The story of the war in Ukraine broke in the middle of production for our fourth issue of The Shield. We felt compelled to include coverage but struggled to localize such major international news. One day as I was scrolling through Instagram, I saw a post from a former classmate, Sasha. She and her family were in Poland helping Ukrainian refugees cross the border. I ended up setting up a time to speak with both Sasha and her mother a few days after they returned to Austin before we went to print. This news-feature allowed us to share important front-line coverage from someone familiar and relatable to our student audience. It also reminded me that thinking like a journalist is a 24/7 job. Everyone has a story, and a journalist must pay attention at all times in order to find them.
Recognitions: First place – news feature, ILPC (2023)
