Digital Storyteller | News-Media Expert | Community Leader
I am a journalist and writer specializing in digital media and news podcasts. I was previously a special projects producer for Paramount Global’s Inside Edition Digital, where covered longform stories surrounding tragedy and the aftermath of crime. My work has also appeared on bodw+, Jessica Yellin’s News Not Noise podcast and Amanda de Cadenet’s The Conversation.
Outside of journalism, I have vast experience in corporate communications in a variety of written formats for science nonprofits, multi-national corporations, financial institutions and environmental companies. I lean on my familiarity with search engine optimization and the media landscape to support other professionals or teams in developing editorial strategy, building brand recognition and perfecting marketing materials.
I am based in New York between New York City and Ithaca, where I relocated to attend Cornell Law School as a J.D. candidate graduating in 2026. I moved to New York from Vancouver, British Columbia to study journalism and politics at New York University, where I graduated cum laude. My experience growing up as an immigrant raised by a single mother informs my dedication to socioeconomic equity, racial justice and the Asian-American experience.
enterprise reporting
Mystery of Denise Ramsey's Death Haunts Her Family More Than a Year After Her Body Was Found in Dad's Shed
The body of Denise Scott Ramsey was found in her father's shed 17 months after she was last heard from. Her father died of COVID-19 months before Denise's remains were found, potentially taking with him answers to the many questions surrounding her death as family members continue to worry her socioeconomic status and designation as a drug user will bar her from receiving the justice she deserves.
With Lunar New Year Afoot, Chinatown Businesses' Optimism Wanes After Enduring Year of Racism, Pandemic Stress
When Patrick Mock, manager of the bakery 46 Mott Street, saw his neighbors in New York City's Chinatown struggle as lockdowns forced many out of a job, he began handing out meals for free – which he continues to do nightly, 10 months into the pandemic.
For Woman Who Desegregated Schools as a Child, the Notion of ‘Radical Change’ Is Subjective,
The first Black children to blaze a trail for others to follow were first graders Leona Tate, Tessie Prevost and Gail Etienne. They were the first to attend McDonogh No. 19 Elementary School in 1960 and later became known as the McDonogh Three.
Julissia Batties, 7, Barely Knew Her Mom Before She Died of Injuries Suffered at Her Bronx Home, Friend Says
Julissia Batties, the 7-year-old who died of injuries in a Bronx apartment, barely had a relationship with her mother when she was brought to live with her last year, a friend of the family said. “She never used to really talk about her mom. If you asked me it was like she didn't exist to her,” Jalissa Jacob told Inside Edition Digital.
Hong Kong's Free Press Is 'Hanging by a Thread.' Supporting It Is the People's Latest Act of Protest.
As protests are banned and activists are arrested, Hong Kong residents are finding new ways to stand in solidarity against China’s crackdown: buying newspapers. Following the arrest of media mogul Jimmy Lai for suspected collusion with foreign forces, according to the new national security law, the people of Hong Kong rallied behind the tabloid newspaper he founded, Apple Daily, by purchasing copies in droves.
Relisha Rudd, 8, Disappeared From a Notorious DC Homeless Shelter in 2014. Her Family Continues to Seek Answers
It wasn’t until authorities arrived at her grandmother’s house with their guns drawn that Reilsha Rudd’s family members discovered she was missing. By then, it had been weeks since the girl was last seen.
Alabama Woman Nearly Killed, Put in Coma After Beating Breathes Easy After Ex’s Arrest: ‘I Feel a Lot Safer’
Crystal Shannon was nearly beaten to death by her ex-fiancé in March 2022. She was admitted with a cracked skull, and suffered several strokes and a brain aneurysm while in a medically induced coma. Against all odds, she survived, and stepped toward a brighter future by moving across state lines and regaining custody of her daughter by getting sober. Then, she received the message that said not only did her ex know where she and her daughter were now living, but that he would stop at nothing to finish what he started.
Why Did 21 Million Phone Numbers Disappear from China After Coronavirus Outbreak?
During the first month of pandemic lockdowns in China, the country of more than 1.4 billion reported only a few thousand COVID-related deaths. So when major cellphone carriers in China reported a loss in nearly 21 million subscriptions in January and February, some skeptics theorized that the number of phone numbers that disappeared from the original hotspot of the virus may correlate to the real number of lives lost.
longform producing
Whitney Austin Survived a Mass Shooting. Now She Helps Others Do the Same.
