"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship." - Louisa May Alcott
As someone with a big mouth and a love for the written word, there was never really another career that appealed to me as much as journalism.
There's something truly wonderful about digging into a topic and unearthing the soul of what I cover. Some of my favorite stories are those that highlight an issue from my beat and delve into how it touches the community. I've spoken with chefs who put everything they have into a restaurant, hoping the community loves what they have to offer. I've spoken with victims of crime and their families and attempted to paint a picture of how even minor incidents can have a life-changing impact. I spin tales of people's hopes and dreams, looking to make sense of this confusing, crazy world.
I cut my teeth at the University of Cincinnati's independent student newspaper, The News Record. While making my way to becoming editor-in-chief there, I completed internships at the Cincinnati Enquirer, Dayton Daily News and The (Chicago) Sun-Times. During my senior year, I developed an investigative series for the paper, expanding our coverage through the addition of an alt-weekly and growing our staff. I also freelanced for Cox Ohio Media and graduated in June 2012 with a bachelor's degree in journalism, a minor in psychology and a certificate in Deaf studies.
After college, I got my start as a cops and courts reporter at The Register-Mail in Galesburg, Illinois. During my year there, I learned the art of beat reporting and the importance of developing sources. I created an online crime map, boosted social media coverage and delved into data-based crime enterprise stories.
I found that my favorite stories were those that highlighted an issue from my beat and dug to the roots of how it touched the community. From focusing on public defenders handling twice the recommended maximum caseloads to evaluating a five-year drug court program and the success of its participants, I realized that behind every statistic is a person—and I wanted to tell every one of their stories.
That passion led me to The Post-Crescent in Appleton, Wis., where I covered crime, courts and breaking news. The Post-Crescent gave me a chance to expand on crime-related enterprise stories and handed me the multimedia tools to tell those stories in a host of new ways. During a high-stakes and graphic sexual assault trial, I used Twitter to provide real-time updates and answer questions about the case's complexity for readers and greatly expanded the story's reach. I undertook a six-month evaluation of child sexual assault cases and found reduced charges and prosecutorial missteps that allowed offenders the opportunity to strike again.
In February 2015, I relocated to Chicago to work for DNAinfo Chicago, an award-winning, neighborhood-focused news site. Becoming an expert on my neighborhoods of Lakeview, Wrigleyville and Avondale required non-stop, boots-on-the-ground reporting on business, politics, dining, education, crime and any subject readers would want to know about. Along with it came the opportunity to cover the Chicago Cubs on their journey to a World Series championship, and the unforgettable experience of covering history in the making had a great impact—even for someone with little interest in sports. As I got to know my neighborhoods, I fell in love with the bustle of a major city. Eventually, I began covering the West Loop, Pilsen and the Near West Side, where people from all walks of life were eager to have their stories told.
Upon DNAinfo's unexpected shutter in late 2017, I was set somewhat adrift, searching for a new challenge. I found it at Modern Luxury's Chicago-centric CS magazine, where my work as a food writer and senior editor has pushed me to new formats of feature writing and a new beat to explore. Now, as an editor with the Chicago Tribune, I am excited to see what the future holds.
In all that I've done so far, I'm pleased to find it has only begun to whet my appetite. For me, journalism is more than a career or a major; it’s even more than a passion. Being a journalist is my identity, my joie de vivre. It’s who I am, and who I can’t wait to be for years to come.
There's something truly wonderful about digging into a topic and unearthing the soul of what I cover. Some of my favorite stories are those that highlight an issue from my beat and delve into how it touches the community. I've spoken with chefs who put everything they have into a restaurant, hoping the community loves what they have to offer. I've spoken with victims of crime and their families and attempted to paint a picture of how even minor incidents can have a life-changing impact. I spin tales of people's hopes and dreams, looking to make sense of this confusing, crazy world.
I cut my teeth at the University of Cincinnati's independent student newspaper, The News Record. While making my way to becoming editor-in-chief there, I completed internships at the Cincinnati Enquirer, Dayton Daily News and The (Chicago) Sun-Times. During my senior year, I developed an investigative series for the paper, expanding our coverage through the addition of an alt-weekly and growing our staff. I also freelanced for Cox Ohio Media and graduated in June 2012 with a bachelor's degree in journalism, a minor in psychology and a certificate in Deaf studies.
After college, I got my start as a cops and courts reporter at The Register-Mail in Galesburg, Illinois. During my year there, I learned the art of beat reporting and the importance of developing sources. I created an online crime map, boosted social media coverage and delved into data-based crime enterprise stories.
I found that my favorite stories were those that highlighted an issue from my beat and dug to the roots of how it touched the community. From focusing on public defenders handling twice the recommended maximum caseloads to evaluating a five-year drug court program and the success of its participants, I realized that behind every statistic is a person—and I wanted to tell every one of their stories.
That passion led me to The Post-Crescent in Appleton, Wis., where I covered crime, courts and breaking news. The Post-Crescent gave me a chance to expand on crime-related enterprise stories and handed me the multimedia tools to tell those stories in a host of new ways. During a high-stakes and graphic sexual assault trial, I used Twitter to provide real-time updates and answer questions about the case's complexity for readers and greatly expanded the story's reach. I undertook a six-month evaluation of child sexual assault cases and found reduced charges and prosecutorial missteps that allowed offenders the opportunity to strike again.
In February 2015, I relocated to Chicago to work for DNAinfo Chicago, an award-winning, neighborhood-focused news site. Becoming an expert on my neighborhoods of Lakeview, Wrigleyville and Avondale required non-stop, boots-on-the-ground reporting on business, politics, dining, education, crime and any subject readers would want to know about. Along with it came the opportunity to cover the Chicago Cubs on their journey to a World Series championship, and the unforgettable experience of covering history in the making had a great impact—even for someone with little interest in sports. As I got to know my neighborhoods, I fell in love with the bustle of a major city. Eventually, I began covering the West Loop, Pilsen and the Near West Side, where people from all walks of life were eager to have their stories told.
Upon DNAinfo's unexpected shutter in late 2017, I was set somewhat adrift, searching for a new challenge. I found it at Modern Luxury's Chicago-centric CS magazine, where my work as a food writer and senior editor has pushed me to new formats of feature writing and a new beat to explore. Now, as an editor with the Chicago Tribune, I am excited to see what the future holds.
In all that I've done so far, I'm pleased to find it has only begun to whet my appetite. For me, journalism is more than a career or a major; it’s even more than a passion. Being a journalist is my identity, my joie de vivre. It’s who I am, and who I can’t wait to be for years to come.
