MY STORIES: 

• No safe space: How one Salt Lake City resident has welcomed LGBT refugees
• Gerald Brown, the dedicated man behind Salt Lake City’s refugee community
• No escape from danger: LGBT refugees fled to Kakuma Camp for their lives, only to be greeted with hostility

MY BLOG:

I was initially completely stumped on where my beat would go. I was thrilled to be focusing on refugees as that closely relates to the profession I want to pursue, but wasn’t sure what stories I could come up with locally.

After reaching out to multiple LBGT activists in Salt Lake City, I was incredibly lucky to meet Connell, who put me in direct contact with an LGBT community living in a refugee camp in Kenya. This experience really showed me how important it is to be persistent and make contacts. I definitely went out of my comfort zone introducing myself to people, but it was good preparation and I have been pleasantly surprised with the community interest in this crisis that is happening across the world.

After getting over my self doubt (I had a really hard time establishing myself as a real journalist) and being very critical of my own writing, I think I am starting to find my voice. This is a topic I am very passionate about, so that definitely made it easier. I do want to improve painting a picture for my readers, but since I was just relaying information I heard, that was difficult for me to do in an honest way. I imagine that when I’m on the ground experiencing what I am covering, that will be more plausible.

There were two aspects to this beat that were discouraging that apply to any and all stories I will cover in the future. I had interviews fall through, pushed back, and I had a lot of my contacts never respond to me. I do enjoy the search and challenge of gathering information, but I know that I will be on a shorter timeline in the future and that’s something I’ll need to practice. The other aspect I found difficult was separating opinions and facts. All of the interviews I conducted were very emotional and I was tempted to pour my heart out onto the story. While I did have a call to action at the end of each story, I tried very hard to make objective pieces. I am looking forward to have the opportunity to work on opinion pieces, though.

ABOUT ME:

Kaya Danae is an aspiring international relations correspondent with a passion for human rights advocacy. Danae studies journalism at the University of Utah. As a contributor to Voices of Utah, Danae chose to focus her beat on the mistreatment of LGBTQI refugees, specifically in Kenya. Her passion for international human rights advocacy began during her gap year through Global Citizen Year, where she lived with a host family in Senegal and learned the importance of immersion for understanding and portraying an issue accurately. As Danae progresses in her career, she hopes to emphasize unheard voices and shed light on injustice.

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MY STORIES: 

• Refugees planting new roots in Utah
• Refugees given tools to adjust to a new culture 
• Volunteer programs aiding not only refugees, but volunteers as well

MY BLOG: 

When I first started this semester, I didn’t know what to expect. I was returning to school after taking a semester off and had the fear that my writing would be sub-par because of my break. When I found out the topic for our beat for the class, that fear spiked through the roof as I knew it was topic I was uncomfortable with.

Throughout my whole life I have avoided politics and anything related to that. I have never understood the topics that get talked about, nor have I ever taken an interest. So, when I heard that our beat was on refugees, I feared that I wouldn’t make it through the class — I didn’t even know what the definition of a refugee was.

As I learned the definition, my fear was softened just a little bit, but was still there because of the lack of confidence. I didn’t know where to begin. It wasn’t a topic that I knew anything about, and frankly it wasn’t a topic that interested me. As I began my research, I wanted to find a topic that I could relate to or had at least some interest in.

For my first story, I wrote on the New Roots program, which was centered around gardening and farming — which is something that I used to have an interest in so I figured it might be something I could relate to. And as I started learning about refugees and hearing their stories, I began to become more interested in their lives and their well-being.

As I grew in that interest, I centered my second story around Adjustment Groups, which are groups that are designed to help refugees from a mental standpoint become adjusted to the U.S. While doing this story, Gerald Brown told my class the significance that the involvement of interaction between Americans and refugees have on their lives. Because of that, it peaked my interest in becoming more involved.

