Experience

 

Police reporter, The Ledger and New York Times Regional News Group, Lakeland, Fla., November 2007-Present

Report and write breaking news for the web, as well as news and features for 60,000 circ. daily newspaper.

Write beat blog, polk-911.theledger.com.

Started Ledger911 Twitter account to tweet road alerts, breaking news and crime scene dispatches.

Find sources, connect with community and track trends through Ledger MySpace and Twitter accounts.

Snap photos and video of anything from a house fire to a circus rehearsal to a motorcycle stunt competition.

Pitch, investigate and write enterprise and feature stories, incorporating multimedia elements.

Work with online producers, designers and photographers to envision and execute online multimedia projects.

Train interns, help reporters utilize online social media and networking Web sites.

 

Fellow, The Poynter Institute’s 2007 Summer Fellowship for Young Journalists, St. Petersburg, Fla., Summer 2007

One of 16 young writers nationwide chosen for intensive six-week journalism program.

Wrote weekly features for web-based magazine, PointsSouth.net.

Pounded the pavement to find stories on a hyperlocal beat in southeast St. Petersburg.

Worked with group mates to identify and plan alternative storytelling projects and interactive web content.

Took classes in writing technique as well as audio, video and web technology.

 

Freelance reporter/intern, The Daily Hampshire Gazette, Northampton, Mass., June 2006-November 2006

Wrote feature and hard news stories on anything from city council meetings to protests to front-page profiles

of some of Western Massachusetts’s most interesting citizens.

 

Founder and Chief Editor, Feminist Uproar magazine, Mount Holyoke College, Winter 2004-Fall 2007

Created and spearheaded magazine as an outlet for student and alumnae writing, art and opinions, acting as a writer, editor and page designer, while working to obtain funding and regular advertisers.

 

Contributor, Women’s Public Voices Project, mtholyoke.edu/proj/womenspublicvoices, Spring 2007

Wrote literary journalism features for Web site featuring journalism from five women’s colleges.

 

Reporter, Mount Holyoke College Alumnae Association, Fall 2006-Spring 2007

Covered college events, new classroom technology and student organizing for quarterly alumnae magazine and monthly web-based magazine.

 

Chair, Jeanette Marks House, center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, 2005-2006

Served as community liaison, spearheading initiative to make the community center more accessible

and relevant to LGBT students of color.

Managed Mount Holyoke College student staff of six, work schedules and timesheets.

 

Editorial Intern, Shelterforce magazine of the National Housing Institute, Montclair, New Jersey, Summer 2005

Edited and researched articles on affordable housing, community development, and homelessness.

 

Editorial Intern, Off Our Backs News Journal, Washington, D.C., Summer 2004

Wrote music reviews and news summaries on global women’s issues, and designed layout pages.

 

Education and Awards

 

Gold Medal for Public Service, “Losing the Fight” series, Division C, Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, 2009

First Place, Feature writing, “Losing the Fight” series, Division C, Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, 2009

New York Times Chairman’s Award, “Losing the Fight” series and multimedia project, August 2008

Susan Jones Prize for extraordinary commitment to social justice, Mount Holyoke College, 2007

Sydney J. McLean Short Story Prize, Mount Holyoke College, 2006

 

Bachelor of Arts, Mount Holyoke College, May 2007

American Studies with a concentration in ethnic and gender studies