I wanted to become a reporter to tell people’s stories, and to help others.
I’m currently a reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. I’ve reported on two rounds of historic flooding in the area, during the first round of flooding, I met an elderly man sitting on a bucket in the shade because the electric company would not come out and turn his electricity back on. He had done all that was necessary to get the power back on, but no one had come for two days. I was able to put pressure on the electric company, questioning why his power was not back on, and by the time my story aired that evening, the power was back on. I also questioned local parish commissioners why some flood victims were unable to get any assistance, prompting a change in the requirements.
A Shreveport police officer was killed in the line of duty, sparking a massive manhunt for the suspect. My photographer and I were following investigators all day during the search, and we were the first on the scene when the suspect was found. I take pride in my work and getting to the bottom of what the problem is. Louisiana is in the midst of a budget crisis, and during their first special session, cuts to many different departments were threatened. I took those cuts and found the people that would be affected by these cuts, telling their stories.
It isn’t just the serious stories. I also find joy in finding the “hidden gems” in our communities. Stories that make people happy. For instance in May 2015, I met a young girl, who had Down Syndrome, who tried out for the cheerleading team. She made the team and her reaction went viral. I met her shortly after and told her story to the entire world. I was also able to track down a young boy who was having a “horse wedding” for his beloved pony.
Before Shreveport, I worked in Topeka, Kansas. There, I started as a reporter and worked my way up to the weekend anchor desk. As the weekend anchor, I would produce and anchor the shows. Often, there would be breaking news a photographer would go out and shoot, and I would put together a package for the shows. While in Kansas, I reported the death of the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, and the 50th anniversary of Brown V. Board of Education. First Lady, Michelle Obama came to speak at graduation for Topeka high schools. I spoke with one of the original plaintiff’s in the case, who had not been contacted to attend the speech. After my report aired, I was contacted by the Topeka schools, wanting to invite her to graduation. She was able to not only attend, but she sat on stage and was recognized by the First Lady and Governor Sam Brownback, and got to meet Mrs. Obama.
I started in Sherman, Texas as the morning producer. I worked my way up to become a reporter/producer. I would report during the week, and produce the weekend shows. Many weekends, I would wear two hats and report breaking news to help improve the content of the shows. I continue to use my producer skills I learned there, which makes me a better reporter, I’m able to see how my story fits in with the newscast and connect my story with the rest of the show.