'Painful to be here': Timothy Piazza's parents speak out against fraternity, sorority hazing on Penn State's campus |
For two years, I had the immense responsibility of covering and overseeing the Beta Theta Pi fraternity hazing death case for The Daily Collegian. Despite spending extensive hours in the courtroom amid pretrials, guilty pleas and sentencings — all while juggling a full course load — this was easily the most rewarding experience of my collegiate journalism career. Through enterprise reporting, I also had the unique opportunity to forge a close source relationship with parents Jim and Evelyn Piazza; in April 2019, I earned the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications Davis Ethics Award due to my compassionate and diligent writing.
On the piece to the left, I chronicle the Piazzas' visit to Penn State, in which they were finally given the opportunity to address hundreds of Greek life student leaders. Penn State, while very hesitant to distribute media credentials, allowed me to cover the event; the Piazzas sat down for a candid interview immediately following their speech. |
Greek tragedies | Analysis: How Florida State responded to death of pledge Andrew Coffey vs. Penn State's handling of the Timothy Piazza case
As the investigative reporter for The Daily Collegian in Fall 2017, I often wrote about crumbling Greek life systems across the country — and how they circled back to Penn State's own fraternity tragedy. |
'Many mental breakdowns': A closer look at the rigorous Penn State Millennium Scholars Program 'Summer Bridge'
When I was first tipped off about the severity of this program, it seemed implausible Millennium Scholars had gone unnoticed by Penn State. A series of interviews confirmed the striking consequences for stepping out bounds in a summer STEM orientation. |
Ramon Guzman now leads a 'happy' life after battling mental illness
As the inaugural mental health and wellness reporter for The Daily Collegian, I helped paved the way for this beat and introduce content that had previously been lacking in our publication. From interviewing suicide-attempt survivors to spotlighting counseling resources at Penn State, I aimed to quell stigma.
In the above story, I profiled Ramon Guzman, who attempted to complete suicide twice attempts. I blended his deep depression with his newfound positivity and advocacy. This story inspired my Schreyer Honors College senior thesis on mental health. |