The events of 2020 were a turning point for me. Living and organizing in Minnesota during the Minneapolis lockdowns, I was working directly with communities who were grieving, angry, and demanding change. As a community resources organizer, and later as an early childhood policy consultant, I saw up close how systems fail people in moments of crisis—and how powerful storytelling can be in naming those failures, connecting people to resources, and pushing institutions to respond.

That period clarified my purpose. I realized I didn’t want to choose between being a storyteller and being an advocate—I wanted to be both. My background in Political Science and Multimedia Journalism gave me the tools to understand power and policy while also knowing how to communicate human experiences with care and urgency.

To deepen that work, I pursued a Master’s degree at NYU Steinhardt’s School of Media, Culture, and Communication, where I continue to sharpen my storytelling and qualitative research skills in service of community-centered change.