Who I am

I am a freelance journalist, whitewater raft guide, former newspaper reporter and lifelong
outdoor adventure seeker. I make it my mission to capture photos of genuine laughter but I’m not afraid to take a photo of someone while they cry. I get an adrenaline fix climbing icy slopes in crampons and kayaking off waterfalls, but knocking on the door of a home where a homicide has just taken place with my notepad and camera in my hand still makes my heart pound the hardest. I’m obsessed with seeing places I’ve never seen before. I cherish reporting because I love an excuse to talk to new people and ask questions that would normally be inappropriate.

Whitewater raft guiding in South Africa.

I don’t have a hometown. On my birth certificate the line for place of birth reads, “South Fork of the Trinity River.” Where I was born and raised the closest town was a two-hour drive away. I graduated from California State University, Chico where I got my start in news and feature writing on the award-winning student newspaper, The Orion. During college I worked alongside reporters in multiple newsrooms from the Chico Enterprise Record, Hispanic Link, Scrips Howard Foundation Wire in Washington, D.C. and The Sacramento Bee. Throughout this time I also I deepened my love of the outdoors and sharing adventures with others as a multi-sport trip leader for Adventure Outings and whitewater raft guide on rivers throughout California.

Standing at the border between Israel and Syria.

Since graduation I have worked as a reporter and traveled throughout the U.S., Israel and Southern Africa. I’ve kayaked whitewater in 16 states, and rafted in 6 countries and I currently live in a tent and work as a raft guide in West Virginia.