I centered my enterprise and final story around a volunteer program called Know Your Neighbor. While writing this story, I had the most interaction with refugees and most eye-opening experiences. I’ll be honest — growing up I was one of those people who when I saw someone who was different than me, I wondered why they dressed, looked and acted differently than I did. I never once asked myself what their background or story might be. Today, every time I see someone who may, to me, fit the description of a refugee, I ask myself what their story might be and I’m curious to find out. I also learned a valuable lesson while attending a volunteer orientation meeting.

While at this orientation a volunteer told a story about a refugee whom she was working with. In this story, she described a conversation that she had with her refugee friend. Within this conversation, the refugee made the comment: “I have too much here.”

She was referencing her home, which was described by the volunteer as empty. But to the refugee, coming from the circumstances of facing death and persecution in her home country to now being in America, she thought she had everything – and in this case, too much. That was an eye-opening experience to me that made me appreciate the items and freedoms that I have in my life.

As a result of reporting on refugees this semester, I have found a new respect and understanding for the refugee community. I look at them differently. I understand them better. I don’t know everything about them, nor will I ever, but at least now I know something. I am no longer blind to circumstances within my own community. My plan is to continue to stay involved by becoming a volunteer, learning more and to hopefully  gain more eye-opening experiences that can change my life, for the better.

ABOUT ME: 

I am currently a student at the University of Utah pursuing a degree in communication in the journalism track and a minor in business. I am currently in line to graduate at the end of the Spring 2019 semester. Before attending The U, I graduated from Salt Lake Community College, where I hosted different sports radio talk shows, as well as wrote for The Globe.

I have interned at Cumulus Media, The Daily Utah Chronicle and ESPN700. Currently I am the beat writer for Utah Football as well as a producer for Utah Golf Weekly and Sports Saturday at ESPN700. I love sports, especially college football. I love being outside and spending time with my family. My career goal is to be a sports broadcaster/analyst and one day make it on ESPN.

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MY STORIES: 

• University of Utah’s Center for Research on Migration and Refugee Integration builds on success of first year
• Working with refugees in the Salt Lake Valley
• Teaching nutrition to refugees in the Salt Lake Valley

MY BLOG:

I did not have any expectations for this beat. I really didn’t know what to expect from this class, even. As the semester went on, I realized how much work this class really is. I learned quite a bit about how to prioritize my stories as I work on them. I also learned that it is incredibly hard to get people to email you back about interviews. I learned from this beat that there are many issues that refugees face once they get here to America. I didn’t know much about refugees before this class and this helped me learn a lot about a large group of people.

I had one huge epiphany during this class: I don’t want to be a journalist. This class, I imagine, is like a trial run of what it is like being a real journalist. I am not good at juggling deadlines and interviews and all the different things that are due. I learned that this is not for me, and that I need to find something else to do for the rest of my life. So, that’s great to learn before I get a real big-boy job.

I did not find it difficult to remain objective. For all my stories, it was just sharing facts and people’s own opinions on the work that they do. I didn’t think that it was too difficult to keep my beliefs out of my writing. All my stories were about people who work with refugees, so maybe I could have written about someone who doesn’t like refugees to make it a more un-objective set of stories.

ABOUT ME:

Hey. It’s me. Zach. I’m a student at the U, as you could probably guess. I assume you’re here because you want to know all about me. I love dogs. That’s the first thing you should know. Dogs are the greatest creatures in existence, tied with polar bears. I’m really into movies, video games and books. I work at a movie rental store. That’s pretty weird, considering it’s 2017. When I’m not crying from the stress of school, I like hanging out with my friends and playing with my puppies. They’re so cute. I love them. My friends are OK, I guess. My dogs are better than them.

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MY STORIES:

• Beyond mental health: welcoming refugees to Utah
• Refugee programs and Utah: How effective are federal grants?
• How the Refugee Services Office fights discrimination and empowers refugee women

MY BLOG: 

Reporting and writing about refugees throughout this semester has been eye opening in many ways. It has been both challenging and rewarding to be made aware of perspectives different from the mainstream. 

