Putting people at the core of everything we do is paramount at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. We are committed to ensuring our people—those who make BCIT distinct—are developing while feeling valued, supported, and connected.
BCIT is a people-first organization. We aim to celebrate our employees by sharing their stories through the Our People series. The series features BCIT’s extraordinary employees who share a strong sense of pride and ambition for the Institute and make up our diverse community.
Get to know Jackie Howard, Creative Manager, Marketing and Communications department who has been working at BCIT for over four years. Jackie leads a talented creative team that includes experts in graphic and digital design, copywriting, video and media, and photography. Together, they create and produce advertising and marketing collateral for BCIT’s six schools, along with a wide range of branded materials for the Institute.
On June 4, Jackie will be presenting a thriller and suspense writing workshop as part of BCIT’s Professional Development (PD) Day for employees. PD Day is a celebration of learning and connection, offering a series of engaging sessions throughout the day. Programming will focus on four key areas—education, work, wellbeing, and technology—to foster a dynamic culture of growth, collaboration, and shared learning.
What inspires you most about working at BCIT?
If I’m learning something new, then I’m happy. I love being in an educational environment.
Can you give us a preview of your “Thrillers and Suspense: Writing Workshop” that you’ll be presenting at BCIT PD Day for employees?
It’s a relaxed and participatory workshop for writers or wannabe writers of all abilities. You’ll learn to add suspense to your narrative, in crime stories, thrillers, or mysteries. The session is a mash-up of an open mic, a writing community huddle, and a creative writing workshop. There will be prizes (okay, they’re bribes) for many of those who take part at the mic.
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What do you hope attendees will take away from your session?
You’ll learn to get more confident in your writing, more comfortable reading out loud, as well as gain some skills in your craft. It’s a non-competitive environment where you can develop your voice and your stories, talk to other lovers of writing, and find new inspirations. Everyone has a story in them, and we confront mysteries in the world every day. Fiction (and creative non-fiction) writing can be a therapeutic way to make a story out of the events and emotions that have occurred in our lives.
What’s one fun or unexpected thing about you that your colleagues may not know about?
No prizes for guessing that I write psychological suspense novels (my pen name is Jackie Bateman). They are dark and gritty, with a hint of humour. But one lesser-known thing is that I grew up in Kenya. Through an online group, I discovered that fellow colleague Rosmin Gilani went to the same school as me in Nairobi. Now we’ve had coffee together 8,900 miles away at BCIT – what a mysterious world.
Add Jackie’s novels to your reading list, check out her books.
