Graduates: Steven D'Souza

Published in Richmond Hill Post. (January 2008)

A nose for news
Grad turns CBC video journalist

Report Card
Student: Steven D'Souza
Graduated: St. Elizabeth Catholic High School, 1996
Best Subject: English
Worst Suject: Math
Current Job: CBC Video Journalist

For many aspiring journalists in the country, a position with the CBC represents a pinnacle in their career. However, for Steven D'Souza, a St. Elizabeth Catholic High School grad, the job he aspired to in journalism school was a little bit different.

"Me and my friend Anthony labelled ourselves TSN 2000," D'Souza says. "We were going to be the anchors on TSN. It's funny because a lot of my teachers at the time were from CBC, and CBC was one of the last places I could picture myself working."

Although he hasn't made it to TSN yet, D'Souza has spent the past three years climbing the CBC ladder as an intrepid video journalist. It's a position that allowed him to meet Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and cover the 2006 Stanley Cup finals in Edmonton.

While he achieved a lot of success in a short period of time, D'Souza's career as a journalist started with a high school internship with the Toronto Sun. As the other students at St. Elizabeth did school work, D'Souza spent most of the week getting a first-hand education in journalism.

"I find that journalism is one of those things that you can best learn from doing," he says. "You can only learn so much in a classroom, but really you just have to get out there and do it."

As he attended Ryerson to study journalism, D'Souza showcased his work ethic. At one point, he was working at the Canadian Press, The Hockey News, and on Live Audio Wrestling while maintaining his school schedule.

However after he graduated, D'Souza realized that he had to leave Toronto. With plans to build up reporting experience, the Richmond Hill native ended up in Summerside, P.E.I.

"It was quite the shift to live there because Summerside is a little town with 15,000 people," he says. "Richmond Hill is huge compared to that."

In his near two years in Summerside, D'Souza became a bit of a local celebrity. After his first broadcast, Summerside residents spotted him grocery shopping and welcomed him to the town.

"It became one of those things that, if people didn't recognize me, I kind of thought it was weird," he says.

After some time, D'Souza was ready for another challenge. A five-week assignment filling in at CBC Toronto had led to his current position. The opportunity has allowed the Richmond Hill resident to rediscover his hometown.

"When I was living in P.E.I. and coming back home to visit my family, it just seemed like there was a new subdivision popping up every day," D'Souza says. "I could say before that, that you could drop me off anywhere in Richmond Hill and I'd find my way around, but now I find neighbourhoods that I never knew existed."