Initially I expected this beat to be easier. I underestimated my resources and how much time it would take to really find sources and build relationships with interviewees. Doing an in-depth piece on an individual or family was effectively impossible because of policies within organizations regarding privacy and possible invasiveness.

I have learned an appreciable amount about my own personal ethics in my journalistic endeavors. I have found I don’t enjoy exploitation pieces and the practice of asking refugees fleeing war and violence to perform their trauma for readers, unless there’s some sort of call to action or way to be a part of the solution.

I did encounter an ethical problem when I had a member of a panel I attended speak to me in private about her experiences within her organization and personal life and I wanted to include it in my story, but ultimately decided to leave it out for respect for her privacy.

I better understand now the importance, and difficulty, of establishing trust when interviewing. I struggled to justify attempting to interview or photograph anyone but a representative of an organization because it felt disingenuous to only reach out to a refugee for their story as a reporter and not have any basis or relationship established.

I had the opportunity to interview many individuals, but the people at the Refugee Services Office were particularly impactful to me. Gerald Brown, Halima Hussein and Alexx Goeller are each particularly inspiring in their own respects. These are people who are passionate about their jobs and work very hard every day to accomplish their goals of empowering others. I was encouraged by them and their devotion as they spoke to me about struggles refugees face and their hopes and dreams for the future.

As a result of my reporting this semester, I did make a vow that when I graduate college I will enroll in a volunteer program and be more involved in the refugee community here in Utah.  This is an amazing class and I would recommend this beat and Voices of Utah to all students who want to pursue the field of investigative reporting.

This beat has been a connecting strand between civic responsibility and reporting for me. Through these interviews and research, I have discovered community programs and included links to resources and information in my stories and hopefully became a catalyst for others in our community to be involved as well.  

ABOUT ME: 

Alaynia Winter ’18 is from Salt Lake City, Utah. Alaynia graduated from University of Utah with a B.A. in Communication. Alaynia currently holds an internship at KUED Channel 7 in the Department of Digital Media. She has written published stories as a staff writer for University of Utah’s Wasatch Magazine, as well as for Voices of Utah and KUED’s web series Modern Gardener.  She has worked as a freelance photographer since 2013 and currently takes photographs for KUED’s The Hinckley Report. After graduating, Alaynia plans to spend the summer in Spain completing a language immersion study abroad program.

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MY STORIES:

• From camps to cities: refugees and their path to self-reliance 
• Educated and underemployed: refugee student seeks second degree
• Women of the World: a safe haven for Salt Lake City’s refugee and immigrant women

MY BLOG: 

I was 14 when I knew I wanted to be a journalist. It’s a moment I remember vividly.

I was watching “Almost Famous,” a film that chronicles a teenage music journalist who gets the Rolling Stones assignment of his dreams: observing and interviewing his favorite rock band, Stillwater, as they tour the nation. 

I was blown away.

It confronted me with my own interest in writing and helped me recall all of the encouragement I had received from teachers over the years. The film wasn’t my first introduction to journalism, by any means, but it was certainly the most impressionable. I think seeing someone my age, accomplish something I had never even imagined, helped me realize the viability of writing as a career. And I haven’t looked back.

I can say that covering the refugee and immigrant beat has also been a seminal experience for me. It’s taught me the value of building trust with a source. It’s taught me the importance of time management. It’s taught me the importance of building rapport with a network. It’s taught me how to navigate potentially sensitive subject matter. And most importantly it’s given me the confidence that I need to hold my own in this industry. These lessons are invaluable for any emerging communicator.

When I started this semester I was an anxious mess. Although I had fundamental skills, I’d never really put them into practice in a professional setting. Now, nearly four months later, I feel that I’ve gained an internship worth of experience. And I’m grateful for being challenged with a beat that forced me to get out of my comfort zone.

