journalism A graduate of Durham College’s (DC) Journalism program, Chris Bovie is an award-winning journalist and editor. He held the position of managing editor at Metroland Media from 1997 to 2007 and was a DC Alumni of Distinction award recipient in 2005. Following his time at Metroland Media, Bovie continued his career at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) as an external relations officer. During his 13 years at the hospital, he worked to create innovative and effective events and campaigns to reduce mental health stigma and build brand awareness. He was recognized with four awards from the International Association of Business Communicators for his impactful work at Ontario Shores. Today, Bovie works as the director of Corporate Communications at the Durham Regional Police Services. Connected to his community, he has held positions on a number of local committees and boards, including the Whitby Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Advocacy Committee, the Durham Connect Leadership Table, Durham Community Safety and Well-Being Plan Steering Committee, and DC’s Alumni Association board of directors. Stephanie Foden, ’11 Journalism Stephanie Foden is a freelance documentary photographer and a member of Boreal Collective and Women Photograph. Her work often explores themes of climate, culture and identity. After graduating from Durham College’s Journalism program in 2011, she pursued an internship at Canadian Geographic as a photographer. She has since traveled across the world during her career, including writing and photographing stories in the northeast of Brazil as a reporter at The Rio Times. A multiplatform visual storytelling professional, her work has been recognized by the Magenta Foundation, Artpil’s 30 Under 30 Women Photographers, News Photographers Association of Canada, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Smithsonian Magazine, The Timothy Allen Photography Scholarship Award and the National Geographic Award at the Eddie Adams Workshop. Stephanie has worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, TIME, The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, The Guardian, ESPN, Amnesty International, and Travel & Leisure. Jesara Holla, ’06 Journalism – Print Jesara Holla is a seasoned communications professional, currently serving as the senior manager of Corporate Affairs for New Nuclear at Ontario Power Generation (OPG). A proud graduate of the Journalism – Print program at Durham College, Holla brings almost two decades of expertise to her role. In her position, she leads the external engagement program for the Darlington New Nuclear Project and Small Modular Reactor development at OPG, showcasing her passion for education, advocacy and advancing new nuclear technology in Ontario, Canada and beyond. Jesara resides in Durham Region where she enjoys giving back to her community through volunteer work with the Marigold Hospice Care foundation and serving as vice-president on the Durham College Alumni Association Board of Directors. Cheyenne Jarrett, ’22 Journalism – Mass Media Cheyenne Jarrett’s work experience began during her time in the Journalism – Mass Media program at Durham College (DC). While enrolled, she took on the position of project assistant/co-producer for the Voices in Durham project, a series of panels about equity, diversity and inclusion in journalism. She worked to make the project move smoothly by bridging connections with public speakers, conducting research, and hosting live in-person and online interviews. In 2022, Jarrett completed a corporate communications internship at the Regional Municipality of Durham. While there, she spread regional messages through social media campaigns. After graduating, she was hired as a communications advisor at the Region, where she continues to work with the diversity, equity and inclusion department, and master her strategic communications and social media skills. Before embarking on a career in communications, Jarrett also earned a diploma of education in Medical Esthetics at Centennial College. Rob Leth, ’96 Journalism Rob Leth is a television personality with more than 20 years of experience, specializing in sports and news. Finding success both behind and in front of the camera, he is currently a videographer for City News and CBC, reporting and shooting stories and breaking news around the Greater Toronto Area. Sharing his love for golf, Leth captures footage for all PGA Tour Canada golf tournaments from coast to coast throughout the summer months. He also works as a camera operator for Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, where he covered all road games for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2021-2022 season. Graduating from Durham College’s Journalism program in 1996, Leth began his career as a sports anchor on Rogers Television. He then became a reporter and sports anchor for Global News covering the Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Moncton markets from 2003 to 2023. Early in his career, Leth’s quick instincts and sense of humour served him well as he gained internet fame for a video clip where he was accidentally hit by a snow tuber. The viral video gained traction on daytime and late-night talk shows and won Jimmy Kimmel’s Clippy Award for Internet Video of the Year. Rob Massey, ’77 Journalism A graduate of Durham College’s Journalism program, Rob Massey has dedicated his career to sports journalism. His published work spans Oshawa This Week, Brampton Times, Wheelspin News Inc., Guelph Mercury, and as a freelance photographer and reporter. From 1986 to 2016, Massey served as the sports editor at the Guelph Mercury. He gained three decades of experience working for the organization covering events and designing the daily sports pages. In 2011, Massey won the Ontario Newspaper Awards Sports Photo of the Year in the Mercury’s circulation category. After the Guelph Mercury closed its doors in 2016, Massey started his own website, Guelph Sports Journal, where he would continue proving his dedication to sports photojournalism. Throughout his career he has won several awards, most recently the U SPORTS Fred Sgambati Media Award for his contributions to Canadian university sport and the Ontario Universities Athletics Media Award of Distinction, becoming only the second person to win both in the same year. Massey was also inducted into the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame in 2022 in the builder category for his long-time dedication to providing coverage of sports activities in the city. Host Don Lovisa, President of Durham College Lon Appleby, Durham College Founder, Professor
