I grew up in the rural green belt of London, England where I fell in love with literature and literary history. During my undergraduate degree at the University of Kent in Canterbury, and namely an exchange year abroad at UCLA, that love for literature transitioned into a passion for journalism and California sunshine. I moved to Los Angeles in 2007 to pursue an MA degree in journalism at USC and continue a freelance career in multimedia storytelling. And I have never looked back.
----
My experience includes local, national and international reporting for news outlets such as the LA Weekly, Southern California Public Radio and the New Zealand Herald Tribune. My fascination with hyper-local journalism spawned a thesis about the future of the industry (titled, Can Grassroots Journalism Help Underserved Communities?) and, in 2008, led me to help found a hyper-local website covering South Los Angeles. I was managing editor until early 2011, when Patch became my next adventure.
----
Now I live in Concord with my husband, reading, writing, exploring the Bay Area and continuing to drink my tea with milk.
---
Beliefs:
1. Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. - Plato.
2. Never discuss religion or politics at the dinner table.
----
Politics: I am a registered Democrat with an open mind to all opinions and factual arguments. I believe that the mind should be a thoroughfare for all thoughts and not a select party.
----
Religion: Non-denominational Christian, with an almost pantheistic love for the outdoors and a strong appreciation for being still (Psalm 46:10.)
----
Local Hot-Button Issues: Social justice issues that affect quality of life or access to opportunities, including education, immigration, health care and social welfare.
After a day of clashes with police leading to dozens of arrests, Occupy Cal demonstrators gathered on the steps of Sproul Hall and remained there through the night.
There are plenty of opportunities to be charitable this month, from donating socks and fur to attending a "hunger banquet."
Vote for your favorite Indian flavors. Did we miss one? Let us know in the comments.
UPDATE: A small encampment was re-established after police dismantled tents Wednesday afternoon.
Berkeley's vibrant religious and spiritual scene suggests tolerance and community. What has your experience been like?
Things quietened down this week, with only two minor earthquakes in Berkeley, plus a 3.1 magnitude quake in nearby Piedmont followed a smaller 1.1 after shock. Click on the interactive map for details.
The coffee shop on College Avenue at Alcatraz will be the ninth Peet's in Berkeley.
The Berkeley Unified School District is in the process of updating its anti-bullying policy and asking for community feedback. Should bullies be sent back to their home districts?
Visitors cited for parking on the residential-only side of the street outside Trader Joe's are contesting their tickets — blaming confusing regulations and unclear signs.
Demonstrators plan to surround the downtown Berkeley Chase branch on Saturday in an attempt to shut it down.
An "earthquake prediction" website is claiming that Berkeley will be hit by a 6.0 magnitude earthquake in the next 24 hours. Experts say there is no scientific way to predict quakes.
The Berkeley Unified School District has drafted a new anti-bullying policy and wants feedback from the community.
Daylight savings time ends today, which means the clocks go back an hour and it's time to replace the battery on your smoke and carbon monoxide detector.
With chicken, ricotta cheese, grilled onions and a tarragon sauce piled on top of rice and served with french bread — this is not your average rice bowl. Where did it come from?
Berkeley has a high rate of traffic collisions with pedestrians. Here are the areas with the highest number of incidents per year.
More than 40 percent of residents live below the poverty line in the downtown Berkeley area, according to a recent report.
Mike Davidson, aka The Grilled Cheese Guy, is sharing a story a day about Berkeley throughout November.
Berkeley resident Jenny Bowen launched Half the Sky Foundation to improve living conditions for orphans in Chinese welfare institutions.
Vote for your favorite tasty taco joint. Did we miss one? Let us know in the comments.
Our collaborative story begins in 1975 in the Berkeley Rose Garden. Continue the story by sending the next 200 words to berkeley@patch.com or commenting.
