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Freelance writer and editor based in Atlanta. Editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Pulse Magazine, a digital lifestyle publication for nurses in the Southeast. Currently investigating immigrant and refugee mental health stigma and health care access as a 2018 recipient of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism. Founder and editor of Foreign Bodies, a monthly mental health newsletter with immigrants in mind. Former web producer and writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

 

Bio

I’m an Atlanta-based freelance writer and editor with four-plus years experience reporting and producing with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, both the newsroom and the advertising department’s Revenue Content Team, a small but mighty troupe dedicated to driving revenue through search engine optimization, ad-sponsored content, video and multi-market strategies.

As a current recipient of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism, I’m also investigating immigrant and refugee mental health stigma and barriers to care in metro Atlanta and beyond.

When I’m not consumed with work, I love to snuggle up on the couch or in bed with a good book, take my 60-pound pup to the park and catch a flick with friends.

Join My Newsletter

Inspired by what I’ve learned through The Carter Center Mental Health Fellowship, I founded Foreign Bodies, a monthly e-mail newsletter dedicated to the unique experiences of immigrants and refugees as they relate to coping with mental illness and wellness.

The e-letter features contributions from fellow migrants, unpacked data, helpful resources and more. So far, Foreign Bodies has examined the myth of the model minority, the internalization of global tragedy, accent prejudice, cultural weight-talk and toxic masculinity.

Contact Me

I’m always looking to share personal essays or broaden my writing skills through narrative storytelling. Have a freelance opportunity in mind for me? Want to talk mental health and immigrants? Just looking for a new friend in the industry? Reach out.

 

Featured Stories

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When love isn’t enough

A daughter’s suicide leaves a grieving father searching for answers

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Atlanta celebrates World Refugee Day

Hundreds gather in the most diverse square mile in America to honor Georgia’s refugee communities

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One year after #MeToo: Where do we go from here?

Before the #MeToo movement emerged, Atlanta employers had become complacent in the need for regular training on anti-harassment policies.

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Teens who can describe negative emotions are better protected against depression

Describing emotions in such granular terms can help teens understand the meanings behind their negative emotions, according to researchers.

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Featured
Teens who can describe negative emotions are better protected against depression, study suggests

According to new research from scientists with Emory University and the University of Rochester, teens who can describe negative emotions “in precise and nuanced ways” are more likely to stave off increased depressive symptoms after stressful life events compared to those who can’t.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

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World Refugee Day 2019: Scenes from Clarkston’s colorful celebration

Over the weekend, guests from all over metro Atlanta gathered at Refuge Coffee Company in Clarkston to celebrate and honor the state’s refugee communities ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20th.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Introducing the new, digital AJC Pulse Magazine for nurses in the Southeast
Introducing the new, digital AJC Pulse Magazine for nurses in the Southeast

For the past 20-plus years, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Pulse Magazine has been hitting the mailboxes of the region’s top healthcare professionals. And while the lifestyle magazine will no longer be printed, Pulse will go on beating—through the AJC.com Digital Hub, monthly Pulse Plus email newsletter and, of course, on Facebook and Twitter.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Scientists identify 104 high-risk genes for schizophrenia disorder
Scientists identify 104 high-risk genes for schizophrenia disorder

Researchers with Vanderbilt University Medical Center have identified more than 100 high-risk genes for schizophrenia, a serious mental disorder known to cause people to interpret reality abnormally.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

City of Atlanta holds first-ever Day of Religious Pluralism
City of Atlanta holds first-ever Day of Religious Pluralism

The city of Atlanta held its first Day of Religious Pluralism on Thursday, marking the 51st anniversary of the death of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a continued mission to deepen Atlantans’ understanding of one another, and to promote a safe, respectful and inclusive city.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Could increasing minimum wage help reduce the suicide rate?
Could increasing minimum wage help reduce the suicide rate?

To examine the role of financial anxiety in America’s rising suicide rate, scientists with the University of North Carolina’s GIllings School of Global Public Health have been looking at the impact of wage changes. 

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Study: As planet warms, mental health issues expected to increase
Study: As planet warms, mental health issues expected to increase

New research has found empirical evidence that climate change could increase mental health issues in the United States.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

How politically engaged is Georgia? Report compares most and least engaged states
How politically engaged is Georgia? Report compares most and least engaged states

With early voting kicking off in Georgia this week, you might be wondering how politically engaged the state really is. How many folks are actually turning out to vote?

Read the full story at AJC.com.

One year after #MeToo: Where do we go from here?
One year after #MeToo: Where do we go from here?

Sheena Bosket was in her therapist’s office earlier this year when she unraveled her history with sexual assault. She first opened up about being molested at age 8, then about being assaulted twice as an adult.

