STORYTELLING
I once read that I should write something worth reading,Or I should do something worth writing about.
~ The Ballroom Thieves
Documentary
The true stories in our communities — often quiet, silenced, or unheard — are the ones I am most drawn to tell.
Through multi-media approaches, I strive to share the truths and beauties of our world.
Creative
Whether traveling in a new country or exploring my own, I am inspired by the scenes I see along the way.
Through non-fiction and creative approaches, I tell the stories from my adventures.
Journalism
Inside the Milk Tank
An investigative look at Central New York’s dairy industry.
The sun is just beginning to peek over the hill as Mahra Parian tends to her cows. Golden light filters into the barn, reflecting off the milk pump that she attaches to her cow’s udder. The small barn is filled with the musky scent of hay and dairy cow. As she finishes the milking, she opens the gate and lets the cows wander out of the barn, through the walkway, and into the pasture. […]
Academic Research
The Voices Heard
Representation of Women and Minorities in the Outdoors in Traditional and New Media
The outdoors has long been a space celebrated for its vastness, challenge, and solitude. From this historic view of the wilderness as ‘sublime’ to the rise of adventure sports and testing oneself against nature, outdoor spaces have celebrated a masculine ethos of “rugged individualism” and challenge (Bogardus, 2012; Gray et al., 2018; McNeil et al., 2012). Media has perpetuated the image of the strong mountain man who goes into nature alone to find challenge and triumph in the unforgiving wilderness. […]
Friends, Not Enemies
Rethinking the Relationship Between Social Media and Nature
T
his paper explores the current perceptions of electronics, particularly social media, in relation to time spent in nature; some current applications of this technology; and an overview of ways to use these tools to attract new outdoor recreationalists. This paper will challenge the current view of the Internet and social media as harmful, and reframe it as a tool for outdoor industry professionals to assist in client education and outreach. […]
Published Works
Personal Essay
Reflections of Life and Learning in Year 4
Ihad always felt that I hadn’t changed or become a brand new person. I’d never felt that I was completely different than I was before. Instead, I always had felt that I’d grown into myself, become more of who I always wanted to be. As [...]
Freedom in the Absence of Humans: A Wilderness Philosophy
When I was 13 years old, I read John Muir’s My First Summer in the Sierras every night before I went to bed. I would read it and re-read it, picturing every vivid scene as I fell asleep. I was stunned by his ability to [...]
Room to Breathe
The earth unfolds in layers. Up close, there are small particles, sandy red dirt and exposed rock. It has been worn away by ice and snow, millennia of battering, turning the dirt into sand. Rooted in the sand: the dry grass. It blows in the [...]
Visuals + Vision: Lessons from the Park School
Roy H. Park School of Communications -- Ithaca College My first semester in the Park School at Ithaca involved a lot of settling, a lot of figuring out, a lot of being incredibly grateful and happy to be here. It also involved a class [...]