Reporting

The hardest part about writing a story is putting the pen down (in my case the keyboard). Just when I think I've might have found enough details, I dig deeper. Reporting is a infinite tunnel. A true journalist will never reach the bottom, there's always more to a story.

In the fast-paced news world, reporters can lose feeling under facts. Behind every obituary headline, there's a family experiencing an inevitable and incomparable grief. When Rene Hinojosa unexpectedly died, I wanted readers to understand that unique grief. I interviewed his son, Rene Hinojosa Jr. that same week. Questioning a freshly mourning-son is a parasitic balancing act between gathering fact and understanding feeling. And hour of chipping away at Hinojosa's life proved enough. Interviews like these remind me, even as a journalist, I am still human -- we all are. Ethics is as important as accuracy.

Recognition: Best of SNO; 2025 ILPC First place online IAA news-feature; 2025 TAJE Superior, online BITS & Excellent, yearbook BITS

Reporting is about consistency; writing the “filler” stories, contacting groups and keeping updated on events. Through the generic schedule requests and updates, sometimes reporters strike gold. Christopher Hargraves was approaching the 50-meter freestyle school record, and I knew that, but there was a deeper story beneath. The 20-year record holder at the time – which was a surprise to both me and Hargraves – was his uncle, Bubba Pruett. I published an article the week he broke the record in a follow up publication of my initial feature.

Recognition: Best of SNO; 2025 ILPC First place online IAA sports-news; 2025 TAJE Superior, online BITS & Superior, yearbook BITS & 3rd runner-up yearbook copy, Best of the Best

When I wrote this article, I felt like I was in a slump. I produced plenty of features, but something was missing. Our yearbook needed a story for the science page, so I interviewed STEM-loving senior Nathaly Arana. The interview was routine, nothing stood out -- the generic "I just love science," answers. I trashed the entire article. I called Arana and scheduled a follow up interview; I knew there had to be something more to her story. Turns out, because her parents were immigrants, she felt a pressure to impress them. That was her true reason, and every person has a true reason behind their actions. Every feature since then, has been a search for their true purpose.

Recognition: Best of SNO; 2025 TAJE Superior, yearbook BITS

In December 2024, a Tornado blew through my hometown of Conroe, Texas. While the tornado was happening I wrote a news article and life went on. That's what made me realize, while my life  went on, that tornado halted the lives of dozens others -- that's what my initial article failed to capture. By chance, a friend had lost his home to that storm, so I interviewed his family -- only issue being they only spoke Spanish, and I only spoke English. Their son translated our conversation and I brought to light, the life-long story their home held. That home became more than a statistic in a brief tornado, it was personal. 

Recognition: Best of SNO; 2025 TAJE Excellent, online BITS & Superior, yearbook BITS

Fresh out of the 2024 Glorias shield beginning feature writing class, I dashed into my next feature. By chance, I found this story sitting in my Algebra 2 class when I overheard cross country runner Eduardo Arcile mention he had snuck onto the team behind his parents back. Intrigued and following my gut, I scheduled an interview. There are moments in interviews, where a reporter knows they found the story. Arcile's interview had multiple. Arcile's running success was average, but his story was extraordinary. I spent the next three days writing this article from a small iPad I'd received for free. Stories like Arcile's are all around, hiding in plain sight -- a true reporter will always be on the look.

Recognition: Best of SNO; 2025 ILPC First place online IAA sports-feature; 2025 TAJE Superior, online BITS & Superior, yearbook BITS

I went into this interview never watching basketball nor gymnastics -- those were Rosencran's life though. I could hardly understand her sports jargon, but I did understand the golden rule of interviewing: always ask why. So through every confusing play and plot twist I followed up with a blunt "why?" About an hour-and-a-half of digging through her life I uncovered a real story, overcoming adversity at every angle. Rosencran reminds me; everyone has a story, it's my job to dig it out of them.

Recognition: Best of SNO; 2025 ILPC Third place online IAA sports-feature; 2025 TAJE Superior, online BITS & Superior, yearbook bits & 2nd runner-up yearbook copy, Best of the Best.

The hardest stories are the most important to tell. This was the hardest article I've ever written. It's the first of a five part series following my perspective, of my Mom's death; It was also the first time I ever confronted my past. I spoke with my dad. For the first time in an interview, I unraveled instead. Speaking about Mom raised memories I blocked out-- bad ones. I kept writing anyways. This story is about more than a troubled past; it's a characterization of the trauma thousands of families experienced with their loved ones. I felt like vomiting out of fear before publishing. Mom brought a face to cold statistics of the opioid epidemic. Families like mine deserve to have a voice. 

Recognition: Best of SNO (5)

This was the second writing piece I ever published -- the next domino in a long chain. My publication treats editorials as a trial run for photographer interested in writing. As a baseball dork, I felt passionate about the new pitch clock implemented in the Major Leagues that year -- so I wrote my ignorant heart out. I published the article and hardly anyone read it, but getting my voice out there was enough to make me smile. About a year and a half later and dozens of articles under my belt, I still reflect on this article. It may be a hard read, but it's a reminder that taking a first step can lead you places you'd never imagine.

Recognition: 2025 ILPC Second place online IAA sports column; 2025 TAJE Excellent, online BITS