Alesha is the Director and Co-Producer of Conversations for Change, a documentary on youth social change in Canada.  Conversations for Change is composed of interviews with some of the country’s leading young changemakers and delves into the motivations and challenges behind their incredible actions, with the idea that if we can understand what motivates this generation of Canadian youth to make a difference, we can inspire the next one.  Conversations for Change will be released, online and on DVD, on June 3, 2011.   

Alesha has spent the last two and a half months living in Belgrade, Serbia, as a communications intern with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), filming a series of short documentaries on the UNDP’s work across the country.  In her spare time, she writes a column for HUM News, does some policy work for the Canadian senate, and is the editor-in-chief of the soon to be released eMerge Magazine.  

What does a typical Thursday look like for you, starting from when you wake up – to heading to bed?
I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination, so mornings usually consist of me hitting snooze on my iphone a few times, before dragging myself out of bed in search of coffee.  If I have an interview or meeting to go to, I usually lay out my clothes and pack my camera bag and laptop the night before to offset having to think too much before the caffeine hits my system.   

However, that is where a typical Thursday ends for me.  It really depends where I am in the world, and the myriad of projects I am involved with at the time. Regardless of whether I wake up somewhere in Canada, Serbia (where I have been living in Belgrade for the past couple of months, interning with the United Nations Development Program) or somewhere else in the world, my day usually consists of some combination of planning, researching, meetings, filming, interviews, reviewing footage, editing and updating Conversations for Change’s social media sites.  What a typical Thursday looks like really just depends on what stage of a project we are in.   

The most exciting period during the process is the planning and filming stages.  When I was filming interviews for Conversations for Change, I got to sit down and talk with amazing young Canadian changemakers about their motivations, their desire to instigate change and their dedication to their field; I always learned something new and came out upbeat and uplifted.  The most tedious part is reviewing footage and editing, because it means hours in front of a computer, but nevertheless it’s thrilling to see the final product start to come together.  

Especially when I am working on more than one project at a time – such as right now – days can be extremely long, up to 16 hours.  I will often spend eight hours or more working for the UNDP, and then another six or seven working on Conversations for Change.  But somewhere in there is always time for a hot yoga class or a jog, a game of Scrabble on my iphone, a coffee break or two and, of course, a good eight hours (or more) or sleep.  

What was your first job out of school?
I guess I would consider my first real job working as a Research Assistant for a Political Science professor at the University of British Columbia.  

What are the 3 skills you require most to do your job well? 
Flexibility – Things are not always going to go the way they are planned.  I need to be able to think on my feet and be able to improvise, especially when filming or conducting an interview.  There are a couple of interviews I was able to film for Conversations for Change only because I was able to pick up and go at a moment’s notice.  
Creativity – This is the backbone of everything, from the planning stages to the post-production process.   
Time Management Skills – I have a terrible habit of trying to do too much, but somehow I always manage to get it all done.  

What do you love most about your career? 
Every day is different and I am always learning something new.  I constantly get to meet and talk to new people. I love – and I have always loved – listening to people’s stories.  However, knowing that I am making a difference (however small it may be) by telling these people’s stories is, without a doubt, the best part of my career.   

Do you have any warnings?
If you are starting something new (such as with Conversations for Change) it is not going to be easy.  There will never be enough time, money or resources.  There will be days that you think, why am I doing this?  There will be people who tell you it is impossible.  But, if it something that you truly believe in, never give up, it will be worth it.  

If you could try a different career on for a year, what would it be?
War Correspondent.  I still haven’t given up on this one – I am only 23 after all – maybe one day the Globe and Mail or National Post will let me have a go at this.  I want to tell not only the breaking news, but also the behind the scenes stories.  There are millions of people around the world doing incredible things (including, simply surviving) in some of the most difficult circumstances on earth.  I want to tell their stories; they deserve to be told and I believe they are stories people need to hear.