I graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in May 2026 with an emphasis in both writing and reporting and cross-platform editing and producing. In my time at Mizzou, I worked at the Columbia Missourian in various roles. I was a teaching assistant on the copy desk for 18 months, working on print and digital production and, in my last four months at the J-school, designing print pages as well. At the same time, I reported on the youth/K-12 as a beat reporter, focusing on longform pieces that often took months of work. Before finding my footing in beat reporting, I worked as the sole general assignment reporter for five weeks in between the fall 2024 and spring 2025 semesters. During that time, I turned up to three stories a day, working alongside a different editor each week. 

Beyond reporting and editing, I was a Digital Potter Ambassador during my last year at Mizzou. In January, I spent a week in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, introducing AI tools and templates to staff at The Daily American Republic. There, I built Gems with Gemini, curated to write scripts for the newsroom's Weekly Wrap Up social media series and create talking points for its podcasts, which air twice a month. 

As a Columbia native, I learned how to report on a community with care. I see publishing a story as more than just a byline, but instead as a way to further support and inform the city I live in. This is a mindset I plan on carrying with me as I continue to utilize my skills and develop new ones beyond the mid-Missouri area.