Name: Haley Cameron
Degree & Year: Bachelor of Arts 2013 (Major in English Literature; Minor in Art History)
T-Bird Sport: Golf 2009-13
Current Profession/Employer: Senior Editorial Manager at Quietly Media Inc (content marketing agency)
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-cameron-744b2160/

Why did you choose to study/play at UBC? 
I always thought I would play college golf in the States, but visiting the UBC Vancouver campus one September completely changed my mind. The fall colours along West Mall and nine holes at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club sold me on staying in Canada. I remember learning more about the strong Arts programs available to me, and realizing that I wouldn't have the same combination of academic and athletic opportunities in any other city where I actually wanted to plant roots and build a career (and a life!) long-term. 

Favourite T-Bird memory: 
Winning "Team of the Year" was pretty incredible, but my favourite memory was shattering the UBC women's golf team record at the A.I.I. Championship in my fourth year — and then breaking our own new record again the next day. 

Favourite place on campus: 
Great Dane Coffee or Boulevard Roasting Co. — anywhere with good caffeine and a great study vibe.  

What was your first job after graduation? 
My first role beyond internships was to cover a Sales Coordinator maternity leave for Western Living Magazine. I thought it would be a foot in the door towards the editorial team, but it actually led me closer to marketing.

What advice do you have for current student-athletes?
Enjoy all the small things — team dinners, funny moments at practice — four years go by fast! Meet as many T-Bird alumni as possible through the events available to you while you're at school, and work especially hard to connect with past varsity athletes in your prospective career field who can introduce you to others and advocate for you in the future. 

What's the best advice you can give to a student or recent alumni to help plan a career? 
Do your research before an interview, and find common ground with whoever is on the other end. Interviews are largely a test for the hiring manager to decide if they want to spend 40 hours with you every week. My first job at the magazine came from learning that the hiring manager was a golfer — as soon as I could turn the conversation towards our mutual love of golf, the interview felt more conversational and friendlier for both of us. People especially love to connect over sport, so use it to your advantage. 

Do you have a mentor?  How have they influenced you?
I was lucky to meet one mentor, Gayle Moss, through UBC Golf, and have since acquired more throughout my career. A past boss (now a mentor and friend) taught me to build a "personal board of directors". Similar to how a corporate board is composed of board members with different areas of expertise (financial, marketing, operational, etc.) your personal board of directors should span backgrounds and experience. My board includes people who can give me career, investment, and personal advice, and I set an annual goal to fill one more seat each year.

How and where do you find inspiration? 
Working with a team of really smart people, and continuing to golf with amateurs who are super competitive keeps me inspired and competitive — and reminds me to maintain life balance. 

How have you used your varsity athletic experience in your current career/life? 
Playing a varsity sport gives you a ton of experience and skills that are beneficial to an employer. Student athletes are adept at setting and pursuing goals, juggling competing deadlines and priorities, receiving and applying feedback/coaching, and investing themselves in something they're passionate about. These are all strengths I've leaned on in job interviews, networking conversations, and even performance reviews. 

Any particular insights during this quarantine? 
As varsity athletes we're ambitious and driven people, so it can be hard to accept moving more slowly and going with the flow. Even if you're feeling okay day-to-day, our brains are processing a lot in the background right now — I've been working hard to feel okay about being less productive some days. 

What are your book/movie suggestions? 
I don't watch much TV, but I did fall into a bit of a Netflix rabbit hole with Chernobyl and the Unabomber series during the early weeks of COVID. I've been a huge Margaret Atwood fan ever since I saw her speak at the Chan Centre in my 4th year. If you haven't read Handmaid's Tale or the MaddAdam series yet, you need to!

What are your go-to songs and podcasts? 
I usually listen to The Daily by The New York Times on my commute to work, but starting the day with the news is a bit intense at the moment. 

Can you share any new quarantine hobbies/goals? 
I caved and bought a road bike to replace gym workouts for the time being. 

What question would you ask other T-Birds/mentors? 
What was the hardest/most impactful lesson you learned while playing a varsity sport? 

Four years of varsity athletics taught me a lot of hard lessons: being held accountable to poor performance, communicating well with your teammates and boss, making sacrifices to prioritize what's most important to you, the list goes on and I'm grateful for all of it.  

How can other alumni/student-athletes connect with you?
Any T-Birds who want to connect about the worlds of publishing or marketing, reach out to me on LinkedIn!