Hello, I’m Luigi Guilles, a second-year international student from the Philippines. Before coming to Canada, I lived in Qatar for over a decade where I did my highschool studies – though I was born and raised in the Philippines until the age of 8. I have always loved media and am an active social media user, therefore it was only fitting for me to get a higher level of education on my interest. Though this course is a requirement for my degree, I find that attaining journalism skills is essential in networking and preventing the spread of misinformation.

Studying at Thompson Rivers University has enlightened me on Indigeneity, the Indigenous culture and also about Land Acknowledgement which is new knowledge to me as the academic curricula in both Qatar and Philippines lacked this. As I learned more about Kamloops History and the Secwépmec culture, it intrigued me to write stories on the former Kamloops Indian Residential School and further explore the real tragedies that accured in such a discriminatory institution. Tragic Truths of Kamloops aims to shed light on these strories and as an author I hope to provide our audience authentic and engaging news!