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.
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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.
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Now I live in Concord with my husband, reading, writing, exploring the Bay Area and continuing to drink my tea with milk.
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Beliefs:
1. Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. - Plato.
2. Never discuss religion or politics at the dinner table.
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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.
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Religion: Non-denominational Christian, with an almost pantheistic love for the outdoors and a strong appreciation for being still (Psalm 46:10.)
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Local Hot-Button Issues: Social justice issues that affect quality of life or access to opportunities, including education, immigration, health care and social welfare.
David Boitano, editor of the Berkeley Voice and El Cerrito Journal, was one of the 34 editorial staff members who was either laid off or voluntarily left.
Updated: Demonstrators closed down the Port of Oakland Wednesday night, and two were hit by a car.
San Francisco State Professor Genie Stowers apologized for starting an email rumor that federal geologists were predicting a 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Berkeley.
Today is the deadline to sign a petition that would require high schools to start later than 8 a.m.
There's a whole lot of shaking going on, with seven earthquakes in Berkeley this week. Click on the interactive map for details.
Police witnessed a marijuana transaction between a 15-year-old Berkeley High School student and a 17-year-old who was carrying a replica gun.
Submit a 200-word beginning to a story based in Berkeley and start the novel to be authored by Berkeley Patch readers.
Share your favorite trick-or-treating spots in Berkeley.
Feeling spooky? Here's where to get your ghoul on in Berkeley.
Vincent Casalaina believes that Berkeley's "communities of interest" need to be preserved.
After a week of earthquakes, Berkeley residents are stocking up on emergency supplies. Have you prepared your earthquake kit?
Members of Occupy Berkeley plan to join the protest in Oakland tonight at 6 p.m.
The school board will consider creating a new staff position to manage data collection, reporting and integrity.
A parent shares her concerns about pedestrian safety outside King Middle School.
The priority is to keep the encampments and the public safe, according to the Berkeley Police Department.
The first national food day aims to promote healthy foods, expand fresh-food access and support local agriculture. Celebrate by sharing your healthiest recipes.
Do you know which Berkeley eatery layers on thick the crunchy vegetable cream cheese? Leave your guess in the comments.
Part 2 of 2: Chief Meehan shares the goals, successes and struggles of the Berkeley Police Department.
Part 1 of 2: Chief Meehan shares information about crime trends in Berkeley, plus department goals and priorities.
This delicious breakfast beverage packs a nutritional super-punch.
