Katja is a force to be reckoned with as September’s Blogger of the Month! Part I.B. student, part volunteer (she is on the YVC International Youth Advisory Board), and part photographer, her involvement in extracurricular activities are a true testament to the spectrum of topics Katja has covered on Youth Are Awesome. She was happy to sit down and chat with me about her writing endeavors, school, dreams, values, and plans for the future over frozen yogurt. Although a water fountain and the smashing of piano keys served as our background noise, her bright personality did not waver.
“Hey there! My name is Katja and I’m thrilled to be a member of the YAA team. I’m a synesthete, vegetarian, and IB student with a passion for writing and empowering the youth voice. When I’m not blogging, I can be found volunteering, exploring Calgary, playing bass clarinet, baking, and spending time with my little brother.”
For starters, I referred to Katja’s blogger bio and asked why she identified as a synesthete and vegetarian. Sharing with others that she has synesthesia helps start conversations, while being a vegetarian reflects her values. The unique take on her bio showcases well her personality and how she perceives the world. As our interview got going, I was quick to realize the wonderful insight Katja had on my questions. Read below to see how thoughtful and aware Katja is of herself and her surroundings:
2. Not only are you involved with YAA, but with The Young Wanderer and Parallel Magazine. What is it about these outlets that inspire you to write for them?
»» “Youth Are Awesome is something I like to contribute to as much as possible and is for a wide variety of blog posts. But it definitely is a short format and maybe picture-heavy. With these other websites, the type of thing that you would submit or read is a little bit different in terms of the structure. It’s often longer, more text-based, and cover issues [with The Young Wanderer] that are often current issues related to politics and Alberta. With Parallel Magazine, they’re often contrasting fiction and reality, and looking at parallels between that. These are just more niche areas to write in and often allows me to go further with the topic than I might on YAA.”
3. From Food & Health to News blogs, you’ve covered a wide range of topics on YAA. How do you choose what to write next?
»» “Oh, man. So on my phone, in the Notes app, I have a note that I’m always adding to for ideas for posts. I’ll be out at the most random times and be like, ‘This is a great idea’ or ‘Maybe I could explore this.’ I’ll see something in the media or in my life that I think about how I could share a perspective that would make it different. With the food blogs, I love to bake, so I’m like, ‘Hey, I could share this on Youth Are Awesome; maybe people would enjoy it.’ With current issues, if there is something I feel I’m seeing a lot but I’m not really understanding, what I wanna do is try and gain an understanding and see how I can convey that in a way that’s more concise and straightforward for a youth audience.”
4. With the school year just around the corner, what do you hope to accomplish that will be different from previous years?
»» “I think grade 10 was a lot about finding out who I am as a person and finding out what my role is within the school community. Trying out different clubs, trying out I.B., things like that. With grade 11, I feel I have a better sense of direction and would like to take what I’m involved in and do it to the best of my ability. With Leadership and volunteering, now being in grade 11, I have a bit more of a role as a leader in the school. This year’s my chance to take it to the next level.”
As a grade 11 student, Katja will continue on with the I.B. program and says that she enjoys being with like-minded, passionate people.
5. To continue with the topic of school, does blogging and reading posts published on YAA influence how you take on the I.B. program?
»» “I think reading Youth Are Awesome reminds me of when you come across something in your studies or online that really interests you. You should just go for it, find more about it, and share it with other people. That’s the most impactful part of education and about learning new things. I also would say that some of the advice shared on Youth Are Awesome is pretty helpful because it comes from people that are also in Calgary, go to the same school as me or are the same grade as me. That’s a lot of experience and wisdom you won’t just get from reading classic Buzzfeed, so coming from peers and trustworthy writers is something very valuable.”
Katja mentions that both I.B. and Youth Are Awesome help her with time management. She likes to keep a journal so she has “a grasp of what to do, where your energy should be spent, and remembering why you’re involved in the things you’re involved in.”
6. You are an avid volunteer around the city. Are there organizations/issues/events you volunteer for that have a special place in your heart?
»» “Yes. I would say serving lunch at The Salvation Army or being at the Drop-In Centre are some of my favorite projects to do because you can immediately see how much you’re helping people. I feel I have such a place of privilege that I have time to volunteer for people and that we have an organization set up that makes that so easy for me. To be able to give my time to help people that are less fortunate than me is really impactful. Every day that I’m there and serving food, you pass the food over to them and immediately see that it’s making them happy. I find that really rewarding.”
7. Do you have dreams or aspirations you see being accomplished through YAA?
»» “I think for me, getting a better sense of what it’s like to live in Calgary has already happened so much through YAA. It’s made me more aware of events happening in the city and ways to get involved that enrich your experience as a Calgarian. This has taught me how I can definitely accomplish this in other places I might live in the future. But while I’m still here in Calgary, I would like to continue to do that and share it with others. When you first start to gain independence, it’s still daunting to look at all the stuff that’s happening around the city and think about, ‘What am I interested in doing?’ or ‘Is that something that’s accessible to youth?’ To be able to share with other people these opportunities and have a voice in that way is nice.”
Katja’s many opportunities to travel inspired her journey to dive further into Calgarian culture. “Sure it’s awesome to travel, even just across Canada, but to be reminded of what we already have that’s close to home…it’s really rewarding,” she states.
Our BOTM also gave some thought about her career plans. She tells me about wanting to go into International Development and Sustainability or something that incorporates both social and life sciences.
8. Think about the blogs you’ve written, and tell me about the one that resonates with you most. What was the process like writing that blog?
»» “I wrote a post earlier this year about diversity in Young Adult fiction, and I felt that was an issue that is close to home for me. So many of my friends are people of color, and I’m surrounded by that because I go to a school [Western Canada High School] that’s a vibrant, diverse community. But to see that that’s not reflected in the media is something that is really frustrating. I think as a white person, it would be easy for me to ignore that or to not feel like it affects me directly, but it’s something that I think is important that we talk about, change, and bring attention to so that it won’t just stay this way.”
9. What is a quote you’d like to share with our readers that reflects your values?
»» “This is something really short, sweet, and straightforward. I came across it while reading We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, and just simply, “Be a little kinder than you have to.” I think that’s something that can be implemented in every interaction you have and day-to-day life. It’s a good reminder for sure.”
To wrap things up, I challenged Katja to answer 16 lightning round questions in 30 seconds. She answered all the questions, but 2 minutes and 36 seconds is close enough, right?
- Favorite word? Crease.
- Tea of preference? Coconut Ice by DAVIDsTEA.
- Favorite time of day? Early morning.
- Odd or even numbers? Even.
- Favorite female fictional character? Hermione Granger.
- Someone you’d like to see in concert? Hozier.
- Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram? Twitter.
- Guilty pleasure? Sorbet.
Note: the 30 seconds stopped here, but we kept going!
- Favorite song at the moment? Loud Pipes by Ratatat.
- If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Invisibility.
- Most memorable trip? Denmark.
- Describe your blog posts in 3 words. Diverse, probably-too-long, and photo-rich.
- Favorite smell? After it rains.
- Social issues you advocate for? Women’s rights and LGBTQ rights.
- Recall a life-changing experience. First time travelling without my family to Quebec.
- Advice to youth in 10 words or less. Be open-minded and spread positivity!
A huge thank you to Katja for a lovely interview! Her eloquence and intelligence in answering my questions was unbelievable, and I am delighted to have gotten to know her this way. I look forward to conducting more interviews as a Junior Editor.
» To read posts from our Blogger of the Month, click here.
» Follow Katja on Twitter to stay updated.
*All pictures are mine unless stated otherwise.*
Best wishes,
Kandace 🙂