I graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication with a B.S. in Journalism in 2014, and I made the leap to the big city by way of an internship with Portland Monthly. The internship turned into a long-term freelancing gig, and I decided that I liked Portland enough to stay.

While at the UO I wrote for the Oregon Daily Emerald/Emerald Media Group as a senior reporter, the multiple award-winning and nationally renowned student newspaper. This is the same publication that some in the industry, including Poynter and Columbia, think might just be exploring the path of the future of not just collegiate journalism, but professional journalism as well.

I've also written and edited for the University of Oregon's flagship publication Flux Magazine, and served as the Web Editor (think Executive Editor for web content) for Ethos Magazine, the University of Oregon's multicultural magazine. Both have won multiple first place Pacemaker awards, as well as individual Hearst and ACP awards.

Most recently I created and filled the position of Publisher/President for Envision Journalism, the University of Oregon's environmental publication. Together with the Editor-in-Chief, I turned it into one of the fastest growing environmental publications in the University of Oregon, if not the Pacific Northwest.

I've also worked for OR Media, an award-winning media production company based out of the University of Oregon. While there, I helped produce Rogue Territory, a multimedia story about the extreme challenges faced by Josephine County after voters have refused for years to pay taxes that would allow public services like the fire and police departments to function. My team and I took fifth out five teams selected by the Hearst Foundation to receive a Hearst Award for team multimedia - the collegiate equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize.

Finally, I've freelanced for KVAL, Eugene's CBS affiliate. I also designed the websites of both Ethos and Envision.

It may sound like a cliché, but for me, journalism is more than just a profession: it's a calling. There are few things I wax idealistic about, but journalism is one of them. I truly believe that the service we provide is absolutely essential to the health of the heart and soul of any democratic society, and I could not be happier providing that. Not everyone gets to look forward to their work, knowing that they're making a difference. We're some of the lucky few.

Plus, I just love hearing a good story. Who doesn't?