Reporting & Writing
I'm reporting on the floor of the Virginia
Senate, directly above this caption!
I’ve cornered lawmakers in back hallways, pressed school administrators until their polished statements cracked, and sat through 12 hours of interviews with city council candidates just to strip away the buzzwords and get to the truth. When Alexandria’s billion-dollar arena deal crumbled down, I got to the bottom of what was happening. When my school district forced 16 administrators to reapply for their jobs, I didn’t take their PR spin at face value — I uncovered a culture of fear no one else had the guts to expose.
I don’t just cover stories. I drag them into the light.
That hunger for the truth has taken me from editor-in-chief of Theogony to the front pages of the Alexandria Times and Alexandria Gazette Packet. I report on government, education, sports, difference-makers, entertainment, and more because the world doesn’t fit neatly into one box — and neither should a journalist. Whether I’m live-reporting a plane crash, exposing a bureaucratic disaster, or sharing my take on Taylor Swift’s latest album, I approach every story the same way: No fluff. No filler. Just the truth — no matter what it takes.
Journalism is about finding the human stakes, the untold angles, and the stories buried beneath the surface. My approach isn’t one-size-fits-all. Each reporting style demands a different skill set, and I bring a unique strategy to every story I tackle.
News
News happens fast, but speed means nothing if the story lacks depth. My approach is simple: get the facts, verify them, and cut through the noise. I break down policy changes, government decisions, and breaking events so that readers understand not just what happened, but why it matters—without filler, speculation, or unnecessary jargon. Although my stories are often published after those of other news organizations, I always aim to share a unique angle and lead readers to analyze and interact with the world around them.
Featured Story: "ACPS Budget Stirs Controversy Surrounding Teacher Pay"
💰 A budget focused on teacher retention — but without a raise
📊 A gap between the district cost-of-living adjustments and rising living costs
🎤 A 21-source article highlighting financial realities for school staff
Behind the Story: After facing a teacher shortage, my superintendent promised to prioritize teacher retention in her 2024-25 budget. But when I looked closer, something didn’t add up—there was no new cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for teachers. Meanwhile, the national cost of living had increased by 18% in the past three years, compared to my district’s 8.1% COLA over the same period. To break down the situation, I interviewed teachers struggling with rising costs, district officials, students, community members and more. By the end, I had 21 sources and a carefully woven analysis that included all stakeholders’ views.
Why It Matters: Budgets directly impact the lives of educators and students. While my school district touted their commitment to retention, many of my teachers struggled to afford their homes and other costs. After I published my article, community discourse skyrocketed, resulting in the school board adding a COLA to the budget. Of course, there’s no way to know for certain if my article directly caused this, but I can confirm I received dozens of “Thank you” messages from teachers.
Best of SNO award-winning article
Investigative & Analysis
Investigative reporting is my favorite type of journalism, and I find it so fun it because it’s like solving a puzzle. I look for contradictions, gaps, and red flags in what public figures say, and then start asking the hard questions. Some of the best stories don’t start with a major event — they start when something just doesn’t add up. My methodology is to keep digging until the full story is out in the open.
Featured Story: "Emotion, Upheaval and Reckoning: Inside the High School Project"
🏫 A single article turned into a full-fledged investigative series
📑 93 pages of research, 38,708 words of notes, and tens of thousands of views
🔥 Sparked community backlash and policy discussions
Behind the Story: What started as an investigation into my district’s sudden decision to force 16 assistant principals to reapply for their jobs turned into something much bigger. My reporting revealed a culture of silence and compliance, where teachers and administrators felt too afraid to speak out. After my story became the most-read piece in Theogony’s history — receiving tens of thousands of views online and on social media — the Alexandria Times reprinted it in full and asked me to continue the investigation. I did so over the summer, exposing equity concerns about the removal of administrators who speak multiple languages. Soon, the series expanded beyond me, with my fellow Theogony journalists building on my work.
Why It Matters: This wasn’t just about a school restructuring—it was about power, fear, and the consequences of speaking out. My reporting forced the district to address morale issues and ignited city-wide discourse about how school and district leadership treat their staff.
Feature
A great feature is more than a collection of details — it’s a story that makes you feel something. I approach feature writing with narrative in mind, pulling readers into a person’s life or a moment in history with rich interviews, vivid descriptions, and a clear emotional arc. My goal is to have a lasting impact — for the story to stick with the reader long after they fold up the newspaper. This is an area of reporting where I’ve improved a lot. I remember feeling so proud after my first feature article — about a school safety leader who I admired — but looking back on it, I can’t help but shake my head. As I’ve grown, my ability to tell impactful stories has too.
