The Arizona Republic/ azcentral.com
During the final semester of my undergraduate career, I covered breaking news for The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com, part of the USA Today network, where I gained experience working on the fast paced front lines of public safety coverage. I provided real time coverage of impactful local news with a focus on audience-centered engagement and service driven reporting. I utilized a variety of tools, from social media to PACER to public records requests, to source and pitch the stories that shaped the need-to-know news of the day. I also had the opportunity to produce long-form feature stories that highlighted the diverse voices of Arizona and to participate in live events coverage, including that of Super Bowl LVII and Country Thunder Arizona.
Through that experience, I gained valuable reporting skills and sharpened my ability to deliver whistle-clean copy in a deadline driven environment. I learned how to file public records requests, request Form IVs, track court cases and documents through the legal system, cultivate sources within law enforcement and regulatory public agencies and how to report and interview effectively from the field. I honed my SEO headline and copy writing skills and had the opportunity to amplify the voices of the Valley and tell the stories that shaped the community.
These clips are a collection of pieces I wrote during my time at The Arizona Republic.
Breaking coverage of a protest at Phoenix City Hall in response to the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who died on Jan. 10, 2023 from injuries following a severe police beating in Memphis, Tenn. A national story with a Phoenix community angle.
Coverage of Phoenix Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari and two refugee-focused nonprofits efforts to organize the city's second annual Nowruz festival. Focus was on community honoring the global movement for women's rights and standing in solidarity with women and girls in Iran and Afghanistan.
Coverage of a lawsuit brought by the four children of Joann Stephens, an 86-year-old woman who died in Nov. 2022 after battling with dementia, against Eastlake Mortuary in Phoenix after the mortuary wrongfully cremated Stephens' body despite agreeing to embalm her remains for an open-casket funeral and burial, a final wish for the devout Chrisitan woman.
Coverage of a healing vigil hosted by the Phoenix chapter of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, a national network of crime victims and survivors that seeks to advocate for policies that stop cycles of victimization, violence and crime. This story focused on one woman's road to recovery after escaping a domestic violence situation and the drive it gave her to help others navigate the disorienting flood of long trauma counseling waitlists and resources that come with surviving violence.
Coverage of the return of the Two Spirit Powwow to the Phoenix community for the first time since the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Phoenix Indian Center joined forces with PFLAG, a national non-profit dedicated to advocating for an equitable LGBTQ+ nation, to host the Powwow with the intent of honoring Native LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people and Indigenous teachings of acceptance and respect.
Coverage of Students of the SS. Simon & Jude Cathedral School and their families as they gathered in pews beneath the colorful morning light cast by the stained-glass windows in the school cathedral to honor Ash Wednesday, a Christian holiday celebrated by at least 1.1 million Phoenicians, marking the beginning of the 40-day Lenten season.
Coverage of the fallout from a March 2023 decision by the Arizona State Board of Nursing to put Aspen University's nursing program on a 10-day notice of potential shutdown. This story focused on the efforts Aspen nursing students, some within a month of finishing their degrees, made to advocate for the chance to finish their program and sit for the NCLEX exam. I spoke with over 15 Aspen University students who were personally impacted by the shutdown for this feature. This story brought 10 new subscribers to azcentral.com.
When Super Bowl LVII came to the Valley in 2023, I had the change to speak one-on-one with Patti LaBelle, Grammy-winning R&B singer, actress and advocate to talk about her preparations as headliner of the 2023 Super Bowl Soulful Celebration in Mesa, Arizona. The result was a powerhouse performance that left the crowd in awe of the 79-year-old's raw talent and this profile-feature story that captured the whole event.
I was part of The Arizona Republic's live coverage team for Country Thunder Florence in April of 2023. Myself and a team of reporters, photographers and producers ran a live blog with real-time updates from inside the festival grounds. This is a link to the live blog, which includes my contributions.
