Welcome!

I am glad you are here. By way of introduction, here are a few things you should know about me.

I love people.

I am constantly grateful for the many wonderful people in my life, and one of my favorite parts of journalism is getting to meet new people who I may never otherwise encounter. I love seeing how each person contributes to our world in his or her own unique way, and I think it is worth celebrating.

I love communities.

When I was about 13, a local ice cream shop was going to close down, and I stood outside the door of the store with my friends for a whole day, gathering signatures to stop the staple of the community from shutting its doors. My high school superlative was “least likely to drop the spirit stick,” because when I find a community I love, I pour my heart and soul into it – which sometimes means wearing school colors & cheering loudly for my alma mater (especially UVA basketball).

I love stories.

When I was a kid, I would sometimes spend hours imagining stories about the lives of people I saw in catalogues and magazines. I would make newspapers with my friends, telling the stories of our family members or just making up new ones we could laugh about. Whenever I am driving through a new small town, I like to stop and pick up their local paper and hear about what’s important to them.

Most of all, I love when all of these things come together.

I love telling stories about everyday people, in everyday places, finding beauty & joy in this world. I consider it a privilege to share how they are making the world a better place. And sometimes I like to share where I find beauty & joy as well.