Samples of Writing
THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE
photo: Beth Shamaiengar
DIY Workshop in James City County gives crafters a place to learn, relax and even change lives
Artists, even children, are taught how to best use latex paints, to apply sandpaper along the grain of the wood, and to use a speed square to make a 90-degree angle. And while makers work, there’s conversation and reflection, commiseration and laughter.
Doctoral candidate Ashley Bennett has heard her share of those who criticize science, or worse, dismiss it. She’s heard those who are vehemently against vaccinations, who scoff at the notion of climate change, who assert their belief in a flat planet Earth. But when she considers her possible responses, she’s not quick to judge or to leap onto a soapbox and preach pro-science gospel.
Juan arrived so pale he seemed jaundiced, so fatigued he could barely move, and he’d been unable to keep food down. But the kicker was his heart, which appeared huge and swollen on the X-ray. Dr. Cash wasted no words: “We have a problem.”
Don’t Let Your Kids Be Afraid
of the “B” Word
This past June Alexa set her first world record—a time of two minutes and 2.74 seconds—smashing the record held by one of her main international competitors, a British woman eight years her senior. Alexa was then qualified to compete in the U.S. Paralympic Trials in Charlotte late that month. There in the 800, she powered through what felt like “a wall of wind,” fearing she wouldn’t finish, but instead broke her own world record, punching her ticket to Rio.
Addiction: The Battle for Brain Control
Making Waves As A Female Bodyboarder
For Katlyn, part of the appeal of bodyboarding is sensory, the experience of the water around her. When she rides inside the barrel of water, “it’s really cool, like you’re in your own world,” she says. “It gets really quiet and sounds echo-y.”
They’re coming, you know it—those dreaded words… “I’m bored!” But these days, many kids and their parents have a ready solution. It’s a LeapPad, a Nintendo, an Xbox, an iPad or the ever-useful smartphone, loaded with a few apps for those crisis moments. Is there any reason, really, not to let the kids power up?
“What you’re witnessing is likely much more than a series of poor choices or weak moments. The situation may be a true battle with addiction, a chemical phenomenon that addictive substances cause in the brain, and depending on how firmly it takes hold, character strengths like willpower can be rendered all but useless.”
FREELANCE WRITING
Features, human interest pieces, personality profiles
I especially enjoy in-person interviewing, and I’m looking for opportunities to meet new people and learn about what they enjoy and why. I also want opportunities to portray memorable places and capture their scenic and sensory details. The arts and environmental issues are both topics I’d like to cover more often.