I am the community reporter for Herndon, Reston, McLean and Great Falls. I’ve been a reporter since 2007, starting as an intern at the Connection and I spent several years covering the military in the Washington, D.C. area.
As a child, I would go on vacations with a bag of clothes and an equal-size bag of books. After spending the first two decades of my life reading anything I could get my hands on, I turned to writing the words.
I grew up in the Herndon and Reston area and graduated from Virginia Tech in 2006 with a degree in English and a minor in History. After a brief stint as a teacher, I turned to journalism and have enjoyed telling stories through words and photographs ever since.
In my spare time, if such a thing exists, I enjoy playing guitar, watching NBA basketball and Elvis Presley.
In an area filled with small business owners, high-ranking government officials and everything in between, I am always looking to tell stories. If you as a community member think something is intriguing, then I want to tell the community at large the who, what, where and why in an informative and entertaining fashion.
Your stories are out there, and it’s my job to bring them to light. If your family has an interesting history, your school or group is doing something noteworthy or someone you know makes you stop and think, “if only more people knew about this,” feel free to drop me a line.
And if the person you know happens to be Wizards point guard John Wall, that would be super.
Recent Stories
Lake Braddock Senior Receives Scholarship
Nathaniel Smith awarded $5,000 from Northern Virginia Urban League.
The Northern Virginia Urban League awarded $50,000 in scholarships to local high school students at its annual Community Service and Scholarship Awards Dinner Friday, April 19. The organization, whose mission it is to enable disadvantaged youth to achieve economic and academic success, awarded one scholarship to Lake Braddock Secondary School senior Nathaniel Smith.
Schools Using Diversity for Student Benefits
Immersion, ESOL programs aim to take advantage of area cultures.
As Fairfax County has experienced massive growth in its international population, its effects have spread to its educational institutions. Forty-four percent of the Fairfax County Public Schools students come from homes that speak a language other than English, which includes 160 different languages.
Fairfax Republicans Come Together for Election
What started as a night of hope for the Fairfax County Republican Committee ended on something of a sour note, as Republican presidential, senate and congressional candidates were not able to oust incumbents.
Family of Four Found Dead in Herndon
Police make discovery during welfare check, believe husband killed family before turning gun on himself.
A Herndon family of four was found dead in their home on Point Rider Lane the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 25. Fairfax County Police responded after a co-worker of one of the family members reported that they had not been to work this week.
Keeping Tysons Corner Moving
Event provides updates on 495 Express Lanes, Dulles Metrorail.
In the next 15 months, Tysons Corner will see almost $5 billion in new transportation projects come online.
VDOT Unveils EZ-Pass Flex
New transponder will allow HOV access to 495 Express Lanes.
The Virginia Department of Transportation unveiled the EZ-Pass Flex Wednesday, July 25 in Tysons Corner. The new pass will allow users of the 495 Express Lanes, which are scheduled to open at the end of this year, to switch between tolled and toll-free (for vehicles with more than three people) use.
County Aims to Prevent Substance Use and Abuse
Alcohol use down, painkiller and inhalant use on the rise.
Twenty-one questions in the 2010 Fairfax County Youth Survey dealt with substance abuse. The survey asked about lifetime use of alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes, as well as use in the past month of 13 different substances.
Above and Beyond
Burke firefighters honored for heroism.
The water was swiftly rising, surrounding a police officer trapped on the hood of his vehicle during the deadly flash flooding that devastated the region on Sept. 8, 2011. By the time first responders from Burke Fire Station 14 arrived on the scene in Great Falls, a rescue boat had already tried and failed to reach the stranded officer.
Alcorn Named Citizen of the Year
Planning Commissioner recognized by Federation of Citizens Associations.
The Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations named their Citizen of the Year Sunday, March 25, recognizing county Planning Commissioner Walter Alcorn for more than a decade of service on the commission.
First Responders Recognized
34th Annual Valor Awards presented to police officers, firefighters.
The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce recognized 108 of the county’s first responders Wednesday, March 21 at the 24th annual Valor Awards. Members of the Fairfax County Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, Fire and Rescue Department, as well as from the Towns of Herndon and Vienna, were given awards.