A selection of my published journalism, essays, and other writing
Profiles
Fashion for All
Torchbearer Magazine (cover story)
When former Tennessee Lady Vol swimmer Mary Cayten Brakefield suffered a serious illness that forced her to quit competing, she used her skills as a clothing designer to create fashionable, functional clothing for women with disabilities.
The Galactic Gal
Torchbearer Magazine
Before Camille Calibeo arrived at the University of Tennessee, she had never met a female scientist. Now Calibeo, an aerospace engineer who has worked on the Artemis project that will return humanity to the moon, is telling more than 400,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram that STEM fields are for everyone.
The Sweet Life
Torchbearer Magazine (cover story)
The story of Cruze Farm Dairy owners Colleen Cruze and Manjit Bhatti, who’ve turned a small family farm into the most famous ice cream brand in Tennessee.
Megha Vora Fights so Girls and Women in India Can Live Fearlessly
ESPN
According to martial arts instructor Megh Vora, Indian women have suffered for more than 6,000 years of culture that tells them to be quiet. Through her workshops, she’s taught thousands of them to use their voices, their wits, and their bodies to fight back.
Deeply Rooted
Torchbearer Magazine (cover story)
At 18, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon left West Virginia like the thousands of young people who venture out of Appalachia every year for bigger, more prosperous cities on the coasts. It wasn’t long before she was back, making internationally acclaimed documentaries of the resilience of Appalachian people in the face of seemingly insurmountable circumstances.
Alumna Combines Love of Spanish and Medicine to Serve Others
University of Tennessee News
Two decades ago, Kelly Arnold was a new college graduate with an uncertain path. An Italian-American doctor’s daughter with a love of reading and culture, she chose the road less traveled. After earning her medical degree and practicing family medicine, she opened a free clinic to serve Spanish-speaking patients in Chattanooga. In 2020, Arnold was named the Tennessee Family Physician of the Year.
The Quiet Fighter
The Knoxville Mercury
A former college football player turned professional fighter, Ovince Saint Preux is physically imposing. He knocks out grown men for a living. Before a UFC main event in Nashville, the son of Haitian immigrants, who grew up in a tiny farming community in Florida, opens up about his journey.
Jiu-Jitsu Fighter Guards the Future of Jordanian Girls
ESPN
There is this popular saying from Carlson Gracie that says, "There is never really any losing in jiu-jitsu.” You either win, or you learn. Rima Yacoub, one of the only Jordanian women competing around the world, has spent years learning. Now she’s applying those lessons to help girls throughout the Middle East feel empowered and unconquerable.
Portraits of Resilience: Knoxville’s Latino Entrepreneurs
Made for Knoxville
In two decades, the Latino population of Knoxville, Tennessee, has increased by nearly 500 percent. With the arrival of immigrants from throughout Latin America have come new businesses—restaurants, construction firms, beauty salons, and bakeries. This story takes a close look at the stories of three entrepreneurs and how the local organization Centro Hispano is helping to provide Latino businessowners with everything they need to succeed.
Into the Light
Torchbearer Magazine
Before a race at the 2007 NCAA finals, swimmer Maddy Banic of Tennessee suffered a panic attack and was hospitalized. She spiraled into struggles with her mental illness. But, through treatment, she persevered and came out on the other side. In her last ever meet as a college swimmer, she did something else: Banic became a national champion.
Features
Placemaking
Our Tennessee
For three weeks, interior architecture professor Rana Abudayyeh walked with her camera and a notebook through the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps in her native Jordan, witnessing what she had studied for more than a decade in an attempt to change the way camps are envisioned and constructed.
Whiskey and Trees
Our Tennessee
For two decades, Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg and the University of Tennessee’s Tree Improvement Program have established tree orchards to make sure the distillery has access to the white oak and sugar maple trees it needs for its patented whiskey.
Fish On!
Torchbearer Magazine
The University of Tennessee’s bass fishing team is among the best in the country, despite offering no scholarships to its anglers. How a team of students from across the U.S. came together to compete on the national stage while pursuing college degrees they hope will keep them in the fishing industry once they graduate.
Collaboration is Key for Faculty Combatting Substance Misuse
University of Tennessee News
The first of a two-part story on what people at UT are doing to tackle the opioid crisis. Read part two on the role students play in helping to understand and dress the issue.
Essays
Her Cleats in My Car
On the genesis of my love story with the girl from my soccer team.
Can My Daughter Love Everton?
Toffeeweb (republished on Substack)
A women's Merseyside Derby and the hope of a soccer-obsessed father for his family.
Continuing to Dream
Listening to my students talk about their visions for life after college got me thinking about my own dreams, past and present.
The Magic of Watching Caitlin Clark
I know almost nothing about basketball. But when Iowa's electric point guard takes the court, like millions around the country, I make sure to tune in.
Inheriting a Tradition
Latino Outdoors
Embracing my dad’s love of hunting and fishing after years away from home.
Bios
In 2015, I developed a storytelling approach for the Global Sports Mentoring Program, a U.S. Department of State initiative that hosts yearly international exchange programs focused on women's empowerment and disability inclusion. My approach included creating professional statements and bios for each participating member. I wrote each profile from the 2015-2018 editions of Empower Women and Sport for Community.
Here are some of my favorites:
Aline Silva, Olympic wrestler and first Brazilian to medal in a wrestling world championship
Tashi and Nungshi Malik, Indian mountaineers and the first sisters and twins to climb the highest peak on each continent
Paola Wera Kuri, Mexican social entrepreneur and women's sports advocate (my ESPN story on Paola)
Ksenia Ovsyannikova, Russian wheelchair fencing champion
Patrick Selepe, South African tennis official and Paralympic youth development officer
Bayron Lopez, president of the Ecuadorian Paralympic Committee and professional wheelchair racer