About Me

I worked as a journalist for 21 years, including 13 years at The Dallas Morning News, where I focused on issues including homelessness, housing, mental health and child welfare. I also have used my skills to help advance nonprofits and educational institutions.

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My book, Probably Someday Cancer, is about my experiences after being diagnosed with a BRCA2 mutation, which put me at an extremely high risk for breast and ovarian cancers. I was honored to receive a first place award in the Book Manuscript competition sponsored by the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference in 2017.

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My work has appeared in many publications including The Dallas Morning News, Seventeen, the Arlington Morning News, Texas Lawyer, the North County Times, Star-News, The Daily Texan and others.

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I am grateful to have received numerous honors for my work, including a Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism, which provided training and support to write a 2009 series on chronic homelessness for The Dallas Morning News. The project was credited with helping lead to an increase in state funding to address chronic homelessness.

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Other honors include: Mayborn Writing Competition, 2018, runner-up, Reported Narrative category; Council for the Advancement and Support of Education Circle of Excellence Awards, Gold Award, 2017; Texas Medical Association, media awards, 2010 and 2011; Annie E. Casey Foundation, media award honorable mention, 2011; National Alliance on Mental Illness Texas, media award, 2009; Texas Public Health Association, media award, 2010; Texas Homeless Network, media award, 2009; National Low-Income Housing Coalition, media award, 2009; Harry Chapin Media Award finalist, 2009; Mental Health America, Prism Award, 2006 and Dallas Bar Association Stephen Philbin Award, 2006.

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I have bachelors degrees in English and journalism from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Arts in Humanities/Literature from The University of Texas at Dallas.