Stories covering individuals with disabilities
Growing up with a nonverbal brother with autism, bipolar disorder, and OCD has influenced my life in many ways, including motivating my passion to use writing to amplify the voices of people who are not always heard.
Daily Northwestern, January 2022
Because my brother is very interested in art, I loved reporting this story and speaking with different people passionate about creating. My favorite part of this story was speaking with different people involved in the club, including a participant. It was inspiring to see and share the cohesive spirit of support and growth within the group.
The Daily Northwestern, January 2022
I appreciated writing this article because I was able to share the voices of people involved in the Special Olympics, including a participant who has competed in the Games 12 times. It was inspiring to hear her story of overcoming boundaries to become an accomplished athlete. I worked to incorporate this story into the context of the returning Winter Games.
In this news feature assignment for my reporting and writing class, I learned the importance of focus in a story. I had many possible angles from speaking with music instructors, club executive board members and professors who had done research on AMASE. I focused on AMASE's adaptations to the pandemic and learning how to cater to their students' learning styles in their return to in-person programming. I attended an AMASE meeting and saw the personal connections instructors had with their students, and I sought to share what the organization learned about how to enhance their program.
Alliance for a Better Utah Blog, July 2020
I wrote this opinion by combining my personal experience with my brother during the pandemic and what I had learned about legislative budgets in my internship with ABU. I advocated for maintained or increased social services funding in response to the pandemic. In reflecting on my personal experience, conducting research and working with ABU staff, I encouraged a "new normal" with more support for those who need it.