Student Association

Karla Jubaily (she/her)

Karla Jubaily is a Lebanese-Filipina journalist based in Vancouver, B.C. She is passionate about community-based reporting, human interest stories, and solution-oriented journalism. Her work is deeply influenced by her parents’ migration journeys and rich heritage, which serve as the driving force behind her compelling narratives. Karla is currently pursuing a Master of Journalism degree at the University of British Columbia, where she also completed a Bachelor of Arts with a specialization in Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice.

Karla is a writer for Al Rawiya's Riwayetna column. She is the 2023 recipient of the RTDNA Narcity Digital Journalism Scholarship Award for her piece on Belonging, Grief and Food. Over the summer, she interned at the Samir Kassir Foundation Center for Media and Cultural Freedom.

If you are a current student, alumni, or prospective student, feel free to reach out to Karla by email at kjubaily@student.ubc.ca.

Bridget Stringer-Holden (she/her)

Bridget Stringer-Holden is a second-year MJ student, drawn to journalistic endeavours from a young age — starting a school newspaper in Grade 6 and hosting and producing her own francophone television show in high school.

During her undergrad — where she graduated as valedictorian and with the Dean's Award of Excellence in Communication Studies and Business Administration — Bridget worked her way from contributor to News Editor at the school paper and joined a variety of other clubs and associations.

Bridget hopes to pursue a career in either news or investigative journalism, with an environmental focus that also gives voice to underrepresented communities.

In her free time, you’ll find her knitting and crocheting more blankets and stuffed animals than can possibly fit on her shelves, and visiting her friends and family on the Sunshine Coast.

She encourages current students, alumni and prospective students to reach out at bridgetstringerholden@gmail.com.

Chaimae Chouiekh (she/her)

Chaimae is a Moroccan first-year Master of Journalism student with a multifaceted background in finance, mathematics, and communication. She aspires to pursue a career as an international reporter, focusing on topics related to community, politics, race, and social justice. Fluent in multiple languages, she aims to bring a unique perspective to her work while connecting with diverse audiences.

Driven by a burning passion for storytelling and a commitment to shedding light on often overlooked social and political issues, her articles reflect a dedication to amplifying underrepresented voices.

She doesn’t define herself only as a writer. She's comfortable in front of a camera, adept with a microphone, and efficient behind the scenes. With a voice geared towards meaningful communication, her goal is clear: to bridge divides, promote understanding, and highlight diverse perspectives.

Outside the newsroom, she has a deep passion for two things in life: travelling and meeting new people. She believes every stamp in her passport and every new handshake or hug brings a story waiting to be told.

So, whether she's vibing to her favourite playlist, weaving words, or simply sharing a laugh with someone she just met, she is on a mission to make the world a little smaller, one story at a time.

Solana Pasqual (she/her)

Solana Pasqual is a second-year master’s in journalism student at the University of British Columbia. She completed her undergraduate at Queen’s University with an Honours degree in Global Development and a minor in Psychology. Her media specialties are environment and sustainability, and sports and culture.

She is both a writer and photographer, and is also exploring the world of video. In her downtime, Solana likes to play with her cat, Minnie, read YA novels and travel.

Savannah Parsons (she/her)

Savannah Parsons is a second year Master of Journalism student, Excel spreadsheet enthusiast, and Notion connoisseur (yes, complete with colour-coordinated calendar pages). Her rather intense preoccupation with organization is rivalled only by her interest in fostering high levels of engagement in whichever community she finds herself. She has four years of experience coordinating professional events in her hometown of Smithers B.C., and she is currently working on a graduate thesis that examines the relationship between news presentation formats and youth news engagement.

Savannah swears that despite being a major research nerd, she can plan exciting, fun, and engaging events. In fact, there’s nothing she loves more than a problem-solving challenge - her favourite being the challenge of taking a fantastic event idea and making it a reality. From lively social mixers to informative workshops, Savannah is prepared and strives to coordinate events that let every student feel engaged, valued, and excited to be part of UBC’s School of Journalism! (200 metric tons of detail and colour-coordinated spreadsheets included).

Kikachi Memeh (she/her)

Kikachi Memeh is a Nigerian writer, journalist, and multimedia producer. She is a Journalism Master’s student at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, where she serves as a research assistant for the Global Journalism Innovation Lab. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Covenant University, Nigeria. As a journalist, Kikachi’s work revolves around Black and African arts & culture - focusing on Nollywood - and now looks into socio-political news analysis from a critical race perspective. As a writer, her personal and journalistic essays explore African diasporic relationships and similar themes. She is currently an assistant producer of ‘Don’t Call Me Resilient’, a culture podcast - by The Conversation Canada.

Katrianna DeSante (she/her)

Katrianna DeSante is a photographer, videographer, and aspiring photojournalist based in Vancouver on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. As a former Motion Picture Arts student at Capilano University, and current Master of Journalism student at the University of British Columbia, Katrianna’s education is rooted in communicating stories and ideas through visual and print media. When Katrianna isn’t studying journalism, she fills her time with marathon running, cycling, yoga, and photography. She aspires to be an innovative, thoughtful, and informative contributor to the journalistic field. Through her work in photojournalism, Katrianna strives to represent the voices of the underrepresented, largely women and the 2SLGTBQIA+ community.

Megavarshini Somasundaram Gnanasundari (she/her)

Megavarshini, a first-year MJ student, can be seen with a notebook and pen figuring out how to structure her stories. She holds a Master of Science in Electronic Media from Anna University, Chennai. She covered a wide variety of beats, including government, gender, environment, education, court, entertainment, and lifestyle, among others. Coming from a background in print and web journalism in India, Megavarshini hopes to pursue a career in long-form journalism with an emphasis on community, gender, and culture. She believes, "The stories you tell tell stories about you."

When Megavarshini is not reporting, she is either crying over a rom-com, immersed in a fictional book, or gossiping with her mom. Feel free to get in touch with Megavarshini at megavars@student.ubc.ca.