Covered annual father daughter dance held at a local rehab shelter. Story ran front page of Detroit Free Press July 23, 2016.
Interviewed rising college sophomores from around Michigan to gather advice they had for incoming college freshmen.
First byline with the Detroit Free Press. I profiled former NFL star Reggie McKenzie and his free annual football camp for kids.
I profiled a transgender male who shared his struggles with identification and coming to terms with who he is. These interviews required sensitivity, and I asked his mom if she would feel comfortable having the story printed. She also agreed to an interview. There was positive feedback after the story was published. The story received a first place in the Human Interest category at the 2016 MIPA awards ceremony. I also created the info graphic.
I originally wrote a rough version of this opinion back in August 2014 for Bobby Hawthorne's class at the MIPA summer workshop. I wanted to share support for non-athletic students who are equally involved outside of school. It was a new writing style for me and it was the first time I wasn't telling someone else's story, I was telling mine.
After three months of multiple drafts and interviews, this story was finally ready to print. I aimed to capture almost every aspect of Calvin's cancer recovery process. This was a sensitive topic to cover, but I am proud of this piece. My hard work paid off when the article won first place at the 2015 MIPA award ceremony for Human Interest feature.
Hanna's situation had a huge impact on the community. These interviews required extreme sensitivity since they took place so soon after she recovered. I received a lot of positive remarks after it was published. This piece took an honorable mention award in the Human Interest category at the MIPA 2015 awards ceremony.
This was my first official news story. I decided to cover the myths and facts behind flu shots and the contagious H1N1 virus. I wanted to educate the student body about how to protect themselves against this illness. I interviewed doctors and specialists as well as students.