I’ve always considered myself a writer. Now I know what I stand for. I know what my goals are. And because of my experience reporting for Voices of Utah, I have the confidence to actually claim the title.

And as a writer I choose to be accurate and accountable. I choose to be objective. I choose to write the stories that are important, not only to me and my ideology, but to the people at large. I strive for excellence. And without Voices of Utah, I’m not sure I would know what excellence is.

ABOUT ME:  

I was born and spent most of my life in Crestview. It’s a small, country town in Florida just shy of the Alabama border. I’m also an only child. So I spent a lot of my free time alone. If I wasn’t outside pretending to be a samurai, I was indoors reading and creating fantasies that I could escape to.

I’ve never read a novel by the late author David Foster Wallace, but I’ve always identified with a quote attributed to him: “The purpose of fiction is to combat loneliness.” I think a good book does just that. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that it isn’t necessarily fiction that’s my passion. I just like stories.  And a story doesn’t have to be fictional to be enthralling. It simply needs to be written well.

I’ve moved on from my hometown, but my affinity hasn’t changed. I’m still a logophile. And I’ve carried that love of words throughout my academic career. I’m now a fourth-year communication student at the University of Utah, majoring in journalism, and I hope to eventually become a staff writer for a publication like The Atlantic.

I believe the world needs more writers who are dedicated to their craft, ethics and the process of distributing information. Although the journalism industry seems bleak and many citizens are distrustful of our work, I trust that can change. I trust the people want to be informed by an objective voice and I believe their desires simply aren’t being represented.

There’s hope in the media. I want to play a role in restoring that hope.

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MY STORIES: 

• Community remains in the heart of Salt Lake City refugees
• Refugees can be overwhelmed when first arriving to Salt Lake City
• Catholic Community Services remains a helping hand for those in need in Salt Lake City

MY BLOG: 

As I began my beat I didn’t know what to expect. I had written fictional stories, news articles and essays in the past, but I had done nothing like beat reporting. So, when I started out I promised myself a couple of things to ensure I reported well. Firstly, I made sure to give a serious effort in every aspect of this class, Voices of Utah. This included researching the topics I was reporting on, developing sources and writing detailed as well as informative stories.

Since our beat was focused on the refugee crisis, specifically in Utah, I gathered as much information as possible, understanding that this would be beneficial to my reporting. I searched through news clippings, online articles and talked to people involved with refugees. No information I collected was more important than the notes I obtained when Aden Batar, the immigration and refugee resettlement director at Catholic Community Services, visited our class. After listening to him talk about his journey to Utah and the struggles he went through, I had a newfound investment in the beat. I felt like there was real reporting to be done on the topic of refugees.

After Batar spoke to us, I decided to continue my reporting by contacting Batar outside of class to find out more information relating to our beat. He helped me understand what people go when they flee from their homes and are forced to search for a new home. Batar shed light on an issue I had very little knowledge of, giving me a new perspective to look through for our beat. This new information I was learning about rarely appeared in the national news because it wouldn’t generate buzz, but this is absolutely something that should be reported on. We could see serious benefits if more people paid attention to the smaller yet important issues.

The issue or topic of refugees is typically used in political discourse, which can create positive and negative feelings on the subject. Some people think that refugees need our help while some think it is not our responsibility. While covering this beat I didn’t look at it through that lens. I looked at it like an assignment. I had no bias or ethical issues going into this beat. All I wanted was to see what was really going on and report my findings. During my reporting I did not find it difficult to remain objective. I understood that in journalism, especially in beat reporting, it is important to present only the facts without any editorializing. This helps the reader understand the real story.

As a result of my reporting this semester, I developed a real understanding of what the profession of journalism looks and feels like. Reporting takes some real effort in order to achieve success. I believe I improved as the year went on. However, I understand that there will always be room to improve my writing and my craft.

