Meet the Team
Communications, Storytelling, and Events
Alicia Ashcroft, she/her
Writer and Storyteller
250-852-7245Alicia Ashcroft graduated from TRU in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Theatre. She has lived in New Zealand and Australia and travelled extensively before settling back in Kamloops. Above most things in life, Alicia appreciates community, volunteerism, film, travel, laughter, close friends, a good book, CBC 2, her two bears and a well-made latte.
Meg Durvin
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Jordan Nicholson, he/him
Digital Media ProducerJordan (he/him) is a cinematographer and editor, specializing in commercials, video marketing, and social media attention.
After attending film school and working in the motion picture industry, Jordan returned home to Kamloops, where he worked as a content producer at Shaw TV, and Yellow Pages video. He is most well-known for his decade long role as head of production at Mastermind Studios. During this time, he worked with organizations like The City of Kamloops, The RIH Foundation, The Chamber of Commerce, BC Lotto, Tourism Kamloops and many more.
Now as digital media producer for the Faculty of Student Development, Jordan creates content for the students of TRU. Connecting them to the services that will help them succeed.
When Jordan isn’t behind the camera, you’ll find him either on his motorcycle, or playing videos games.
Student Storyteller Squad
Meet the 2021 - 2022 Student Storyteller Squad! Writer & Storyteller Alicia Ashcroft has been working closely with the team, who range from new-to-TRU to nearly-graduated. These individuals are asking the question: when it comes to the student life experience, what kind of stories do we want to hear, and what stories do we want to tell?
Lauren Keller, she/her
Lauren Keller is a graduate of Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School. She was a student columnist for the 100 Mile Free Press and a Cecchetti ballet dancer at Dance in Common in Williams Lake. Lauren also enjoys playing and coaching soccer in her community. She is looking forward to joining clubs, exploring Kamloops and meeting new people.
Dea Di Giovanni, she/her
Dea is a final-year marketing post-baccalaureate student at TRU with a background in graphic design. Her favourite aspect of TRU is the amount of opportunities TRU provides for students who want to be involved outside of classes.
Dea loves that she gets to utilise her marketing & graphic design skills in the Storyteller program as a way to give back to the TRU community while learning new skills at the same time. Not to mention the different students she gets to meet and be friends with!
If you run into Dea in real life, you'll most likely see her with her earphones on — she loves music!
Nicole Stanchfield, she/her
As Student Storyteller Nicole's primary role will be to represent the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, create content and build partnerships that will strengthen TRU Student Life's presence as a safe and welcoming community.
Nicole brings to the team strong relationships with TRU Clubs and community organizations.
Storytellers of the past
2020-2021 Storytellers
Manuela Ceballos
she/her/hers
Hi everyone! My name is Manuela Ceballos, my pronouns are she/her/hers, I graduated in Colombia in 2018 from the Marymount School, and I’m currently a 3rd year student at TRU doing a major in Psychology and a minor in Marketing. I'm very excited to say that this year I’m part of the Storytelling Ambassador program with the Faculty of Student Development. I love being engaged at TRU because it makes me feel more connected to the community I’m part of and being a storyteller has aloud me just that, to stay connected and to be able to share experiences and advice with other students that might be going through similar experiences that I’ve been through. I enjoy graphic design and sharing content through social media; in this interconnected world social media is one of the best resources we’ve got and I enjoy taking advantage of it as much as I can. Every day I’m learning more and more and with the Student Storytellers I have been able get out of my comfort zone and build a voice through designing posts for the Student Life Facebook and Instagram accounts, writing blogs, and hosting Instagram lives (something I thought I was never going to be brave enough to do).
Amna Qazi
she/her/hers
I like to describe myself as an aspiring human rights and climate change activities. I am a Bachelor of Science in Nursing student and graduated from South Kamloops Secondary School. I love the way nurses pave the way for patient care, nursing standards, research and advocacy. I also love being a part of this amazing community of student nurses and faculty at TRU. My dream job is one where I can have an impact on the world and help empower others. When I’m not buried deep in my textbooks, I love to read, play tennis, ride horses, hang out with my mom and friends, and dedicate my time to various volunteer causes. I am also a big fan of live theater and would love to see the Lion King performed on Broadway one day. My favorite part of being a student storyteller is how I get to explore my interests and give back to the TRU community. We can all connect through experience, and I like being able to turn my everyday student experiences into content that allows me to connect with other students. The advice I would give to other students would be to be proactive. Prevention is always easier than cure, and if you address problems as they come up, it's much easier to be productive.
Keisha Anderson
she/her/hers
I am a tourism management major and theatre minor. Also a former Study Abroad ambassador, I have an appetite for adventure and experience. That hunger took me to Australia, where I learned to surf. I am passionate about accessibility and self-advocacy, which led to some of my biggest accomplishments: being cast in some significant roles in TRU’s Actors Workshop Theatre productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Concord Floral and Drinking in America.
Workstudy & Funded Students
Each year we have the opportunity to support 1-3 students through WorkStudy or Secondary funded projects. These students are valuable members of our team and their roles vary depending on the current needs. For more information about how you can become a WorkStudy student, please visit the WorkStudy Program page
Hanna Conradi, she/her
Student Marketing AssistantHanna joined the team as a Student Marketing Assistant in the summer of 2021. She is working towards her Bachelor of Art’s degree at TRU; majoring in psychology and minoring in philosophy. Prior to this role, Hanna has had experience working with the TRU Writing Centre as a tutor, the TRU Wellness Centre as a Student Wellness Ambassador, and the TRU Accessibility Services Office as a Student Research Assistant. Hanna’s experience working within the TRU community has facilitated both a genuine passion and a useful skillset for working within the institution that she takes with her in her role with the Comms Team. When she’s not working, Hanna enjoys hikes with her partner and pup, playing hockey and guitar, and all things psychology and philosophy!
Amna Qazi, she/her
Student Marketing AssistantAfter spending a year with the Student Storyteller team, Amna signed on for another term as an Intercultural Storyteller in summer 2021. Amna is a dedicated Bachelor of Science in Nursing student, is a nursing student mentor and serves as the BCNU student liaison for her class. An active member of the TRU community, Amna volunteers in multiple roles, such as the Biology Undergraduate Society’s president.
Her experiences in student leadership and commitment to student wellbeing provide a strong foundation for her work; the storytelling role allows her to connect with a diverse group of students as she translates the student experience into stories and media. Amna is also an enthusiastic theatre fan who loves watching productions and helping them come to life on stage. Amna is an avid volunteer in her free time and loves reading, riding horses, playing tennis, and spending quality time with family.
Robin Eccleston, she/her
Workstudy StudentAs a WorkStudy student, Robin is an administrative assistant. She has a background in stage management so she will also be assisting with podcast and video production.
