Pursuing a passion for storytelling

Amber Boyd decided to continue her education in hopes of pursuing her passion for writing. She began her journey with Continuing Education in 2003 by completing the Human Resource Management Certificate. Amber returned to the University of Calgary and completed the Creative Writing Certificate in 2021.

Amber says years later she continues to use the knowledge gained from her first certificate in her work as a professional recruiter for First Nations communities across Canada. "Nowadays, I even speak at conferences about attracting and hiring Indigenous talent," she says.

In her spare time, Amber writes stories, which led her to complete her most recent certificate. She says she enjoys her profession in human resources, but her secret passion has always been storytelling.

"One day I decided to submit my short story, "Howling at the Moon" to the Writer's Guild of Alberta's Kemosa Scholarship for Indigenous Mothers Who Write Contest and won second place. It was time to take my writing more seriously." Amber used her scholarship money to fund her first few courses in the Creative Writing Certificate.

"As a result of taking the certificate, I learned to polish my writing and built a portfolio of fiction, children's literature, and creative non-fiction," says Amber.

She recently submitted a story she created in the course WRI 430 Writing Creative Non-Fiction to the Audible Indigenous Writers' Circle and won a spot in their program. Her essay also made the shortlist for the 2021 Constance Rooke CNF Prize put on by the literary magazine, The Malahat Review.

There are very few pieces out there, books or novels that focus on youth, Métis, and identity, and I'd love to be that voice out there who gets to add that to fiction pieces.

Amber predominantly writes creative non-fiction and speculative fiction for youth and young adults. She says, "There are very few pieces out there, books or novels that focus on youth, Métis, and identity, and I'd love to be that voice out there who gets to add that to fiction pieces." As a student in the Continuing Education writing program, Amber says she had the opportunity to explore new areas in creative writing including screenwriting, an area she hadn't written before but will continue to explore in the future.

Her passion has sparked her community to encourage her and continually let her know that her voice and her stories are needed in literature. She says balancing her writing, a full-time job and being a mom is a challenge but one that is worth it as her passion for writing burns bright.

"I'm always writing. It's just that I don't sit down full time to write. I write in between all the spaces that I have, so if I have a moment that's between my kids dancing or another activity, I am sitting in the lobby writing or in my truck writing."

Like many of us, Amber realized quickly that she needed a program that would fit her scheduling needs. When completing her first certificate in 2003, she took both online and in-person classes. However, as her work demands grew, her ability to take in-person classes diminished.

I'm always writing. It's just that I don't sit down full time to write. I write in between all the spaces that I have, so if I have a moment that's between my kids dancing or another activity, I am sitting in the lobby writing or in my truck writing.

Completing her second certificate solely online, Amber was able to connect with her classmates and learn more about the writing process with them virtually through class assignments.

"While I learned more about writing, editing, and revising throughout the program, I also made friendships that will last a lifetime," says Amber. She also applauds her instructors for their knowledge and support.

Due to her instructors' encouragement, Amber is now enrolled in a Master of Fine Arts program specializing in creative writing. She says she can't emphasize enough how valuable both certificates have been to her, "If someone is looking to advance their career into human resources or strengthen their writing for publication, they will find the skills they are looking for in these programs."

Amber Boyd, Graduate
Creative Writing Certificate
Human Resource Management Certificate