Sophie Boladeras joined the Gulf News editorial team last month and is preparing to move to the island this weekend.
“I’ve always enjoyed writing, poetry, and reading especially,” Sophie says, “I was a very avid reader as a child.”
So despite a detour into studying psychology and sociology at Canterbury University, she began studying journalism, communications and teaching English at Waikato Institute of Technology in 2008.
While studying, Sophie interned with the community newspaper Cambridge Edition and at Waikato Museum. Since then, she volunteered in the former Soviet republic of Georgia for six months and lived and worked in Korea for five years.
Sophie freelanced as a writer during her years overseas and worked as an editor for the Korean Air in-flight travel magazine MorningCalm.
“While working with MorningCalm, they flew me to Waiheke to write a feature on the island and its wine industry. I completely fell in love with Waiheke,” Sophie says.
“I may have thought about it, but I never imagined I would end up living here.”
At Gulf News, Sophie will write about a range of topics, with a focus on health, the environment, business and emergency services.
“I love asking questions. I’m interested in people, and I’m curious about the world.” • Emma Haas