MY STORIES:

• Legal help for low-income Utahns is in danger of losing funding
• Legal help brings new hope
• Low-income legal help turns lives around
• Domestic violence is devasting to children

MY BLOG:

When I first learned about our beat of covering legal assistance for low-income Utahns, I was excited and nervous. I was excited that we were covering something so important and life changing for a lot of people. I wanted to take these people, that had been through so much life trauma, and help them by telling their stories in a way that could help them get their message out and help others. But I was also nervous about telling stories that were so personal. I didn’t want to make anyone that had been through so much already, relive some of the worst parts of their lives for me. And I didn’t want anyone to feel like I was prying into intimate details that were none of my business. I was never more nervous for an interview.

However the interviews were all pleasantly surprising. My main source was obliging and willing to talk to me about all of her life experiences. She was open and willing to share, and always answered any questions that I had. Through this experience, I felt a deep connection to my source and could not help but get caught up in her story.

This beat has made me more aware and compassionate to the legal needs of low-income Utahns. It is a larger problem than I had ever realized. I hope that through my reporting I could share some of my newfound awareness with other people.

MY BIO:

I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is my junior year at the University of Utah, majoring in Mass Communication. I am aspiring to be a news writer.  I am specifically interested in politics and national and world news. I have worked at Clear Channel Radio, and done writing for various Web sites.

On a more personal note, I like to read, hike, jog and travel. I especially enjoy Utah for its variety of close and beautiful hiking trails. Last year, I ran in the Utah’s Wasatch 100 race for 15 miles. I also enjoy river running and kayaking throughout Utah and Idaho. I enjoy reading, too. I love reading the literary classics, and of course reading the news. My favorite news mediums include the New York Times, Newsweek and NPR.  I also just got back from traveling in Europe and would love to do more traveling to experience other cultures.

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