ABOUT ME:

I am currently 22 and a fifth-year senior at the University of Utah. I plan on graduating in May 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in strategic communication. When I first started my college career I had no interest in the communication department. I was going to be a business major. That goal quickly changed after I struggled my way though a couple of accounting classes. Those were brutal. I did realize a couple of things after making my way through the majority of the business school requirement. Firstly, I will not make it through life if math is involved in any aspect and second I enjoy writing.

Understanding that I like writing I decided to switch my major to communication. There was a real difference in the effort I gave and the focus I had. I was actually learning about subjects I found interesting as well as writing a lot more. Writing was the only subject I ever liked during elementary school and high school. My grades were usually always good.

This year I took classes that focused on journalism, specifically beat reporting. I realized that I do not enjoy that type of writing. I prefer writing a story or essay where I can put my personality into it. In journalism it is important to present the facts when writing. There is no room for editorializing but that is not what this style of writing calls for. I think I am much more proficient when I decide what and when I am writing.

I will  continue to work hard improving myself and my writing. Hard work will hopefully lead to success in whatever I put my mind to.

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MY STORIES: 

• Ukrainians flee the iron fist
• Flying into mountains: a refugee’s point of view 
• Social media fundraising for refugees: A dream nightmare come true

MY BLOG:

At the beginning of the semester the topic for my enterprise story haunted me as I was unsure of what to write about. I was also unfamiliar with much of the crisis surrounding refugees. The only real exposure I had was a documentary I had volunteered to usher at Sundance Film Festival last year, as well as the van-loads of refugees who would come to the employment agency where I previously worked. Unfortunately, I was prohibited from asking any questions or learn about the hardships of those people because I had to keep our conversations to professional standard and avoid personal questions.

The idea of social media refugee fundraising came to me as I saw ads from refugee charities on my newsfeed on Facebook. They were mostly by United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) with a link that took you directly to a page that let you donate quickly and easily. I thought it was genius.

I started to search for refugee charities utilizing social media for fundraising and found a video of a feature story by KSL. It was about a woman and her family who gave up their own Christmas presents to donate to a Syrian refugee family through a website called Humanwire. I immediately began digging into the site to learn how it worked.

The premise of the website was that a donor could look through profiles of refugee families and essentially take that family under their wing. Depending on the amount donated would determine how much contact you have with them.  Smaller donations merited updates on their situation. Larger donations gave you the option of having live-streamed conversations with them to encourage a better relationship.

I interviewed three donors and got a statement from one of the co-founders within a short amount of time. One of those interviews was same woman who was featured on KSL’s story previously mentioned. Everything seemed wonderful. Only one of the three had mentioned any mishaps with the company, but nothing compelling enough to make me think the company might be fraudulent.

The night before the first draft was due I received a message from one of the women I interviewed. She told me she was tipped off by the other co-founder of the company who had recently quit, that they were being investigated for fraud. I had to completely rethink the angle of the story. It went from something positive and motivational to investigative and cautionary for those thinking of donating.

It was a whirlwind of an experience. However, I learned a great deal in a matter of minutes upon receiving that message. I learned the importance of flexibility after learning how quickly a story can change. I figured I had two options: I could take the easy road and continue with the story I had, or I could do what any good journalist would do — write the story the people need requiring a significant amount of more work. I chose the more difficult course of action.

Something I learned while researching the company is how common it is for fraudulent companies to claim legitimacy and charity as a means steal people’s money. On almost every website whether government or otherwise, experts caution people to make sure to do research on any charity claiming to be the real deal. Advisories such as these come when enough cases have been reported to deem it necessary to caution people.

I feel my work was necessary because people need to be warned of the white-collar crime happening by thieves posing as philanthropists. Unfortunately, in cases dealing with the financial side of white-collar crime, there must be a case built against the suspect before accusations can be made. This includes the investigation of expenditure reports, bank account activity, financial reports, etc. This is an extensive process that can take a lot of time.

In the case of Andrew Baron of Humanwire, more than $100,000 of charitable donations had been taken before they were able to arrest him. The money he took was raised by generous people who sacrificed their time, talents, and even Christmas presents for their families. It’s highly unlikely that money will ever be repaid.

