Hello!

I am a senior journalism student at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

I love using creativity to tell stories through words, photos and videos. I want to write and show stories that connect people with authentic experiences of the world around them.

Aside from creating, I love playing hockey, watching clouds and learning about outer space.

This past summer, I had the privilege of expanding my experience as a Press Intern at Press Publications (St. Paul, MN) and as a storytelling Intern at ECHO (Fort Myers, FL).

Below you will find some of my most recent work.

My Latest Work

Royals draw after one-goal lead

The Bethel University women’s soccer team came up short of victory in its home game against Macalester College Tuesday, after its one goal lead was diminished, resulting in a 1-1 tie. 
For the past 30 years, the Royals have a record of 6-20-3 against the Scots. That gap evened out over the last twelve seasons and the teams stand at 1-1-2 since 2021, when they returned from the one-year pandemic-related pause in athletics.
The Royals showed up to dominate against the Scots, outshooting their oppo...

Wave of women’s sports coverage isn’t a ‘phase’

PWHL Minnesota fans gather at A Bar of Their Own for the team’s second playoff game against Toronto while enjoying local Minnesota beverages and hot appetizers. | Photo by McKayla Machlitt Teams in Minnesota and across the country face the ongoing debate of interest versus media investment, working to make women’s athletics available and accessible. Maya Dempsey, 21, walks past a young girl on her way off the field, clad in her light blue Aurora FC quarter zip with the team’s crest on the left s

Local community thrift store extends its reach

The Overflow Community Thrift Store now occupies a larger space in the Shoreview Village Mall thanks to growing support and donations. The nonprofit first opened its doors late 2020 and since then, the store’s success has brought its founders Cathy Oestreich and Cinthia Velasquez to expand their walls in the Shoreview Village Mall. “One is to employ and provide volunteer opportunities for persons with disabilities,” she said. “The second is just about community – keeping the prices low for our c...

Life after the Christian Ivy League

No one wants to be a transfer student. Especially not a mid-year, upperclassman transfer student. But even so, there I was, officially ending my gap year since leaving Wheaton College, the place I’d dreamed of since I was 13.

My parents met at Wheaton. My brother went there. I can’t imagine the devastation middle school me would feel if she knew this was the ending — but actually, maybe I can. I’ve been feeling it ever since I left “The Harvard of Christian schools,” as many call it.

I wasn’t

#TFTB

Bethel students’ and staff gather their thoughts on what they stand by, ranging from their niche interests to admitting weird food combinations they like. Faculty members took their time to answer, as some didn’t understand what the question meant. One girl interpreted the question literally, and began searching for the name of a hill she liked — the one in Ecuador.

Another student laughed after admitting their feelings about a controversial social media influencer.

“I support JoJo Siwa,” senior journalism major Talia McWright said. “People are a little mean to her in her current era.”

Videography by Amy Holmberg and McKayla Machlitt.
Produced by Amy Holmberg and McKayla Machlitt.
Music: “Fun Day” by BenSound.

Branching out in writing

I graduated from St. Croix Preparatory Academy in 2020 and just completed my first semester at Bethel University as a junior transfer student. In my short time at Bethel as a journalism major, I have had the opportunity to get involved in the student newspaper “The Clarion,” and I am excited to step into my role as a multimedia reporter beginning this fall. In my classes, I have developed a love for the photo and video side of journalism as well as expanding my experience in writing news stories...

Summer Academy fosters deeper education for elementary students

Families recently flooded the halls of Rice Lake Elementary School to see the results of two weeks of hard work on display at the Summer Academy parent showcase. The invitation-only program gave Centennial’s rising 3rd through 6th graders showing high potential an opportunity to learn one subject for two weeks.The academy was designed to give students a chance to study more thoroughly topics they love than possible during the regular school year. It was created after the North Suburban Summer Ac...

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