Work in the newsroom

I’m an engagement reporter covering mental health for The Seattle Times, with experience in breaking news, long-term investigations and everything in between.

Selected work samples are below.

Reporting + writing

My favorite stories combine data with narrative to show how issues and policies affect real people. I currently cover mental health at The Seattle Times, and I’ve reported on topics including labor, education, public safety and business.

I’ve been described as a “utility player” in the newsroom for my versatility and willingness to help wherever I’m needed. I’ve worked on long-term investigations, covered breaking news and written for the Times’ features and sports departments.

I’ve also reported extensively on student journalism — see the work with students page.

Featured stories

**Wage theft victims are owed $5.4 million that WA hasn’t collected**

As the lead reporter on this investigation, I analyzed years of data to find a gap in the state labor agency’s collection of money owed to low-wage workers. I also reported and wrote a resource guide to help hourly workers understand their rights.

**5 ‘little scrappy’ King County cities try a new approach to mental health crises**

I profiled a collaboration between five local cities outside Seattle that have joined forces and budgets to send mental health professionals to 911 calls alongside police officers and firefighters.

**A pie for every baker:** No matter your experience level, there's a pie you can make to share with loved ones

I wrote a personal essay, developed recipes and then baked a bunch of pies! This project was a true collaboration between the features, photo, video and design departments at The Seattle Times. It earned first place in Integrated Storytelling from the Society for Features Journalism.

Engagement + digital journalism

I'm passionate about bridging the gap between newsrooms and the communities they serve by fostering connections online and face-to-face. I don’t define the world of “engagement” as solely social media (although I can do that, too) — I believe newsrooms need to build trust with their readers in order to tell their stories and serve them authentically.

I’ve spent six years at The Seattle Times focused on engagement, working on the mental health team, investigative team and digital team.

Featured projects

**Lost Patients of Northern State Hospital**

As the engagement reporter on this investigative project about a historic psychiatric hospital, I worked with the Washington State Archives to digitize and publish 53 years of previously sealed registers containing information about patients who died at Northern State Hospital. Reporters and I built relationships with community groups, researchers and archivists before the story published.
Seventy people with a connection to the hospital reached out to us about the records through a callout, and dozens shared they had discovered new information about their ancestors in the death registers. This project earned the Online Journalism Awards’ national feature award.

**In survivors’ words: How colleges should better respond to sexual misconduct**

A callout I developed with an investigative reporter about Title IX and campus sexual misconduct led to dozens of responses from current and former students, sharing the ways their universities had fallen short. We turned some of those responses into a multimedia project where students could share the changes they wanted to see in their own handwriting. I also reported a resource guide to help survivors understand their options for seeking help.

Engagement reporting

Work alongside reporters to source stories through thoughtful callouts and creative crowdsourcing methods
Report investigative stories in collaboration with reporters, focusing on reaching communities of interest
Serve as an advocate for readers, creating reported resource guides to accompany investigations
Explain our team's work through a crowdsourced FAQ about investigative reporting and a subscriber newsletter explaining the work that goes into complex investigative projects
- Newsletter examples: a police shooting in Tacoma, nursing home staffing, police decertification

Audience engagement

Built promotion plans for complex investigative projects, thinking creatively about reaching broad audiences and targeted stakeholders
Maintained an active partnership with Trusting News, aiming to bring transparency to our reporting process and earn trust with readers
Shared analytics data with the investigative team, informing coverage decisions and digital presentation of stories
Oversaw longterm social media strategy for the Times' flagship accounts, reaching hundreds of thousands of readers across the Pacific Northwest
Curated the seattletimes.com homepage, balancing news judgment with analytics and data
Worked on a team to manage breaking news coverage, with responsibility for social media and push alerts