Myself (left) and former co-editor-in-chief of The Kirkwood Call Amara Harper (right) being honored by the Missouri Senate for speaking in favor of the Cronkite New Voices Act on March 3, 2021.

Myself (left), Tom Mueller (middle) and Amara Harper (right) were co-editor-in-chiefs of The Kirkwood Call May 2020-May 2021. Pictured behind us are just a few of the magazines we produced throughout that year.

I began reporting for the Columbia Missourian in Jan. 2023. I report mainly on city/county government but also produce general, local content.

About Me

Growing up, I always loved writing. My passion began with an obsession of collecting journals. I had shelves upon shelves filled with journals, each organized by what they contained (pink meant diary, blue was poetry, yellow was random ideas I had throughout the day). 

As I grew older, my writing matured with me. I grew less fond of fictional writing and found myself more interested in reading biographies. In seventh grade, my middle school founded a school newspaper. I joined and wrote my first article, which covered whether middle school dating should be allowed or not. From that point on, I fell in love with journalism.

I graduated from writing on middle school relationships to writing on school board policies, sex trafficking, drug abuse and more for my high school paper, The Kirkwood Call. I began as a features reporter my sophomore year, moving to the features and in-depth editor my junior year and editor-in-chief my senior year. 

Attending the University of Missouri School of Journalism, the first and best in the nation, is both an honor and a privilege. I continue to learn by doing, as per the Missouri Method, and appreciate every learning opportunity I am given. 

Currently, I am a city/county government reporter for the Columbia Missourian. I continue my studies at MU, as I am earning both my bachelor's and master's degrees at the same time. I am set to graduate with a bachelor's in journalism with an emphasis in reporting and writing + copy editing and producing, as well as a master's in investigative journalism, in May 2025.

As I earn my master's degree, I hope to incorporate my interest in freedom of the press through my research projects. Specifically, I plan to study the effectiveness of prior review within education-based media. As the nationwide News Voices Act is being adopted within more states each year, I want to investigate the opposition. I hope to discover if instating prior review in education-based media is more beneficial or harmful in the incorporation and practice of journalism.

I hope to pursue my passion for investigative journalism post-graduation. I hold a few issues near my heart, such as sex trafficking and union coverage. I'd love to cover these throughout my career as a reporter.