LAYLA POTTINGER
Aspiring Journalist and Public Speaker
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LaylaPottinger - Portfolio
Hello, my name is Layla Pottinger. I am a Freshman Broadcast Journalism Major at Howard Univerity from Ontario, Canada. I intend to gain transferable skills during my time here that will enhance my expertise in a variety of sectors.
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I have an undying love for public speaking and storytelling in all forms. Throughout high school, I was a drama major and theatre enthusiast. I have since redirected my pathway to Broadcast Journalism where I believe I can exhaust all of my skill sets to the fullest extent. Through the years I’ve taken part in several public speaking events from speech competitions to Keynote speaking opportunities. All of these have helped me find my voice and realize how my words coupled with my delivery have the ability to captivate audiences.
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Acknowledging the weight my voice holds I would love to use it to shed light on inequity and discrimination within underprivileged communities, as advocating for social justice is another of my passions. In my senior year of high school, I was the president of my Black Student Association and in this role, I facilitated weekly meetings for staff and students. My goal was to make our BSA meetings a safe space for Black students and allies to be authentic and engage in difficult yet important discussions. As a lead, I generated conversation prompts/questions that promoted empowering dialogue because I recognized the value of effective communication in order to amplify voices.
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About Me
The More You Know
In my spare time, I enjoy getting involved in the community. I have participated in numerous initiatives such as; Agents for Social Change, the PDSB Black Student Alliance Advisory Council, UoT Kinesiology Reach Ahead Program, Schulich Business of Excellence Academy, and I am currently an intern for Howard University's School of Communications on the Student Advisory committee. I pride myself on my academic achievements. To name a few I've been on the honor roll every year throughout high school, graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and have earned upwards of 80 volunteer hours. I also Achieved the Doris Coverdale Award upon graduation. The purpose of this award is to acknowledge a student with high grades and a dedication to bettering the school environment. I pride myself on being the recipient.