Jasmine Heyward is ODL’s Communications and Events Production Coordinator, supporting outreach and operations. They were introduced to ODL’s work while studying Digital and Interactive Storytelling at the University of Westminster in London. During that MA, Jasmine produced rapid-prototyping demos for a game, an AR photography experience, a sound-based creative coding project, and a web doc. Their topical interests include the depiction of trauma and PTSD in media, marginalized community issues, exploring urban space, and youth internet cultures. As a researcher, their work often focuses on how representation of marginalized communities and experiences can foster empathy and increased allyship in majority-culture audiences.
Before returning to graduate study, Jasmine explored these issues in other contexts including journalism published by WIRED, The Christian Science Monitor, and others. They also taught middle and high school students for two years as the Senior Associate at Teens in Print. They hold a BA in Journalism from Northeastern University. Find their work at jasmineheyward.com.