It was a rainy September morning in Washington, D.C. I sat in the back of the room listening as members of the Navajo Nation discussed their march from their Washington Headquarters to the Capitol. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act had expired, and Speaker Mike Johnson was holding the reauthorization act at his desk — something so frustrating for the group that they had ridden cross-country on a bus to tell Johnson themselves. 

Maggie Billiman spoke, her voice shaking and her eyes glistening with tears. She wore a shawl around her shoulder and held a framed photo of her husband. He died from radiation exposure years before. I spent the whole day with a band of people who were frustrated with their lawmakers and government. I slouched down on a sofa in the Senate Press Gallery, determined to tell their story.

That day, I knew I was where I wanted to be. Telling stories of people whose voices aren’t always heard, but also disseminating important information. I knew I wanted to continue to spread facts and information to keep the communities I write for well-informed, but also well-represented. As a journalist, I strive for precision, representation, accuracy and innovation in my work every day.