"Following the release of an article by Gothamist, in which Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s chief accessibility officer Quemuel Arroyo openly favored ramps over elevators for subway riders with disabilities and a new ramp installation at Avenue H, early this summer, I immediately called and teamed up with transit reporter, Jose Martinez to report on the acute amount of ramps in the subway system, the impact on the disabled and elderly community and the complications that come with building more. Martinez and I went through hours of video, interviews and studies to find out that there are only 26 ramps in 14 stations. Reporting on MTA accessibility will forever be one of the highlights of my beginnings as a journalist because I was able to relate to the struggle of my sources, and I had the honor to talk to Arroyo about the importance of inclusion and making the New York City Transit System accessible to all. This story not only fits with The City's mission of telling the story of New Yorkers for New Yorkers but also my mission as a disabled reporter by being an agent of change in the disabled community, giving a voice to those who are underrepresented in our communities, in society and in the media. During my time as a reporting fellow at The City, I collaborated with other reporters in the newsroom on stories like these that create change while individually breaking down the difficulties of the Colombian community in Queens during the pandemic.

During a staff meeting on my first day of the fellowship, I was able to start right where I left off at Columbia Journalism School. For one particular story about New York becoming the first state to explicitly allow lawsuits against gunmakers, countering a federal law that shields the gun industry from civil lawsuits, I was able to continue to improve my data analysis skills by gathering New York background checks data in the last two years and the NYPD CompStat numbers for the month of May to show the uptick in gun violence in Brooklyn. At Columbia, I learned about various databases where I can dig out data numbers and how I can relay them in a way that both breaks down complex concepts and enhances the story with a new language and context. For this story, it was less about me asking questions and more about reporting through numbers. Each of my stories from there on included a statistical component that helps people understand the quantitative effect of the story. I am grateful my time at Columbia gave me the basic data skills to look at different ways to tell a story.

I knew I always wanted to be a journalist, and I knew I was good at it because of what my professors would tell me in undergraduate and graduate school, but one of the biggest challenges I faced was adjusting to journalism as a career and outside of a school setting. Certain physical challenges have shaped the way I communicate with the world around me. As an individual with a tracheostomy, it causes my voice to be rough, and difficult for people to understand sometimes. Through the years, I have constantly worked on improving my speech, by speaking in public and engaging in conversation with family, classmates, colleagues, and strangers, but never with people I knew would not even try to hear me out. I have always been hesitant to speak to sources on the phone or approach a person in power out of fear that they wouldn’t understand me and move on. Many times for my stories at The City, it was phone call or bust and I had to face my fear quickly. As part of my three part NYCHA playground story with senior reporter Reuven Blau, I was sent out to cover Mayor Bill de Blasio’s ribbon-cutting presser of a new playground at Bronx public housing development, Edenwald Houses and ask de Blasio two questions. I was sweating. The last thing I wanted was for him to ask "what?" and walk away. I stayed at a corner and watched reporters ambush him with their mics and questions. I thought to myself ‘if I really want this as a career, I need to be ready for these moments.’ I went by his car and figured that would be the best spot for a 1-on-1. I introduced myself, asked my questions and he answered the typical de Blasio way. In the end, I realized de Blasio, the mayor of New York, understood me and anybody else who says they can’t, it’s because they don’t want to help or they’re not trying.

My 10 weeks with The City further strengthened my drive and passion for journalism and the significance of being open-minded. Through my time reporting out article topics, quotes, and inspiration, I learned about different cultures and lifestyles of a variety of diverse communities in New York City. My most rewarding takeaway from these stories was the ability to embrace the idea that best stories come from the people. Furthermore, my time at The City taught me that journalism is not about rewording what your sources have told you during an interview, but it is about reflecting, contemplating, and trying to understand the purpose and message of their story. My goal going into this next chapter was to get as close as I could to becoming a well-rounded journalist by getting my feet wet in different types of journalism, and I’ve reached this goal through collaborations with my colleagues. Looking forward, I hope to use the lessons I have learned with the team and as an individual to continue to impact the communities I work within and reach. Additionally, I am eager to further grow as a journalist and learn from my fellow colleagues in my future endeavors."