Undergraduate student Liam McKay-Argyriou Wins Loran Award for Podcast Development and Community Building

Since he was in high school, SFU Communication undergraduate student Liam McKay-Argyriou has focused on building a sense of community wherever he is. These efforts were recently recognized when he received a 2024 Loran Award.

He started high school when classes were fully remote due to COVID-19, before moving to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan as he entered grade 10. At first, entering high school in a new community was a challenging experience for him, but he looked for ways to create a sense of community around him. He became the school council’s co-president, where he oversaw the organization of events and fundraisers. He became a member of the Library and Archives Canada Youth Advisory Council, where he provided insight into how youth interact with Canada’s documentary heritage. Lastly, he secured funding to create a podcast for his high school to connect with his community during a time where interpersonal connection was difficult.

“The idea behind the podcast was to foster a sense of connection in the school by interviewing students and teachers and creating a space where people could come and listen and feel more connected to the high school. We also covered topics such as physical health and mental health which was another positive aspect of the podcast,” says McKay-Argyriou.

This podcast was used as a space to share current events happening in the school, feature students, and allow teachers and staff members to talk about certain issues. For example, the podcast featured the food teacher talking about nutrition, and a drag queen talk about LGBTQ mental health.

McKay-Argyriou decided to create a podcast because he believes that the medium has a lot of potential for different uses. In this case, he felt that it was a very accessible way to foster a sense of community, with affordable production costs and students being able to listen at no charge. McKay-Argyriou also found that the collaborative nature of the medium allowed him and his dedicated team to learn new skills and bond as a group.

The Loran Award that he received recognizes his efforts of building community in unique ways.

“Receiving the Loran Award is not only a validation of my work to date, but also a challenge to think bigger and push myself outside of my comfort zone. I am excited to use the unique opportunities provided by the program to improve myself and my community,” says McKay-Argyriou.

Having received the Award, he had many opportunities that he considered when choosing where he would go to further his studies. At the School of Communication at SFU, McKay-Argyriou has a new space to improve his community while gaining and interdisciplinary skillset.

“I knew I wanted to go into Communication, so I was looking at universities across the country,” he says.

“The SFU program looked to be a very good mix of theoretical critical thinking skills and the hands-on applied skills that would lead to employment, so I felt that I would leave the degree with a really well-rounded interdisciplinary skillset that would allow me to contribute to a variety of different sectors.”

So far, he has enjoyed the environment and new challenge, as well as the excitement that comes with arriving in a new city like Vancouver, where he takes every opportunity that he can to explore.

“The first-year courses all offer something different and have challenged the way that I think about creativity and the media in general, which I think is creating a good foundation for the upper-year courses. The Communication staff, faculty and other students have all been so supportive and great to be around, and events such as the CMNS Coffee Hour help create a sense of community here,” says McKay-Argyriou. 

As he continues his studies, he plans to find his focus in Communication, and to then build experience in that area. He has a particular interest in areas such as public and media relations, but is open to finding other areas that he can contribute in. As has become the norm for him, he is sure to create a sense of community around him as he continues his professional journey.