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
Reston Community Orchestra Wraps up 25th Season
Reston Community Orchestra welcomes youth for season finale.
The Reston Community Orchestra concluded their 25th season Sunday, May 19, with a performance at the Reston Community Center.
Great Falls Resident to Paddle the Potomac
Aryan Golzar will go on 400-mile journey to raise money for scholarship.
Growing up in Great Falls, Aryan Golzar always loved the Potomac River. The same 400-mile-long-plus waterway that led to settlements from the Chesapeake Bay to West Virginia drove his imagination during his formative years, and now it’s become something even more.
Turtle Recall Releases Debut Album
Local band consists of several South Lakes graduates.
It was the start of 2009 when South Lakes High School graduate John-Currie Hester made a resolution to his fellow South Lakes graduate Guido DeHoratiis: to start a band. Soon they recruited a few other South Lakes alumni to join up and they started playing covers at shows around the area.
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.
Risky Behavior by the Numbers
Youth Survey highlights risks, assets for students.
Periodically, Fairfax County conducts a youth survey which polls thousands of students to get a glimpse into issues of substance abuse, antisocial behaviors as well as factors such as mental health and civic engagements.
Panel Addresses College Drinking
Unified Prevention Coalition hosts event at McLean High School.
The Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County and the McLean High School PTSA presented "Perils of the College Drinking Culture" Wednesday, Jan. 11. The program featured a panel of speakers who discussed the health and legal consequences of underage and binge drinking, as well as a short film.
Great Falls Looks Ahead to 2012
Great Falls Looks Ahead to 2012
Last year saw progress on several issues around Great Falls, issues that will affect residents for generations to come.
Fire Station Holds Onto History
Firefighters repair historic bell in front of station.
For more than 50 years, the original Great Falls fire station housed the men and women of the Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department.
Great Falls Honors Those Who Serve
Freedom Memorial hosts annual Memorial Day Ceremony.
Langley senior Matthew Goudreau knows all about being in a military family. His mother was in the Navy and his brother is currently serving in the Marines on the USS Enterprise. So when the Thomas a Beckett Youth Choir and Ensemble, of which Goudreau is a member, was asked to perform at the Great Falls Freedom Memorial for Memorial Day, he was more than willing.
Swimmers Take to Lake Audubon
Reston Masters Swim Team hosts 24th annual lake swim.
For 24 years, the Reston Masters Swim Team has hosted a lake swim Memorial Day weekend, 22 of them taking place at Lake Audubon. The event is one of the only times each year that swimming is allowed in the lake. Shirley Loftus-Charley has participated in every one of those swims, dating back to her time living in Reston. Despite her decades of experience, this year was a first for her.