Freelance Multimedia Journalist
Democracy & Justice Through Journalism
January 2022:
During the early part of the year, I alerted ABC7's I-Team (Investigative) about an anomaly with my COVID test results. I was not getting the results within the promised 24-hour turnaround time. When I contacted the company, a medical laboratory named Virus Geeks, I got a cold shoulder. After I contacted the I-Team, an investigative reporter asked for an interview. It turns out Virus Geeks didn't exercise due diligence in processing samples promptly because they exceeded their capacity. They also failed to inform their patients of the problem. Their lack of transparency jeopardized the public health of residents in San Francisco and San Mateo counties. As a result, my participation contributed to helping patients get the answers they sought.
Sept. 24, 2018:
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court nominations and controversy over Donald Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, I was contacted by the S.F. Chronicle's Higher Education Reporter Nanette Asimov to share my experience. She recalled the story I relayed about my time as an undergrad at UCLA, specifically how I was threatened by the administration for expressing my concerns/frustrations when my cries for help went dismissed. In her article, she highlighted the hardships many victims and survivors may endure when faced with the choice to speak up. It was my hope that stepping forward would let other women and students know they're not alone while emboldening them to come forward.
Oct. 1, 2013:
Earlier in the year, I was assaulted by a panhandler on probation at a San Francisco BART. After the S.F.P.D. caught him, I'd hope justice would prevail by protecting my victim's rights and sentence my attacker in court. Unfortunately, the exact opposite happened. I was shortchanged of my Marsy's Rights--a bill of rights allotted to all victims of violent crime, by the S.F. District Attorney, under the management of then D.A. George Gascon. Unwilling to bite the bullet, I contacted the local media about this atrocity. Doug Sovern of KCBS responded. In a series broadcasts, I recapped my story while Doug highlighted the preventable negligences practiced by the D.A. It was my aim to inform others of their rights by sharing my experience while openly protesting the abuse of Marsy's Law by the very people employed to defend them. The 6-part series involved analysis and commentary by Director Meg Garvin of the National Crime Victims Institute and the then Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, and California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye.
Oct. 2013:
While I was surviving the aftermath of my Marsy's Rights being violated by the S.F. District Attorney's Office, I was witness to another crime. It was a landmark case committed by the 21st Century Drug Kingpin Ross Ulbricht, Founder and CEO of Silk Road. While communicating with KCBS producers via email at a neighborhood library, I got the surprise of my life. Some of the patrons seated and hovering around me turned out to be undercover FBI Agents. What began as just another quiet day in the library was shattered the moment agents revealed their identity and pounced on Ulbricht with handcuffs ready. Out of fear for my safety, I agreed to shared my experience then anonymously. At the time, I knew nothing about Ulbricht and his association with drug trafficking, money laundering, conspiracy, murder for hire, or cryptocurrency and didn't want to be targeted for speaking out.