Introduction

Hello! My name is Jayden MacPherson and I'm in my second year of Animal Sciences with the faculty of Agriculture Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta. I hope to one day become a Veterinarian and work with both large and small animals, then one day branch out into exotics. Animals and their health are very important to me, it's what I want my future to revolve around. I'm originally from Calgary (Go Flames!) but I moved to the small town of Legal Alberta when I was a teenager and I have recently been living on my own in Edmonton. I miss living at home and being greeted by my Pocket Beagle Benny when I come home but I am enjoying the independence and experiences at the same time.

My family and friends are immensely important to me and a major component of my life. Their love and influence has shaped me into the woman I am today.

Keeping in touch with my family and friends has been my main reason for using social media but my ALES 204 class has opened the concept of social media and what I can achieve with it. I've never considered the idea of blogging until now. I never thought that there was anything tangible about them because the most I have seen have been unreliable rants. I didn't realize that blogs can actually be used as a way to convey information and reach all kinds of audiences in a casual and general way. Or that blogs can be used for science journalism and are a great way to learn new things. Such as in an article by Ed Yong the Nile Crocodile is actually two separate species or in a blog by Scicurious NASA is making an app that allows you to surf the solar system. Reading science articles, results, and journals has been a component of almost all of my classes, I never considered reading a blog. I'm excited to keep learning of better ways to use social media in my life.