Alumni Profiles
A journey shaped by connection, storytelling, and lifelong learning
25 Years, 25 Stories | Grace Bruinooge (CMU'24)
Grace Bruinooge (CMU ’24), a Communications and Media graduate, discovered her passion for “creative connecting” at CMU, where supportive community and hands-on experiences shaped her path in storytelling and relationship-centred work.
Grace Bruinooge is all about "creative connecting."
Graduating with a major in Communications and Media in 2024, Bruinooge has worked in an array of specialized arenas—from graphic design, communications assistant, to now working with the National Screen Institute (NSI) as their operations administrator.
"My favourite part is in-person support and working with the participants of the programs," Bruinooge says.
The NSI, Bruinooge says, is essentially a media training organization. "We have programs from emerging storytellers to mid-level producers and everything in between. And so, we facilitate programming for equity-deserving communities all across Canada. So as operations administrator and program support, I work closely with the program managers to develop program materials and provide in-person support."
One of her highlights from working with the NSI was in her previous role as the program coordinator for the CBC New Indigenous Voices, which is a 14-week media training program for 10 emerging Indigenous storytellers.
"That program has such a special place in my heart," she says.
"I especially loved it because I was able to get to know these folks, get to know these storytellers and watch them grow over those 14 weeks."
Bruinooge says building connections was foundational to her experience at CMU. The COVID-19 pandemic dominated a large part of her first few years of university, so when students were able to attend classes on campus again, she says she "had to intentionally seek out community" and jumped at every opportunity available to her.
She joined the commuter council, went to Guatemala with the Estamos program, and felt the CMU community reflected in the small Communications and Media program department.
She describes that time as "supportive and friendly and warm," highlighting the blend of academics and student life being equally formative.
"I think that CMU really set me up for recognizing that just because I got a degree doesn't mean I've stopped learning," she says.
"I'm really grateful that I'm so aware that I will continue to learn in my career and work, but also in personal endeavours in my personal relationships. Learning is never-ending."
That awareness of learning, she says, allows her the freedom to explore creative avenues in her work. To Bruinooge, any position can be interdisciplinary and artistic: "You just have to sometimes think outside the box."
"I think about a job, no matter where it is, as long as I'm assisting in some part of stories that are getting told, that's all that matters to me," Bruinooge says.
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