One year after graduating from college, armed with a BA in History and a microphone, I found myself in New York City covering the most historic event of our time. The Twin Towers had fallen and the world was hungry for information. In the WNYC newsroom, as everywhere, it was all hands on deck. And that is how a relatively untested intern was suddenly able to duck under the police tape to help tell the stories of a recovery effort still in its infancy.
In those first few days after 9/11 I went live to describe a slow parade of trucks bearing mangled steel from Ground Zero. For the next six months the stories continued: firemen who had lost brothers, children who saw devastation out their school windows, business owners forced to close their doors, and the flush-faced patriotism of a city better known for its sarcasm.
Since then I have worked in markets all over the world. I have been blessed with mentors and editors who have trusted in my abilities and pushed my reporting and writing to new levels. And I have done my best to pay it forward, coaching a new generation of journalists and communicators at every opportunity. Each moment has been an education.
But there are several lessons I still carry with me from that first trial by fire: the importance of facing a challenge with self-assurance and humility, the beauty of vox pop, and, most importantly, the critical need for creative stories that lead to enlightenment rather than fear. Even in the scariest of situations.
As you look around, you may notice that I’m not good at sitting still: Minnesota, New York City, Honduras, Washington, DC, New Mexico, Denmark, back to New York, back to Denmark…it can get a bit confusing. If what you’re after is a nice, orderly timeline you can find my CV here, or check out my profile on LinkedIn.