With this semester focusing on refugees, it has opened my eyes to the necessity of our assistance in helping them. My church has made it very clear that we need to be looking for opportunities to serve these people. I believe my stories will be contributing pieces of the puzzle to bring awareness and a call to action to aid them in whatever capacity we can.

ABOUT ME:

I was born and raised near Salt Lake City, Utah. I’m a senior at the University of Utah majoring in journalism. I have worked in various areas in media industry, including radio, photography, TV, film and writing. I recently co-directed a documentary that won awards at four different film festivals. I currently work as a studio technician at KSTU Fox 13.

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MY STORIES: 

• Refugee mother of seven longs to see husband and sons again
• Uniting for a cause: Partnership provides promise of education for refugees in Salt Lake City
• University of Utah launches Doctors Without Borders student chapter

MY BLOG:

When I found out I was going to cover the refugee community in Utah for my beat this semester, I was both excited and equally nervous. I signed up for this class without prior experience in writing news stories and had a limited understanding of how to conduct a proper interview.

I have always been interested in cultures other than my own. Despite our differences, I believe the human experience is a shared one, so I was eager to learn about a group of individuals that I knew very little about. The people I interviewed were all unique and held vastly different roles in the refugee community, some of whom were refugees themselves. Interviewing such a diverse community allowed me to gain an expansive perspective of those affected by war and famine and individuals who are working together to help people in need.

Most of what I struggled with was not knowing how much narrative content to share while still keeping the story “newsworthy”. I learned a great deal that I was unable to communicate with my readers, which felt like sacrificing my personal voice. While I did all that was required of me, I was not able to portray the look on the Somalian woman’s face when she told me she hasn’t seen her husband in 7 years. My writing is the best that it has ever been, though I don’t think I fully shined a light onto the emotions portrayed by those I interviewed.

I realize now that I have a skill in connecting with people from all walks of life. As much as I have enjoyed this class, I don’t believe that my avenue of sharing stories is in news writing. I’m not sure what my future career will be, but I am eager to see where my passions lead me.

ABOUT ME: 

Hello all, my name is Anna Stump. I am a senior at the University of Utah studying communication with an emphasis in journalism, as well as a minor in parks, recreation and tourism. I will be graduating in the Spring of 2018, and have high hopes for my future as a communicator.

My passions lie in the outdoors, where I spend almost all of my free time. I enjoy climbing, skiing, paragliding, rafting, mountain biking, campfires with strangers etc. etc. If it pushes my limits and puts me outside, I’m all over it.

I was born and raised in the suburbs of Alpharetta Georgia, where I spent 18 years of my life. I was later accepted to the University of Utah, and made the spontaneous decision to pack my bags and fly across the country in pursuit of mountainous adventure. I am currently a competitive rock climber and love every moment of being gripped on rock. I am also working as a sales rep for Red Bull, planning events and spreading my wings as a communicator in the adventure industry.

My hopes for the future run far and wide. I don’t exactly know what it is I will be doing once I graduate, which is both liberating and terrifying. I would like to explore my potential as a writer in the context of adventure travel or documentary filming. Above all else, I love new experiences and the abundance of learning through travel.

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MY STORIES:

• Fresh starts and fiscal success: refugee businesses are booming in Salt Lake City
• Refugees in Utah face poor nutrition; doctors and farmers prescribe collaborative response
• Many cultures, one table: Thanksgiving dinner with refugee chefs and families

MY BLOG:

When I first read the description of this course, I was excited to hit the pavement and start talking about things I wanted to cover (craft beer, geek culture, and so on). Upon realizing that it wasn’t a total free-for-all, and that we would be assigned to a specific part of the community, I felt a mixture of disappointment and curiosity. However, I recognized that immigrants and refugees often have amazing stories to tell, and at this moment in our country’s history, it’s critical that we tell them. So I dove in.

