Trent Durham Gender & Social Justice grad Margaret Williams ’19, gained real-world, hands-on experience at the country’s top media organization as the 2023 CBC Radio Peter Gzowski intern. 

Inspired by her radio-loving family and musical roots as a singer and songwriter, Williams knew this internship was for her when she heard about it from her professors. Following in her mother's footsteps, a former radio broadcaster in the Caribbean for over a decade was also a driving factor in pursuing this transformative experience for Williams.  

The CBC Radio Peter Gzowski Internship is a competitive program that selects one student in their final year from four universities across Canada each year. With help from her professors, the Trent Durham Student Association, and the Careerspace team, Williams crafted a compelling application that caught CBC’s eye. Her coursework at Trent Durham gave her the necessary research and writing skills, which helped her to stand out among applicants. 

From May to August, interns work on a variety of programming after attending a week of “radio boot camp.” For Williams, her internship days started with the search for a compelling story idea. 

“A story could come from the smallest thing, such as a butterfly crossing your path or as big as a major issue, such as Canada’s Disabilities Benefits not being enough to get people out of poverty,” Williams said. “Once you found a story, you had that day to prepare the piece and make sure it was ready to air the next morning. It was fast-paced work, but it really taught me to be focused, engaging, and always committed to serving the public interest.”  

During her time in the program, she also produced original stories for various CBC programs such as The Block, Being Black in Canada, Ontario Morning, Metro Morning, Here and Now, and Fresh Air.  

“It was a wonderful and life-changing experience to learn all about the beautiful art of journalism, and a huge thank you to our phenomenal mentors Havoc Franklin and Iris Yudai for making this experience so special for all of us,” said Williams. “Any student could benefit from this internship, it teaches you the importance of critical thinking, creative storytelling, and going where the story leads you.”    

The CBC Radio Peter Gzowski Internship is open to all graduating students. Applications for the 2024 internship are open until February 14, 2023.