Meet KPU: Claudia Culley

Claudia Culley graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University last spring, completing a bachelor’s in journalism and a diploma in public relations. 

Outside of the classroom, Culley was involved with The Runner where she worked in multiple roles. She started as video producer, moved to associate editor, then managing editor, and ultimately, editor-in-chief.

Since graduating, Culley has built a career in communications and now works as a communications specialist for the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

The following responses have been edited for length and clarity.

When did you join the KPU community and why?

I joined KPU in September 2019 after just graduating high school. I chose the university because it offered B.C.’s only bachelor’s degree in journalism — so attending KPU was a no-brainer for me.

I chose journalism because it was storytelling. Being able to share people’s stories, especially the stories that not many know, and raise awareness of different issues. My passion for storytelling continued to grow during my time at KPU, where I developed the skills needed to report on different communities and issues.

While at KPU, I also ended up pursuing a diploma in public relations, which was a great credential to pair with my journalism degree. I had an amazing time studying both journalism and public relations. The faculty were amazing and supportive, and the courses and skills I learned allowed me to grow as a communicator and storyteller. 

I joined The Runner during my second year in the journalism program after seeing an opening for the video producer position.

Because visual storytelling is a key interest of mine, I applied and was hired for the role. I worked as the video producer for about a year and a half before an opening for associate editor opened. Since I had two years of school left, I took the opportunity.

From there, I became managing editor for about a year, then finally, there was an opening for editor-in-chief — a role I served in from June 2024 to May 2025. I slowly worked my way up in the paper.

What was your favorite moment during your time at The Runner?

Working at The Runner further strengthened my storytelling skills and built my confidence as a reporter.

Through interviewing people, identifying news-worthy ideas, and experimenting with different forms of storytelling, The Runner pushed me outside of my comfort zone and shaped me into a stronger communicator.

When I look back at my time at The Runner, my favorite memories definitely come from production.

Staff would gather to discuss story ideas and newspaper layouts. Those meetings showed the collaborative environment that made The Runner meaningful.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as editor in chief?

One of my biggest challenges as editor-in-chief was balancing my responsibilities as a student, journalist, and a leader.

Taking full-time classes, running the newspaper, making sure that staff were doing their duties, and creating content myself, responding to inquiries, making sure that the KPU community was aware of The Runner’s work, and trying to get them involved was a challenging task.

While managing The Runner, I also worked as a student research assistant for the KPU book project, so there were a lot of moving pieces in my life.

It was also challenging to ensure that The Runner continued covering stories that mattered to students. This included reporting on decisions made by KPU’s board of governors and senate.

What advice would you give to students who want to work at The Runner?

I encourage students who are considering contributing to The Runner to take the opportunity.

The Runner provides a different experience from traditional coursework because contributors have more freedom for their own stories, deadlines, and reporting. They’re not getting graded by an instructor, rather it’s something that students can be responsible for.

By taking on stories they like, it’s a good way to work on their time management, collaboration, and storytelling skills.

While some may underestimate student journalism, I believe the work done by The Runner is meaningful and contributes to a larger tradition. I hope The Runner continues to ensure that it is always a voice for students and the voice of the university community,

What are you working on right now? What have you been up to since graduating? 

After graduating in June 2025, I accepted a role as a communications coordinator at the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. In August, I moved up to a communications specialist.

I do all of our social media content, and assist with media relations as well. The team is so collaborative, and we have a ton of really fun events, so it’s been fun. 

What’s something you’d like people to know about you?

I’d like people to know about the interesting and unique courses I was able to take at KPU.

One of them was the Inside Out Prison Exchange Program. With 12 other KPU students, we  participated as the “outside students” and learned alongside incarcerated “inside” students at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre. 

It was incredible to work and learn alongside them. With the stigma surrounding the “inside students,” this was an eye-opening experience. I highly recommend KPU students to apply when the opportunity arises.

I also completed an arts practicum with CityNews Vancouver, where I spent one day each week shadowing video journalist Kier Junos. The experience gave me firsthand exposure to the newsroom environment and allowed me to apply the reporting and storytelling skills I developed through my journalism courses.