Even though I grew up across the river in New Jersey, I didn’t know a ton about Delaware. I knew Joe Biden was from here and Joe Flacco played here.

I left New Jersey to go to college at Arizona State at the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. My career in Arizona was long and is filled with highlights, I reported on U.S. Senate debates, college football games and pro-Palestine encampments while serving as the ASU student news publication’s editor-in-chief until I graduated in May.

In Arizona, I usually covered state and local policy and government. It was a circus, and elections from the local to federal level were razor-thin. It was fun.

I also covered some sports in my time at Arizona. I was lucky enough to cover ASU’s last football game in the Rose Bowl as a member of the Pac-12, and directed and contributed to coverage of Pac-12’s conference realignment.

I joined The News Journal staff in August, unsure of what happens in Delaware and what people cared about. So far, I have been blessed to be given opportunities to dive into the local and fast-paced coverage that defined my time in the desert. Delaware is way different than anywhere else in the country and has a unique set of advantages and problems.

I’m happy to be here in Delaware and hope to dive deeper into topics that Delawareans care about. I cover local government in New Castle County and breaking news, but I want to cast a wide net. Shoot me an email if you think something should be covered; I want to hear from you.

Here is a Q&A to get to know me better. Follow my socials to get all the updates.

You came to this role from Arizona, a very different state than Delaware in many ways. Are there already issues you see resonating in both places right now, especially with voters?

All of Arizona’s policies, especially from the Republicans in the state Legislature, made a lot of noise. A lot of them enacted sweeping changes and were very black-and-white. Covering politics in Delaware requires getting into the minutiae of the law and what is changing for whom. One issue that I was surprised to see in Delaware that is similar to Arizona is the lack of road safety. It shocked me to learn that pedestrians die at similar rates in both states, which could not be any different in every way. Neither state has done much to mitigate the risk.

What do you think?: We welcome voices from all perspectives to shares views on issues of the day

We live in a very challenging time for newspapers and journalism in general. What made you choose this as a career and what role do you think your generation needs to play to protect the Fourth Estate and keep it viable and trustworthy for the communities we serve?

Anyone can access any kind of information at any time. Because of this kind of access, correct and incorrect things can get mixed up and presented equally. The News Journal and every other established local news publication play an invaluable role in communities across the country. I wanted to contribute to quality and reliable local news in any way I could.

What do you like to do for fun? Any interesting hobbies or interests?

I have been a lifeguard on the beach in Asbury Park every summer for six years, so I like to swim, surf, fish and row over everything. I am in the market for some waves on the Delaware beaches, so let me know any good spots I should check out.