Researcher Spotlight - Take 2: Désirée Worrall-Bélanger

Désirée is back at the CEMVC! Let’s catch up with her to see what she’s been up to this year!

Question #1: What interested you in working for the CEMVC?

This is a story I love to tell friends and family. I received the email promoting a metadata assistant position with the CEMVC after my first-ever class at MtA. My parents had rented a cottage for my first week so they could be around if I needed them, so I was at their cottage at the time. I’d just gotten home from class when the email hit my inbox. Now, I’d done some basic data input work for my dad when I was a kid — he’s the manager of a fish hatchery in Charlo, NB, so I helped input that kind of data — but I had no idea what a metadata assistant did. I was very interested in learning, though — and, of course, a job would be incredibly helpful during my studies — so I applied on a whim. I wasn’t a VMCS student at the time, I was still planning on doing an Honours in History and a Minor in Classics but getting my first job with Dr. Beck changed the entire trajectory of my academic career. Soon after I applied, I got the email saying I was accepted. Applying for that position was easily one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It helped me foster an invaluable relationship with Dr. Beck, which in turn helped me realize that I wanted to pursue a career in the world of media and publishing, leading to my decision in changing my degree to an Honours in English and a minor in VMCS. Being back with the CEMVC now that I’ve graduated has felt like coming home, and I’m thrilled I get to work with such a talented group of people to create an impact.

Question #2: How have your studies in VMCS affected how you approach media today?

It’s affected every little detail, in the most positive way possible! Outside of my part-time job with the CEMVC, I work full time for app called Fable. We’re an app built for story lovers where users can track what they’re reading/watching, read books, join book clubs and TV show clubs, and so much more. We’re just over 3 years old and still considered a start-up, so I get to work across departments, mainly in the editorial, marketing, and community teams. That said, the knowledge I acquired during my VMCS studies is invaluable when it comes to the work I do. It’s helped me analyze material on social media, see how we can use it to our advantage, and learn to create something that’s attractive for other brands to want to partner with us, etc.

There’s also one specific story I like to tell when people ask me what VMCS is and what I got from it: I always start by telling them about the time I wrote an essay on tomatoes. In the “Food Matters” course with Dr. Beck, which I took in my third year, I learned so much about VMCS in general. Learning that I could write an entire essay on tomatoes really helped me see just how important VMCS is. Since then, I’ve been looking for any excuse to promote the program to anyone who comes my way.

Question #3: What future projects/jobs/careers would you be interested in working on/in?

In all honesty, my job at Fable is my dream job. However, I’d love to work on more projects with Dr. Beck. She’s always got something interesting in the works, and I’m honoured every single time she reaches out to see if I’d like to be a part of it. I’m hopeful I’ll get to work with her as a professional consultant/instructor in some of her classes focusing on social media. At some point, I’d love to work in publishing as well, either in editing or marketing.

Question #4: If you had a superpower, what would you want it to be and why?

If I had a superpower, I think I would want it to be the ability to freeze time. When I started university, I started realizing that, in the adult world, things move so fast all the time. People are always rushing to class, pushing to cram for an exam or finish writing a paper, running to their workplace, or even rushing to become a better version of themselves. As kids, we’re not necessarily thinking about “what’s next?” We’re just thinking about what we’re doing in the present moment. I can understand the need to be quick in certain areas of life, but I do think that prioritizing the time we have and being present for as much of it as we can is something that needs to become more normal. So, perhaps not a superpower to freeze time, per se, but the superpower to have eyes that see the little things. Luckily for us, that’s a superpower that’s obtainable :)