As a first-generation Italian-American, I owe a great deal of credit to my parents for instilling a strong work ethic in me and ensuring that I had not just a well-rounded education, but also that I got to experience a lot of the cultural diversity of NYC.

As a Brooklynite, I feel very fortunate that I get to contribute to improving the health outcomes of my own community in areas I care deeply about like food security, parent/child health, and equitable access to care. Another achievement I am proud of is being selected for the inaugural REACH (Responding to Epidemics and Crises in Health) Fellowship in at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. It has been an amazing and enlightening experience examining the community role in crisis response.

Our city has thousands of amazing non-profits, health, and community-based organizations. I recommend volunteering with organizations that are committed to serving populations or causes you care deeply about, and work on building meaningful connections at those institutions.

This is a hard one. I would say that summers spent at Coney Island Beach, trips with my mom to Broadway musicals or the Museum of Natural History, or my first slice of pizza could all mark moments in my childhood when I realized I was a New Yorker, and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything!

Writing, writing, more writing and a lot of listening. A reporter has to be an excellent communicator and an excellent listener.

With every day I’m growing as a reporter and continuing to advance my expertise. I look back at old stories and see how I’ve matured in my career. I’m proud of my commitment to growth because it means every day I’m better and better at serving my readers and the public interest. That’s ultimately what journalism is about.

Spend every day proving your commitment to accuracy and integrity to your readers, your sources, and your colleagues.

I’m a native New Yorker, but I feel like I only fully embodied that identity after having lived in three different boroughs. I think a large part of being a New Yorker is walking by some place and saying “I remember when that used to be…” You carry those memories of bygone, beloved locales with you.