Photo: Contributed
A strong community can promote new ideas and ensure accountability. It can also act as motivation, support and even provide a little friendly competition. The power of community is undeniable, and the Okanagan tech community is no exception.
Our community is strong and growing with record speed, and maintaining connections through a period of growth like this can be a challenge. Nobody panic. We’ve got a plan.
This is “The Faces of #OKGNtech,” a showcase of Okanagan tech entrepreneurs, partners, supporters and cheerleaders designed to fuel more connection, more growth and more excitement. Follow along on the blog and on Instagram at @OKGNtech to learn more about our growing community and what makes them awesome.
Meet Harrison Crerar, the web communications strategist at UBC Okanagan. When he’s not convincing students to attend university in the Okanagan, you’ll find Crerar playing music, writing stories or wrapped in a blanket reading a book.
Why did you choose the Okanagan to call home?
Growing up in Oakville, Ontario, I had no idea where Kelowna was. I knew it was in B.C., and that was good enough for me. When I flew out to attend UBC Okanagan as a student, I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. Kelowna hit the sweet spot of being big enough to have a strong community and small enough that I wasn’t overwhelmed by the activity. That was over 10 years ago now, and it’s been wild to see how the city has changed over time.
Where do you work in the Okanagan?
Nearly eight years after graduating, I’ve returned to UBC Okanagan as the web communications strategist. I am leveraging my creative writing major to edit, create and write new content for their website. Overall, I’ll be highlighting all of the awesome things happening on campus for current, prospective and alumni students to take advantage of and enjoy.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
This role allows me to plug back into the place where I got my post-secondary education and continue developing my capabilities as a writer in new and exciting ways. And, quite honestly, it’s great finding new ways to work as a writer. It’s something that I—and most certainly my parents—worried about when I chose this career path. So I appreciate any opportunity where I can spend my days being paid to write.
How did you get into this kind of work?
Since I was 13 years old, I had my heart set on being a writer. I wanted to write books and thought that was the only option for me, so I came to terms with not expecting to earn much. When a friend of mine told me that he had a job writing for Disney’s Club Penguin, I was interested to see what other opportunities there were to make a living doing what I loved. I followed his lead and spent some time supporting Disney’s editorial team, building learning modules and even did a bit of platform administration.
What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
You can make a living as a writer. Being an author, publisher or editor are not the only career options for writers. Whether you’re writing webpages, articles or interviews, there is a growing need for content authors. It turns out that crafting engaging sentences, applying proper grammar, forming snappy one-liners and structuring narratives is greatly needed in the professional world.
How were you first introduced to the OKGNtech community?
When Disney sunset Club Penguin, I was really missing writing in my day-to-day work so I started freelancing. I came across Accelerate Okanagan and started helping them write and edit stories for the #OKGNtech community. Before I knew it, I was drinking from the tech community firehose. I was brought on as a permanent member of the team and was fully immersed in writing about all of the startups, entrepreneurs and supporters within this incredible community.
What do you enjoy about the OKGNtech community?
Everyone wants to talk to you and learn more about you. No matter what room you’re in, you can add value, and people want to find out how. It may not always be apparent at that moment or in that room, but the connections you make will come back to you. Everyone in the community is eager to find and support talent here in the Okanagan. So when the time comes to leverage your unique skill set, they’ll remember you.
What is a piece of advice you often like to share?
It’s easier to critique than it is to create. When you craft something, you spend so much time with it that you can become attached. So when someone wants to change what you’ve done, it can feel like a personal attack. Creating takes a lot of time and effort, and the attachment you build towards your work will blind you to the changes that can be made, but it’s important to remember that feedback is what will make your creations even better.
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