My love for journalism started when I was a kid watching “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” with my dad. I wanted to expose the truth and help those in need. In middle school I won some writing contests, largely essays and poems, but I quickly realized I had a knack for writing and I wanted to use it to help people. But I also had a love for fashion, and originally went to college with the intention of being a fashion journalist. It all changed in college when I covered my first election for a newswriting class. I saw the power of journalism and how it could work in the real world. I was hooked.
I began working at a local paper in Utica and covered everything from farming to gas prices, municipal government to education. It was the education beat where I really found my calling, but I realized most of the money and laws were coming out of the state government in Albany and I wanted a crack at reporting on the issue at the source. For nearly a decade, that’s what I’ve been doing, covering the State Capitol. I’ve been part of Newsday’s State Capitol Bureau for the past few years and have enjoyed diving into the issues that directly affect Long Islanders. I’ve done deep dives on the federal tax changes, spoken with residents along the state’s northern border about immigration, investigated a Senate candidate’s potential ties to miscarriage of justice cases and have tirelessly followed changes to school funding.
My favorite part has always been seeking the truth and giving a voice to those who may not always be heard.
Though I’m originally from Plattsburgh near Canada, I lived in Farmingdale covering education for Newsday. I wrote about the rising cost of college, followed Long Island students as they traveled to Washington, D.C. to rally for gun control and pressed school districts for how they’ve boosted security.
My favorite part has always been seeking the truth and giving a voice to those who may not always be heard. Whether it’s getting breaking news out quickly, giving people the information they need to cast their vote, or holding those in power accountable, journalism has the power to change lives for the better. We as reporters may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but we strive for delivering the news that matters. And at Newsday that’s exactly what we do every day.
