"The 19th is a special place. When I got in, one of my Journalism School professors reached out to tell me that she wished that a newsroom like this existed when she was starting out. I completely understand why. Conscientiousness and accurate representation are central to every story this newsroom produces. I had important conversations that have set a foundation for my career, and my editors offered advice and guidance I will carry with me for years to come.

I worked as a reporting fellow. I pitched, reported, researched, and wrote news stories for The 19th News, a newsroom dedicated to gender equity, politics, and policy. I also received assignments, which I reported and wrote, typically with quicker turnarounds. In my time at The 19th, I wrote stories centered on gender and policy, such as how an amendment to the 2021 infrastructure bill could have improved chances of women getting construction jobs and the financial stability these jobs can provide; sexual harassment at a Naval shipyard and how a 2016 class action settlement did not improve conditions; economic abuse and the most updated version of the Violence Against Women Act, which has not been approved yet; period poverty in prisons; incarcerated parents and family separation; and prison nurseries and a law that grants conditional release to new parents who gave birth in prison. I wrote 17 stories in 10 weeks with remarkable editors among brilliant staff

Most importantly, I had the opportunity to write about people who are amid, or have overcome, tremendous challenges, and who often don’t have systemic support. My sources courageously shared their hardships with me, and I learned how to carefully report their stories. The 19th News had so many conversations about how to represent people well, regularly referencing a comprehensive style guide. This care and conscientiousness and thoughtful handling of narratives and stories is what I hope for the world of news

The reporting, writing, and investigative skills I learned while at Columbia's Journalism School were instrumental. In school, I learned about going through legal documents, finding sources, fact checking every step of the way, compassionately interviewing, news instinct, and writing clearly. However, I learned more than I could have imagined at The 19th from editors, reporters, designers, and everyone on the team. I am worlds away from where I started

I worked on an explainer on domestic violence survivors and asylum law, formatted as a question and answer guide. It was relatively dense and long, and I was worried about readability. My editor helped me revise it, giving me perspective on what details weren't necessary and maintained that accuracy is always key — a crucial journalistic principle. I will continue to work on complex subject matters — something I love — and having this opportunity to work alongside someone who explained solutions to me enhanced my reporting toolkit. I was also assigned a variety of stories, such as breaking news, features, and an explainer. This was a valuable experience, and I was able to break away from my experience with feature writing and learn and improve in other forms of news writing. I'll continue to grow

I went into the newsroom wanting to be a reporter but was willing to do anything. And then the interim editorial director encouraged me to ask for exactly what I wanted to pursue, and I asked to be a reporter — to pitch, research, report, and be assigned to and write stories. This was the most perspective-altering takeaway — to articulate my goals assertively

Once I was reporting, I was able to discuss the nuanced issues of every story and how to phrase things because the news editor was extremely conscientious and engaged her reporters in conversation

My goal was to pitch, report, research, and write news stories, and I was able to write 17 in 10 weeks. I learned how to do both quick turnaround stories and more involved ones. Most importantly, I was able to learn from editors, reporters, and everyone on staff. I kept telling my editor that my brain has been rewired in the best way. I was prepared to report because of my Journalism School experience, but my method of reporting has improved significantly, and I am so thankful."