It’s been a gut-check. If you’re reading this from the U.S., you are abundantly privileged just by virtue of living here. But it never really crystallizes until you talk to someone who has been through hell before they arrived. My choice of career (marketing and public relations) relies on an immense amount of faith in the economy, society and people. Refugees have had that faith questioned via threats to their lives, not just to their job security.

Civic responsibility is about staying informed and being a part of the community. Both of those concepts have waned, it seems, in society at large over the last few years. Thanks to covering refugees and aspects of the lives they lead here, I’m much more aware of the contributions every person can make to their community, not to mention the potential that many natural-born citizens are squandering on petty things. It has been said that “people make the place.” We need to enable people of all walks of life to thrive in this world, not erect barriers and point fingers.

I grew up in Berkeley, California, so it’s hard to shake my inner hippie. Human society is at its pinnacle (or at least has the potential to reach great heights) when people of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints are allowed to live truthfully and respectfully with one another. The current administration wants to paint all non-Americans as “the other” and deepen the trenches of fear and doubt and misunderstanding. We don’t need a wall. We don’t need a cap on humanitarian aid. We need to address the lack of understanding through telling stories and sharing experiences. And especially through civic action and responsible journalism.

It was easy to feel like an intrusive outsider when asking people to talk to me. Luckily I spoke with people who invited my inquisitiveness. If we were to work this beat, say, in the actual refugee camps, being an outsider would likely be a handicap. Trust is hard to gain, and it’s tough to say whether a stranger is out to help or harm until you talk to them and see their actions and motivations play out. Knowing what questions to ask and how to draw out the best in your interviewees is a complex web of research, interaction and more research. As student journalists, we’re lucky that we haven’t been assigned an “agenda” by anyone, other than the pursuit of higher learning. That wouldn’t be the case if we introduced ourselves as CNN or Fox News reporters.

I thanked every person I spoke with and usually threw in something like “at the risk of editorializing, I think you and your work are amazing, keep it up.” So, yes, it was extremely difficult to remain objective. Journalism can easily stray into hot water by showing bias and taking sides, but it would take a tremendously apathetic person not to be wowed by the feats accomplished by people who really care and who have overcome incredible odds.

I feel a little disappointed that I couldn’t do more. But I attended a volunteer orientation for the “Know Your Neighbor” program through Salt Lake City, and if I’m accepted I hope I can make a larger impact. I definitely want to take part in future charitable events with the International Rescue Committee. I’ve met some incredibly kind people there, and I’d love to have some of that rub off on me. I’ve grown a little cynical in my old age.

As a result of my reporting and covering this beat this semester, I will dedicate more of my time to serving causes I believe in. There’s a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that’s been rattling around inside my head all year: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” After meeting the amazing people involved in the cause of helping refugees and building our communities, I want to do what I can to weigh that curve.

ABOUT ME:

I’m a jack of many trades. My professional resume consists of graphic design, customer service, online marketing, solar power sales and small business consultation. I’ve volunteered as a weekend radio DJ, helped plant trees and cleaned up local parks, and served craft beer at a brewery supply taproom. I’ve welded steel sculptures and whittled wooden wands. I’m a science and nature enthusiast with a budding passion for photography.

When I was 11 years old, I wrote an epic galaxy-spanning sci-fi novella, and my English teacher made me cut it down to a measly 10 pages. Despite that crushing blow to my youthful enthusiasm, I’ve continued to write creatively and pursue artistic endeavors throughout my life. (I’ve got several hundred pages of certifiable proof that I’m a huge fantasy and sci-fi geek if you need it.) I received a certificate in 3D Animation from the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in 2007. I graduated from the University of Utah in December 2017 with a B.S. in Communication.

It’s my life goal to continue helping the environment and sharing knowledge with others. We have a critical responsibility to make the planet better for future generations. My motto is “meet beautiful people, leave beautiful artifacts.”

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