Maria Fernanda Osorio Arredondo

Maria Fernanda Osorio Arredondo won a contest for having the longest name of her first-grade class (she was awarded a shiny sticker). This fall, she joins The Peak as the new Opinions editor. In her role, Maria seeks to create a safe space for the diverse spectrum of human experiences. At SFU, she intends to complete an English and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies joint major.

Currently, she lives on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Katzie (q̓ic̓əy̓) and Kwantlen (qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓) First Nations. In addition to journalism, Maria loves mangos, antique table lamps, and poetry. Her literary work has been published in The Lyre, Poetry in Voice, and SAPP Zine.

Thanks to her multicultural background, she can fluidly communicate in Spanish, French, and English. She does, however, still struggle to pronounce the word “antithesis.” With the support of a lot of people (and caffeine), she received the 2024 Governor General’s Bronze Medal for academic performance.

Previously, she was an assistant archivist for the Société historique francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (SHFCB). She was also part of the youth ambassadors committee for The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF), where she supported reconciliation between non-Indigenous people and Indigenous communities.