Featured Story: "Chatting With King Street's Latest Admin Addition"
💬 My first venture into first-person narrative reporting
🏫 An intimate, thoughtful piece
🎤 A deep dive into leadership, philosophy, and vision
Behind the Story: This was my first exploration into first-person narrative reporting, blending traditional journalism with a more personal, conversational style. I sat down with Ashley Carter-Sinclair, a newly hired campus principal, to discuss his upbringing, leadership philosophy, and plans for the school. My goal wasn’t just to introduce him — I wanted to understand his motivations and values, and share the impact they would have on the student body.
Why It Matters: Administrators shape everyday student life, yet they often feel distant figures of authority. My first draft of this article was a “typical” feature, but I knew it was missing something. I decided to insert myself into the article, and, in doing so, allowed readers to come out of the article feeling like they were in the room with us.
Opinion
To me, opinion writing shouldn’t be about hot takes or outrage for the sake of clicks. It’s about making a case that can stand on its own, built on hard facts and airtight reasoning. I generally prefer to synthesize all perspectives in a situation and let others come to their own conclusions, but sometimes opinion articles are the only viable option to accurately characterize a situation. My approach is to ensure each of my arguments are researched, structured, and clear, so that even people who disagree can’t ignore the points being made. Good opinion writing challenges people to think, not just to react.
Featured Story: "The Lamentable State of ACHS"
🏛️ An editorial that didn't mince words
🏫 Exposed deep-rooted issues in school culture and administration
🏆 Widely shared among school community
Behind the Story: Every student knows what’s broken in their school, but not everyone has the platform to say it. In this editorial, I laid out the collective sentiment of my editorial board and my school's staff and students after my district launched an experimental learning model and campus system. But it wasn’t just complaining: it was a call to action to those in power.
Why It Matters: This editorial became a rallying cry for students and teachers frustrated with the system. It proved that student journalism isn’t just about reporting the news — it’s about holding institutions accountable.
Best of SNO award-winning article
Sports
Whether covering a high-stakes game or the collapse of a billion-dollar arena deal, I look beyond the final score to uncover the strategy, stakes, and real-world impact. My approach combines high-energy storytelling with deep analysis. Great sports reporting isn’t just for fans — it’s for anyone who wants to understand how the game, the business, and the community intersect.
Featured Story: "Arena Deal In Jeapordy"
🏀 A collapsed billion-dollar sports deal
📢 Quotes from influencial state leaders, including Governor Youngkin
💬 Circulated among top state lawyers and lawmakers
Behind the Story: In what was supposed to be Virginia’s biggest sports investment in decades, Alexandria was set to become the new home of the Washington Wizards and Capitals — until the deal suddenly imploded. I covered the chaotic aftermath, including key quotes from Governor Glenn Youngkin and Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas. A notable quote from Alexandria’s mayor — suggesting a public referendum — was privately circulated among state senators and lawyers, shaping how lawmakers responded situation.
Why It Matters: This wasn’t a normal sports story — it was about power, politics, and backroom deals. My reporting cut through political spin, giving readers direct access to the key decision-makers behind one of the most controversial deals in Virginia that year.
Entertainment
Like in all aspects of life, entertainment is essential for the news industry (as they say, news is just “organized gossip”). While I mostly enjoy covering less “soft” stories, I have fun brainstorming and writing satirical social commentary and covering the world’s biggest pop stars.
Featured Story: "Top 5 Uses of the Rooftop Garden: A Theogony Guide"
🌱 A rooftop garden… without the garden
🎭 Satirical take on school policies and priorities
📢 From inside joke to sharp social commentary
Behind the Story: My school has a rooftop garden, minus the garden part — it’s just dirt and picnic tables. So, I wrote this satirical guide, ranking the most “realistic” ways students might actually use it, poking fun at administrators and issues the school district deals with. If you see a billboard for new bus drivers or a giant treadmill for the ever-energetic Mr. Speich at ACHS, just know it was my doing!
Why It Matters: Humor has the power to highlight real issues, and this piece turned a seemingly ill-used school feature into an inside joke. It’s lighthearted, but it also subtly critiques how schools sometimes introduces inequitable policies that accelerate the school-to-prison pipeline, how administrators at my school refused to revive a beloved program, and how bus drivers across the country don’t receive adequate wages and benefits.
Live Coverage
Live reporting means no time to second-guess, no room for error. It mandates staying focused, ensuring accuracy, and updating fast without sacrificing clarity. Whether covering an unfolding national event or using a statistical model I created to make local election race calls, I filter through the noise, verify facts in real-time, and ensure that readers get up-to-the-minute coverage they can trust.
