Why I do it...
Once upon a time, in a college nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a young lady determined to make a difference in the world around her, was given a simple assignment.
She was told to find, research and
write about an issue that was
important to the community.
A cursory search led her to a brief on
Barber Orchard. The former apple
orchard had been sold and developed
into housing communities, but the
438-acre tract was contaminated by
decades of pesticides that had seeped
into the soil and groundwater.
Lead was a problem. Arsenic was a problem. The public’s health was at risk... That’s where my story began.
That’s when I learned that I could investigate like I loved to do, write like I had always done and help people in the
process -- as a journalist. I think I made an “A” on that paper, but the real reward was the path that one simple
assignment set me on.
Fourteen years later, I have been blessed to have written stories that helped people and inspired real change in the
many communities I’ve served. From shining a light into the dark abyss of human trafficking to revealing third-world
It's about shining a light
into a darkened world.
Residents of Alpine Woods talk about the struggles they faced living in harsh conditions. Weeks after this was filmed, the trailer park was sold to new owners who made improvements.
living conditions in the greatest country on
earth, my goal has always been to try to
make the world around me a better place.
I went undercover to expose illegal
gambling halls. I (twice) suited up with fire
departments to show the brotherhood of
firefighters and the dangers they face inside
a burning building.
I tagged along with police in an ice storm
to show the selfless, dedication officers put into a job that never ends. I kayaked for the first time in the wake of
Hurricane Matthew when I paddled into a flooded neighborhood to tell the stories of hearty survivors who were
marooned in their own houses.
I’ve uncovered injustices that were later corrected and I’ve won several awards. But I don’t do it for me, I do it for all
of us.
'Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and
that cannot be limited without being lost.'
Thomas Jefferson
