17 Jul G Day Story: Sonia

When I think back to my life as an adolescent I remember being full of wonder and excitement for the future…what would I be like when I was older? Where would I live? What would my career be like? I was so curious and full of questions, two things that certainly haven’t left me. I remember being pretty happy and self-assured. My life was full of slumber parties, writing notes (not text messages) to my friends and listening to a lot of Spice Girls. I am very lucky to have an older sister who really helped guide me through those delicate years of puberty. For me it was always easier to turn to my sister for questions about my changing body and whatever else was on my mind. I also idolized her and would go into her closet and put on her clothes when she wasn’t home….(sorry Simi! hehe).

I packed a lot of confidence for a young girl and I think I have my family to thank for that. As a second-generation Canadian of South Asian decent I have to say that there were times that I felt different. I had friends of all different backgrounds, but I always remember feeling like I wasn’t like everyone else. I knew how to speak Punjabi, when I went to a family function I was wearing Indian clothes and of course my mom cooked a lot of Indian food, so when friends came over for dinner sometimes there were a lot of questions. Sometimes it felt like I was living a double life. Canadian Sonia and Indo-Canadian Sonia. There were also times where I had to deal with blatant racism, with classmates making comments about my skin colour. As much as it hurt at the time, I managed not to let it phase me or hurt my confidence. I knew that what they said wasn’t right, and I made sure they got in trouble for their comments.

I’ve always had unconditional support and truly believed that I could achieve anything. I know that this solid foundation is what allowed me to dream about my career and what I might do with my life. When I was 10-year-old I started watching Oprah and other news magazine shows regular. I remember watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch and then staying up to catch 20/20 with Barbara Walters. My parents always let me stay up to watch it, because I guess they thought it was educational. I soon became a regular newswatcher, and within no time I was researching a career in broadcasting. I was probably about 13-years-old when I realized I wanted to be a journalist. I stayed focused on my goal and never let it go. All in all, life was pretty simple for me as an adolescent. There were some bumps in the road, but I was pretty optimistic and knew that I was capable of achieving anything.

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Sonia Sunger was born and raised in Victoria BC and began her career as a journalist 9 years ago. Sonia is a proud second generation Canadian who first dreaming of being a journalist when she was about 13 years old. You can now catch her hosting Up Front every weekday mornings on Global News BC1 where she covers everything from breaking news to community events like G-Day. When Sonia isn’t working you might find her on the seawall, cooking up something spicy in the kitchen or catching up on some laughs with family and friends. 

She will be the MC for G Day Vancouver coming up on October 23, 2015. 

Twitter @soniasunger