Hazal Senkoyuncu ('19) worked in Turkey as a journalist during the pandemic.
It was, however, not her original plan.
Plans made, and changed
When Hazal graduated in December 2019, her plans were to head home to see her family in Turkey for a short while.
“The hope was to head home and show folks my diploma, to see people, and come back [to Canada] a couple months later,” she said.
But then the pandemic grounded her travel plans indefinitely.
“I felt like life stopped for me for a while,” she said, remembering the months of waiting and uncertainty.
Time dragged on. One month of waiting turned into two and then three. Yet, still, the borders did not open for travel.
Finally, in December 2020, restrictions eased enough to allow Hazal to return to Canada. She was delighted.
She had always wanted to be in Canada to launch the next stage of her life beyond graduation.
Hazal has two big ideas about her future... “to help non-profits raise their visibility in media" and to “highlight stories that are not heard enough.”
From Wales to Trinity Western in Canada
Hazal's university adventure began in Wales, where she was studying law.
“I was always a creative person,” she said, but she chose law because of family expectations. 
As someone who was creatively inclined, she found it challenging to be studying business law and accounting. Eventually, Hazal switched paths and applied to Trinity Western.
When she first arrived at TWU, she didn’t realize that it was a Christian university. Hazal comes from Turkey, and from a Muslim family. Her first week experiencing dorm life at the Langley campus brought surprises that were startling, yet positive.
One memorable surprise happened on Hazal’s first day on campus. Her dorm took a trip to a field in Fort Langley. Candles were lit and blankets laid out, and the girls began sharing their stories. This set-up, which looked oddly cult-like at first, turned out to be a friendly community gathering.
As the girls shared their experiences of coming to faith, Hazal recalls, “That was the first time that I felt a sense of community. That experience definitely continued for me throughout my four years [at TWU].”
Inspired to give back
Supportive community has been a hallmark of Hazal’s experience at TWU, and it is something she still cherishes and seeks to foster in her post-graduation life.
In fact, the TWU environment has inspired Hazal to aspire towards working for non-profit organizations and “to give back to my community.”
Currently, she is working with a company that specializes in residence and accommodation for university students.
She finds that she is learning a lot along the way that can be applied to her future career goals.
Hazal's undergraduate research paper, co-authored with Dr. Bill Strom, was published in the Midwest Journal of Undergraduate Research in 2021.
Passion for screenwriting
Hazal has two big ideas about her future. The first involves venturing into the non-profit sector, where she hopes to apply her Media and Communications knowledge “to help non-profits raise their visibility in media.”
Another dream for Hazal is to enter into the film industry, where she hopes to do screenwriting and “highlight stories that are not heard enough.”
This year, she got accepted into WarnerMedia’s Access to Action program, which supports creatives from underrepresented groups to gain opportunities to work in entertainment and film. Last year, Hazal worked as a Production Assistant on a CBC production, Bones of Crows, a story about a survivor of Canada's residential school system. Through these work experiences, Hazal is learning how she can use her experiences and views to further the industry.
Exploring her creative roots
While studying Media + Communications at TWU, Hazal’s interests were focused on journalism and storytelling.
She had great instructors along the way, including professors Ruth Anaya, Loranne Brown, Kevin Schut, and Bill Strom. “I feel like I’ve picked up something from every one of them that benefitted me as a person,” she said.
One memorable project during Hazal’s senior year inspired her to pursue screenwriting. Through a year-long project, she investigated “eurocentric narrative patterns” as implemented in Marvel stories, with Dr. Kevin Schut as her research advisor. “I explored storytelling patterns, and how we look at a hero’s journey. We had the opportunity to explore racial representation and storytelling patterns in folkloric tales as well.”
She applied the research skills she learned at TWU working as a journalist in Turkey, during the pandemic.
Gaining experience in research and publishing
Another project that was especially meaningful for Hazal was research she conducted alongside Dr. Bill Strom for a communications theory class.
“We had to come up with a theory that could shed light into some aspect of communications studies. I explored long-distance relationships and how they are affected by our choice of media, for example, audio calls, video calls or texting”.
After the project’s completion, Dr. Strom suggested that they submit the research paper for potential publication in a journal.
Their paper, “Do You Hear What I Hear? Long-Distance Relationships and the Power of a Loved One’s Voice,” received acceptance and was published in the Midwest Journal of Undergraduate Research in 2021.
“For me, it’s a big achievement,” Hazal said. She was very thankful for Dr. Strom’s help throughout the process.
“That [project] also sparked my interest for research—seeing how big data can be put into a form that can be understood by the general public, and how we can find these patterns in the data.”
She applied her research skills while working as a journalist in Turkey, during the pandemic.
“I wrote a lot of articles on how the pandemic affected schools. I was asking the same questions of various schools, and then drawing out trends,” she said, in showing how she applied her university education within the work world.
“My classes [at TWU] definitely built me up for a solid career.”
She advises, “...At Trinity, we have such a great community, with alumni and our professors who are willing to help. Definitely, reach out.”
Choosing a path after graduation
Her advice to future graduates?
“Always look for mentorship opportunities,” she said. Hazal has proactively sought out and benefitted from different networking opportunities, including the Ten Thousand Coffees networking program from TWU Alumni.
It can feel overwhelming to decide which direction to go after graduation. Hazal advises new graduates to reach out to professors, “because they are always there to help.”
When Hazal began applying for jobs after graduation, she booked a Zoom call with Dr. Kevin Schut to review her job-hunting materials and strategy. He provided her with some very helpful insights.
“Sometimes we are really hard on ourselves and we don’t see unique aspects of who we are. It’s always nice to get outside opinion,” Hazal reflects. “Especially at Trinity, we have such a great community, with alumni and our professors who are willing to help.”
“Definitely, reach out.”
She encourages students to keep connected to the TWU network, even after graduation. “People are there to help. Just say 'hi,' ask for opinion, and look for mentorship,” she suggests.
She reflects, “Sometimes we have an expectation for ourselves to get to one place, and we think that it has to happen very quickly. I think sometimes it’s nice to slow down and look at the skills that you can gain, even if you’re in a situation that is not ideal.”
Take it slow, and other wisdom
Another piece of wise advice that Hazal offered was to take things slowly.
“Sometimes we have an expectation for ourselves to get to one place, and we think that it has to happen very quickly,” she said.
“I think sometimes it’s nice to slow down and look at the skills that you can gain, even if you’re in a situation that is not ideal.”
For example, at first Hazal was discouraged that her job in the corporate world was different from her core interests, but then she realized the advantages. “I’m learning these cool skills, like search-optimization, analysis, and [digital] skills that are going to benefit me in the future,” she says. She concluded that each stage can have its benefits.
As such, Hazal summarizes her encouragement in three memorable points:
“Appreciate where you are. Move slow and work for the future.”
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca.
The views expressed by students and alumni are their own. They do not necessarily represent the views of Trinity Western University or of any other companies, groups or organizations named.