For Bosket and many others, #MeToo has given her the courage to share her experiences aloud.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Atlanta has the worst income inequality in the US, Bloomberg report finds
Atlanta has the worst income inequality in the US, Bloomberg report finds

A new Bloomberg analysis based on U.S. Census Bureau calculations and the distribution of household income ranks Atlanta the most unequal large city in the United States.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Daily discrimination literally upping women’s blood pressure, study finds
Daily discrimination literally upping women’s blood pressure, study finds

New research suggests women’s exposure to daily discrimination may contribute to rising blood pressure over time, a risk factor that, if left untreated, can increase risk of heart disease and stroke.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

We have 12 years left to act on climate change, UN warns
We have 12 years left to act on climate change, UN warns

A grim report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that if governments don’t act on climate change soon, more devastation is to be expected.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

One year after Weinstein: A timeline of powerful men accused of sexual misconduct
One year after Weinstein: A timeline of powerful men accused of sexual misconduct

Friday, Oct. 5 marks exactly one year since the New York Timespublished the groundbreaking exposés from multiple women alleging Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein had raped or sexually harassed them. Some 80 women, including prominent actresses, have come forward since. 

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Want a raise? Be a white man — Report finds people of color less likely to receive pay increase
Want a raise? Be a white man — Report finds people of color less likely to receive pay increase

Asking for a raise isn’t the most comfortable part of the job. But it helps if you’re a white male.

That’s according to the new “Raise Anatomy” report from compensation data and software provider PayScale, Inc., which found that people of color are up to 25 percent less likely than white men to receive a raise after asking for one.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

S.C. restaurant manager accused of enslaving black cook pleads guilty to forced labor
S.C. restaurant manager accused of enslaving black cook pleads guilty to forced labor

The manager of a South Carolina restaurant has pleaded guilty to forcing a mentally disabled black buffet cook to work unpaid for more than 100 hours a week, according to federal officials.

Bobby Paul Edwards, a 53-year-old white male, admitted he used violence, threats and intimidation tactics to force John Christopher Smith, who is black, to work more than 100 hours a week without pay at Edwards’ Myrtle Beach buffet restaurant J&J Cafeteria.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

‘Building blocks of life’ found on Mars, NASA reveals in new Curiosity rover announcement
‘Building blocks of life’ found on Mars, NASA reveals in new Curiosity rover announcement

NASA scientists hosted a live discussion Thursday, announcing new discoveries from its car-sized Mars Curiosity rover, which first launched in 2011.

The live event, which aired on NASA Television at 2 p.m., revealed that scientists found organic matter preserved on Mars — elements considered “building blocks of life” — suggesting the planet was once home to life.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

What is rhabdomyolysis? Workout, rare condition sends teen to hospital
What is rhabdomyolysis? Workout, rare condition sends teen to hospital

Seventeen-year-old Jared Shamburger of Houston thought his post-workout soreness after a 90-minute weightlifting session was nothing out of the ordinary at first. Then he was hospitalized for five days.

According to KTRK, Shamburger had recently joined a gym to work out with his older brother and dad, both of whom had been lifting weights for years. But after last week’s lengthy workout left him sore, swollen and hospitalized, the teen was diagnosed with a rare condition known as rhabdomyolysis — or rhabdo.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

More than 11 million Americans prescribed wrong dose of common drugs, scientists say
More than 11 million Americans prescribed wrong dose of common drugs, scientists say

More than 11 million people in the United States may have been given the wrong prescription dose for common drugs, according to scientists from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The researchers analyzed the reliability of updated pooled cohort equations, guidelines often used as online web tools that help doctors determine a patient’s risk of stroke or heart attack.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

What’s killing America’s teens? Inside CDC’s new mortality report
What’s killing America’s teens? Inside CDC’s new mortality report

America is witnessing a troubling increase in deaths among its children and teens, according to a new mortality report from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The report, which was released Friday, is based on information from death certificates filed in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Who is Rod Blagojevich? Trump considers commuting former Illinois governor’s sentence
Who is Rod Blagojevich? Trump considers commuting former Illinois governor’s sentence

President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Thursday that he’s considering commuting former Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s sentence.

The move comes two days after the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by Blagojevich in which he decried his conviction as being politically motivated.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Owner of Decatur’s Tava Indian Bistro to compete on ‘MasterChef’
Owner of Decatur’s Tava Indian Bistro to compete on ‘MasterChef’

When Farhan Momin was seven years old, he’d play assistant to mom in the kitchen, given the responsibility of cutting up fresh vegetables — with a kid-friendly knife, of course. Now the 25-year-old Duluth native, a dental student, is in the running to be the next “MasterChef.”