Featured Story: "LIVE UPDATES: DCA Plane Crash"
🚨 Covered a major aviation disaster before national outlets
📰 Breaking news in real-time
📡 Kept the community informed as the situation unfolded
Behind the Story: I came into this story by chance. While I was gathering information about a fight earlier in the day at my school, an S-O-S report came in over the police scanner — a plane had crashed into the Potomac River, just meters from Alexandria. Immediately, I grabbed my laptop to gather more information, but found nothing online. I quickly texted my adviser and got the go-ahead to start live updates. There was no time to outline — just fact-checking, sourcing, and getting the latest information out as fast as possible. Hundreds of readers viewed the story by 2 a.m. that night (unfortunately I did have classes the next day), and over the course of the week, we reached 63 live updates.
Why It Matters: This was journalism at its most raw and urgent. It tested my ability to keep up with a rapidly evolving story, balance speed with accuracy, and report under pressure. I reported this story before national outlets like The Washington Post, becoming a critical source of information for the Alexandria community.
Election Coverage
Political reporting means polished candidates, rehearsed statements, and endless spin. I press candidates on real positions, strip away vague promises, and translate complex issues into plain language. Some of my most impactful stories have been election coverage: my school board election guide was the only candidate resource available and was republished in a local newspaper; my statistical model for a city council race was used by the Alexandria Gazette Packet and Theogony to make projections; and my live election updates last November drew in hundreds of viewers following both local and national races.
Featured Story: "ELECTION 2024: City Council Candidate Guide"
🗳️ The ultimate election cheat sheet for voters
🎤 12+ hours of candidate interviews
1️⃣ The first election guide with all city council candidates
Behind the Story: Elections can feel overwhelming — especially when there are too many names and not enough clear information. I spent over 12 hours interviewing city council candidates, cutting through the political jargon and vague promises to create a straightforward guide on where each candidate actually stands.
Why It Matters: By presenting unbiased, well-researched profiles, I helped voters make informed decisions in a race that affects every aspect of local life — from housing policy to education reform. The guide was the first from any news organization to include all of the candidates' policies, and it was published in the Alexandria Gazette Packet.
The Reporting Process
Every article I write looks a bit different. Sometimes I start with an outline — typically for longer, more complicated pieces — and other times I dive right in. Either way, I strive to stay organized, and I’ve found that color-coding is a helpful way to do this. For my about the removal of administrators, many of my interviews were over an hour long. So, after downloading the transcript, I highlighted the most noteworthy and emotion-invoking quotes in green (see the image below to the left), before deciding which ones to use and bringing them to a section at the bottom of my document. Then, I color-coded again based on where in my article I wanted each quote.
Color-coding in my article about the administrative restructuring.
Here I mapped out how long each administrator had worked at my school
A main concern for many of the people whom I interviewed was that the school was loosing administrators with institutional knowledge, so I created a chart on paper to help me organize and fact-check (see image above to the right). Sometimes, the old-fashioned pen and paper can be the best!
Other articles require more complex planning and organization. When my school experienced difficulties in transporting students between campuses during the school day, I organized an eight-week analysis of busing times. I spent hours working on it, but my name didn’t even appear on the article’s byline (see image to the right)!
And as the election approached, many in the community expected a close race. Five of the six seats were decided, but for the final seat, an independent candidate was giving a Democrat a run for his money. To project the race on election night, I created a statistical model that provided targets and overshoots for candidates (see image to the right). Both Theogony and the Alexandria Gazette Packet used this model to decide when to call the race.
What I’ve learned most about reporting is to always have a notebook in hand, because you never know when and where the news will occur. Whether it’s during an evacuation (one time I ran back into my classroom to grap a camera — to the dismay of my teacher), in the halls, or at the state capitol, the news will find you.
A screenshot of the bus analysis document.
My election projection model.
My Impact
Great journalism doesn’t just inform—it forces action. My reporting has shaped policy, influenced lawmakers, and provided critical coverage before anyone else. When Alexandria’s billion-dollar arena deal collapsed, my reporting was circulated among top lawmakers and lawyers, shaping how officials responded. My teacher pay investigation fueled public scrutiny, and shortly after, a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) was added to the budget — with community members referencing my article in public school board meetings as they demanded change.
When it comes to elections, a sacred tenet of any democracy, my reporting has given voters the information they weren’t getting anywhere else. My city council candidate guide was the first to lay out every candidate’s policies, and my school board election guide was initially the only article where both candidates publicly shared their positions. On election night, my live coverage was the only source calling local races in real time, using a statistical model I built myself.
Some of my stories spark discussion. Others lead to public outcry. My investigation into administrative shakeups didn’t just reach students and teachers — it led a stranger to write an open letter to the school board about my article, demanding real solutions. Whether it’s officials reacting to my reporting, voters using my guides, or national outlets trailing my coverage, the impact is clear — when my byline is on a story, people don’t just read it. They act on it.
A quote from my article was circulated among top lawyers and lawmakers as the billion-dollar arena deal fell apart.
After my investigative article about the High School Project sent shockwaves through the community, a stranger addressed the school board about it.