Reporting and writing stand as the central basis of all of my journalistic pieces. I commit myself to covering topics I am passionate about and expanding readers' perspectives on local, national and global issues.
2022
Best of SNO award
Headlights Theater is a Sioux Falls-based dance group that performs with live music in parking lots across the city, keeping the local modern dance movement alive. In this entertainment article, I interviewed Madison Elliott, the group founder, and explored the artistic innovation of the local dance collective.
https://lhsstatesman.com/2022/10/headlights-theater-bringing-modern-dance-to-sioux-falls-20367/
2024
Best of SNO award
This piece features Terra Shepherd, a Sioux Falls store that specializes in sustainable and ethically sourced clothing and cleaning products. Throughout the story, I explored the impact of fashion waste and eco-friendly living through conversations with the store owner, Sara Jamison, while placing her efforts in a global environmental context.
https://lhsstatesman.com/2024/01/earth-friendly-finds-sustainable-shopping-at-terra-shepherd-23980/
2023
Best of SNO award
In this news story, I explored how book challenges have impacted the lives of Sioux Falls School District librarians. My discussions with both high school and elementary librarians guided me to cover the changes in their professional lives, taking a national issue and putting it into both statewide and schoolwide perspectives.
2023
Best of SNO award
In this opinion article, I tackled the ever-changing issue of artificial intelligence and its gendered impacts on users' perceptions. I offered my concerns about the sexist rhetoric incorporated by AI engines and perpetuated by the lack of diverse voices in the technology industry. Through this, I added a more personal lens of specificity to a constantly debated topic.
https://lhsstatesman.com/2023/03/bias-in-ai-could-accentuate-sexism-21769/
2023
Best of SNO award
For this feature, I covered Emily's Hope, a charity that centers itself around raising awareness of addiction prevention and the dangers of fentanyl overdose. Throughout my conversations with Angela Kennecke, a former journalist who founded the charity in memory of her daughter, my understanding of the opioid crisis expanded. https://lhsstatesman.com/2023/09/emilys-hope-turning-heartbreak-into-action-22674/