When Whitney Austin left for work on Sept. 6, 2018, she never anticipated becoming a victim of a mass shooting. Moments after arriving to her workplace at the Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio, she was hit by a barrage of bullets. Against all odds, she survived. Today, she supports other victims of gun violence through her nonprofit Whitney/Strong.
After a Fatal Drive-By Shooting Kills 8-Year-Old PJ Evans, His Mom Says Keeping His Legacy Alive Helps Her Continue
PJ Evans was struck by a stray bullet when a drive-by shooting occurred near his aunt’s home. The 8-year-old rising football star was having dinner with his cousins, PlayStation controller still in hand, when he was killed.
Louisville Man Paralyzed From Attempted Car Jacking Builds New Life Dedicated to Fighting Gun Violence
Terrell Williams was just 21 when he saw someone attempt to drive off in his car as he stopped for a soda on his way to his brother's house. Gunfire erupted, and the next thing Williams knew, his legs felt like heavy bags of water.
The Complicated History of Marijuana Use and Attitudes Toward Drugs in the US, Partly According to Tommy Chong
Throughout the years, weed has been a medicine, a crime and now a business opportunity, but one thing stayed the same: Tommy Chong, of stoner duo "Cheech and Chong," is going to smoke it.
Trying to Convince Someone to Leave Behind QAnon? This Cult Interventionist Knows the Way.
Lauren and Robert* started dating before the 2016 election – before Donald Trump was taken seriously as a real contender for the Republican nomination, she said. Neither were too politically opinionated, but she had considered the both of them to be liberal and progressive. At some point, Robert's became interested in the Alt-Right, and more concerningly so, QAnon.
just for fun
Here’s What Happened When We Visited New York City’s Oldest Standing House With Paranormal Investigators
On a recent Saturday night, InsideEdition.com reporter Johanna Li visited the Morris-Jumel Mansion, New York City’s oldest standing house, to explore claims of supernatural activity. She had help from the Gotham Paranormal Research Society, a team that studies otherworldly phenomena. The group placed a variety of meters, gauges and cameras around the mansion to capture any evidence of visitors from the beyond.
Santa’s Real Helpers: The Secret Lives of Christmas Tree Vendors
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially for salesman Scott Lechner of SoHo Trees, who enjoys the holidays from a different perspective. Lechner’s roots in the Christmas tree industry began when it was controlled by the mob and organized crime. Today, he sells all types of trees to all New Yorkers, families and celebrities alike. He’s even sold trees to Mariah Carey. “I do get billionaires bargaining with me for $10, though,” he joked.
This 83-Year-Old Has More Tinder Matches Than You
Hattie is thriving at 83 years old and she has gone on more dates than she can count. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, she offers Inside Edition Digital reporter Johanna Li her best advice on how to find The One. Who should message first? What do you do on a first date? How do you end it if it isn’t going according to plan? Plus, she goes over her do’s and don’ts when it comes to Tinder, and how she reacts when people say she’s just too old for this.
Thanksgiving Might Be Our Nation’s Oldest Tradition. Here’s The Holiday Feast Would Have Looked Like 100 Years Ago.
From green bean casserole and cranberry sauce to mincemeat pie and oysters, "A Taste of the Past" host Linda Pelaccio gives us a peek into what recipes were enjoyed at Thanksgiving dinner at the turn of the 20th century, a crucial time due to the technological advances like flash freezing, canning, and gas ranges that changed cooking forever. She also explains how that time period set the foundation of the foods we enjoy today.
We Sent Our Reporters Through a Haunted House. Here’s What Happened.
Inside Edition Digital reporters Johanna Li and Maya Chung spent an evening at Hudson Horrors, a haunted house attraction in Rye, New York. The frightening night was filled with talking portraits, reanimated dolls, zombie nurses and more. "Don't be the last person in the group," an undead doctor warned.
At Summer Camp, 17-Year-Old With Spinal Muscular Atrophy Gets to Swim, Play Basketball and More
Maria Llave, 17, relies on her power wheelchair to get around. She has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a progressive disease that causes muscle weakness. "Little tasks in the day, like opening a water bottle, we can't do that," she said. But during her week at the Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp, a sleepaway camp created for kids like her, Maria participates in activities like swimming, sports and theater even though she can't normally do that in her everyday life.