Read the full story at AJC.com.

#MeToo: A timeline of 2018’s sexual harassment scandals
#MeToo: A timeline of 2018’s sexual harassment scandals

On Oct. 5, 2017, the New York Times published a report against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein revealing claims of rape or sexual harassment of dozens of women. 

Since then, multiple high-profile men (Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer, Roy Moore) in media, politics and beyond have faced allegations ranging from inappropriate behavior to forced sexual misconduct to rape. Some — but not all — have been ousted from their companies or resigned themselves amid the allegations.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

5 things you should know about Ramadan, Islam’s holy month of fasting
5 things you should know about Ramadan, Islam’s holy month of fasting

Muslims around the globe are gearing up for the holy month of Ramadan, which begins after May 15 this year.

Throughout the holiday, observers fast from sunrise to sunset and partake in nightly feasts.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Virtual tour: Fox Theatre’s swanky $10M Marquee Club rooftop and lounge to open in May
Virtual tour: Fox Theatre’s swanky $10M Marquee Club rooftop and lounge to open in May

The Fox Theatre’s highly anticipated Marquee Club, complete with multiple bars, Moroccan-style lounges and rooftop views of Atlanta’s iconic Peachtree Street, will finally open its doors to the public this month.

A ceremonial grand opening for inaugural members is scheduled for Thursday May 17, with non-member access launching Saturday, May 19.

The $10 million 10,000-square-foot event space renovation marks its most significant expansion and its biggest financial undertaking since the popular theater opened in 1929.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Major depression diagnoses in US up 33 percent since 2013, study finds
Major depression diagnoses in US up 33 percent since 2013, study finds

Over the past five years, diagnoses of major depression in the United States have risen by at least 33 percent.

That’s according to a new report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, for which analysts assessed the BCBS Health Index built from billions of claims for more than 41 million commercially insured Americans annually.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Why are Americans so lonely? Massive study finds nearly half of US feels alone, young adults most of all
Why are Americans so lonely? Massive study finds nearly half of US feels alone, young adults most of all

Do you experience bouts of loneliness? You’re not alone. In fact, a new nationwide survey from health insurer Cigna found that nearly half the country is in the same boat.

The online survey of 20,000 adults consisted of self-reported responses to a series of 20 statements or questions. Analysts used the well-known UCLA Loneliness Scale to calculate respondents’ loneliness scores, which range from 20 to 80.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Atlanta comedian tweets about being the next ‘Blue’s Clues’ host, gets callback for Nickelodeon revamp
Atlanta comedian tweets about being the next ‘Blue’s Clues’ host, gets callback for Nickelodeon revamp

When 26-year-old comedian Yedoye Travis tweeted last June about being the next host on Nickelodeon’s “Blue’s Clues” revamp, he didn’t think anyone would take him seriously.

“They said if I get enough retweets they will bring back Blue's Clues and I can be Steve,” he captioned a photo of him sitting in the famous “Blue’s Clues” chair at Viacom studios in New York, where Travis was shooting a separate project for Comedy Central. The tweet went viral.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

New drug could stop chronic migraines without side effects, study finds
New drug could stop chronic migraines without side effects, study finds

A group of researchers may have found a new treatment to successfully prevent migraines without an overload of common side effects of migraine medication, such as fatigue, racing heartbeat or nausea.

“There’s no current dedicated migraine prevention medication,” Dr. Michael R. Silver, an assistant professor in neurology at Emory University who was not involved in the study, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We borrow from other fields and use mostly anti-seizure medicines, blood pressure medicines or anti-depressants for migraine prevention.”

Read the full study at AJC.com.

Work at a desk all day? Sitting too long linked to thinning of brain region critical for memory, study suggests
Work at a desk all day? Sitting too long linked to thinning of brain region critical for memory, study suggests

Long periods of sitting have been linked to a variety of health issues, including higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, muscle wasting and premature death.

Now, researchers from the University of California-Los Angeles’ Semel Institute and its Center for Cognitive Neuroscience have found that sedentary behavior is a “significant predictor of thinning of the medial temporal lobe.”

The medial temporal lobe, which includes the hippocampus, is the region of the brain critical for new memory formation. Medial temporal atrophy, such as thinning, has been associated with memory loss and has been used to predict Alzheimer’s disease, according to Dr. Joe Nocera, an assistant professor in neurology at Emory University who was not involved in the UCLA study.

Read the full story at AJC.com.

Black infants in US more than twice as likely to die as white infants now, study finds
Black infants in US more than twice as likely to die as white infants now, study finds

Black women are three to four times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And a new analysis from the New York Times using the most recent government data revealed that black infants today are more than twice as likely to die as white infants.

Read the full story at AJC.com.