Multimedia Journalist of the Year portfolio
NSPA 2026
This year, I found more ways to tell important local stories with different media, testing my boundaries in everything from video editing to map making.
Personal Statement
Personal Statement
I'm the Design Editor of West Side Story, and I'm scared of Adobe products. I've used them countless times, looked up many tutorials, and made everything from video to magazine spreads, yet I still feel like an imposter who only knows how to "Select and Mask," or, worse yet, simply "Remove Background."
The very first time I used Adobe, I started out using InDesign for my Foundations of Journalism class, a prerequisite to joining any journalism staff, to design a 14-page news magazine with only my instincts, and an imminent deadline to teach me: the definition of learning on the job. Still, despite my lack of experience, I could start with what I already knew: other multimedia.
Although I didn't know how to make a gradient in InDesign, I could make digital art and embed it. I used the only InDesign tool I was really sure of my skill in, the rectangle, to its fullest potential, making film reel or bubble sheet motifs to maximize the feeling that less was more.
However, what this grueling design taught me the most was how to design off of the printed page. Photos, writing, and design can help tell the story, but what really immerses the reader is online: video, sound, infographics. On top of my design workload, I compiled playlists, filmed a podcast, and found a video and embedded their respective QR or Spotify codes to not only entertain but better inform and engage readers.
My first crash course in multimedia and Adobe products was difficult, to say the least, but through that hardship, I learned how to teach yourself yet know when to ask for help. My curiosity and determination to meet our deadline helped me better understand Adobe products and the diverse multimedia they are used to create.
Despite the project's heavy emphasis on print, after I finished the course, I chose to join the WSS website staff for that very reason. Making new multimedia taught me new skills as much as it teaches readers the story I'm learning to tell. I've made countless more videos, podcasts, infographics, and more that pushed me to grow and told stories that I found impactful.
As much as I've learned so far, I know it's still only a small glimpse into the full potential of Adobe, multimedia, and myself. Even after I leave WSS staff, I intend to keep learning, creating, and engaging not only communities but also myself.
Oct. 21, 2025
Cultivating community: the Iowa City Farmers Market
As a frequent customer of the local farmers' market, I saw how the market uplifted local businesses and developed a sense of community. To encapsulate that feeling and promote the market, I filmed and edited a video interviewing student entrepreneurs and customers, found and embedded an official farmers' market map, and created a timeline to promote the farmers' market across its season.
Nov. 21, 2025
Peak performance
With the rise of "performative" culture, the halls of West High were now full of baggy jeans and Labubus, for better and for worse. With the help of Podcast Editor Emma Lai, I filmed a podcast interview with students about performativism, which she edited. I also made two infographics to contextualize stereotypically performative items, which can have innocuous motives yet possibly harmful effects.
Spet. 16, 2025
10 West High students named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists
For my first assignment this year, I tried to hit the ground running with timely coverage of academic school news: the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced its Semifinalists. To publicize their achievement, as well as organize information from multiple files and webpages on the NMSC website for easier access, I created comprehensive infographics. I hoped it would clear up the timeline and processes behind the scenes.
Nov. 20, 2025
A new jazz age
More and more artists are showing jazz influence in their music, and that goes for both global sensations and student musicians. For listeners to hear the musical inspiration and other student voices, I filmed a podcast with Photo Editor Lea Abou Alaiwa and edited it myself. I also made maps, compiled photo galleries and made playlists within a SNO infobox to show the rising popularity of jazz.
March 27, 2026
Twists and turns
I struggled with my hair for most of my life, so when I saw others starting to love and accept their hair texture online with the "Curly Girl" movement, among other trends, I thought it was important to show people like me that their hair is beautiful as is and worth caring for. I filmed video testimonies, took and edited photos of, and asked about the haircare routines of a diverse group of people to make media for people in different situations to find something to resonate with.