I was born in Oklahoma City and always had a love for storytelling in some way. I was also growing up with the newly arrived NBA team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Growing up, I found myself to be a huge fan. Once I got old enough to be able to read and use the internet, and actually show an interest in reading beyond school, I gravitated towards sports journalism. Initially, that was what I wanted to do.

But I realized that journalism is an avenue for a very important kind of storytelling. It’s for the kind of stories that happen in real life. It was just my introduction into the broader world of journalism.