STORIES

A sense of hope: All In Grocers opens in Waterloo, Iowa 

The eastside of Waterloo, Iowa went without a grocery store for nearly 50 years. Yet All In Grocers provided the community a feeling they had been longing for: hope. Learn more about Waterloo’s history of discrimination and meet the people impacted by this historic day.

(Not) another modern farmhouse by Pietsch Builders

Preforming well amongst the Midwest Home magazine’s readers, this story highlights one of the homes on the Luxury Home Tour. I learned through this pierce, specifically how to tell the story of home, not merely list the elements within it. Receiving four pages in print, the story spread can be found below. There’s also a link to the online version.

It’s a blast — summer in an ice cream shop

During my summer internship with the City of Northfield, I wrote ten feature stories on new businesses in the community. These stories humanized the City’s communications and engaged the community. This story on the Blast will give you a taste!

Religion — an integral part of UW’s identity

My sophomore year, I created a website called “Religion’s Role at UW-Madison.” While the site tackles religion through a variety of mediums, the heart of the site is this feature story. I learned that religion is not only a piece of students’ identity but also a piece of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Freshman Year 2.0: The Class of 2024 reflects on COVID filled first year, looks to new beginning ahead

Journalists never rest. This summer, I worked on this front-page feature for the Badger Herald’s Summer Take-home Edition. I enjoyed interviewing rising sophomores to debunk their emotions heading into an in person year.

Josephsons are sweet on corn and Cannon Falls

This was my last piece published in the Beacon before I left for UW-Madison. I believe this story captures what I did for the Beacon — provide the community with feel-good profile pieces. The Beacon solidified my dream of becoming a features reporter.

Harvest the sun

Published in Curb magazine, see how a fourth generation farmer embraces change for his family, farm and the future.

The sounds of Sápmi

Selected for the cover of Viking Magazine, this feature focuses on how Mari Boine uses her voice in 15 Indigenous albums. Read in print below.

Finding opportunity, voice and the future: CEOs of Tomorrow invests in students of color

Partnering with the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, this Madison-based nonprofits teaches students of color valuable business, financial and life skills. I had the pleasure of interviewing the founder and three high school students, who shared how their programming has impacted them.

‘What I Eat in a Day’ social media trend presents harmful effects

My first article published in Minnesota Monthly highlights how social media trends can negatively influence consumers, especially teenage girls. Through this project, I was able to use the magazine platform to inform readers, learn from registered dieticians, debunk myths and provide eating disorder resources. The story can be accessed online below.

A bridge between the world and the church

Each of us has a calling. Sometimes our calling feels obvious — other times not so much. Jessica McCarty is called to ministry and wants to help others determine their callings. In this feature for Good Shepherd, I was able to uplift McCarty’s story and explain a new role in the ELCA Lutheran Church.

Faces behind Thanksgiving To-Go

Good Shepherd’s 2022 Generosity Campaign featured profile pieces on members who were impacted by invitation. Doug and Sue Baez are an example of ordinary people making an extraordinary difference in the community. This piece emphasizes how small actions can make a big impact.

Reclaiming Saturday: Students reinvigorate volunteer efforts across campus

This was my first feature published in the Badger Herald. For the first time in my journalism career, I understood what it meant to dive deeper. This project forced me to grow as a journalist in unimaginable ways. I learned how to write longer and harder, to intertwine five unlikely narratives and to ruthlessly edit.