Reporting and Writing

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/ 

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/ 

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. 

https://lhsstatesman.com/2023/03/librarians-feel-the-pressure-of-an-increase-in-book-challenges-21716/ 

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/ 

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/