Outside of Community Hero Spotlight in Chicago.

This is my first blog post, and I have been contemplating how to describe my experience with The Chicago Reporter. This summer has been filled out with new opportunities. Over the past month, I have come to recognize how this experience will enable me to pursue my purpose and sense of calling by exposing me to novel insights and perspectives. The Chicago Reporter’s mission resonates with my passion for giving a voice to marginalized communities and promoting justice. Through this fellowship, I have enhanced my personal development by engaging with a wide range of topics, deepening my understanding of local issues that have far-reaching effects. An important objective of mine is to emphasize unjust matters and advocate for equality, even in small areas such as Chicago.

This fellowship has played a pivotal role in my personal growth through its diverse coverage, which has expanded my awareness of a multitude of issues. Last week, I finally had the chance to meet my supervisor in person as she asked me to attend one of the events in Chicago, which is the Community Hero Spotlight. Most of my work is remote, so I only sometimes have the chance to be in action. However, attending this event provided me with a valuable chance to engage with collaborative reporters and develop new ideas for my own piece. One of my current focuses is actively assisting in investigating the issue of wealth disparity in the Chicago area and reaching out to community members, mainly from the Black and Latino populations. Engaging with community members, learning about their experiences, and listening to their insights has been an enriching and fulfilling pursuit. Moreover, my investigation assistance on the wealth inequality report has helped me gain a better understanding of the challenges that community members from Black and Latin populations are encountering. I am eager to continue shedding light on crucial issues such as poverty, social inequality, racial discrimination, and gun violence. My hope is, through the guidance of my supervisor, I can develop my own piece that allows me to amplify equality so that I can contribute to the mission of the Chicago Reporter while proposing solutions to the community. I believe that this experience is helping me understand my calling better and will be a bridge for my future career. The Chicago Reporter experience has been extremely special because not only is it allowing me to gain professional growth, but also, personally, it is connected with my sense of calling and my goals of highlighting injustice, spreading awareness, and cultivating empathy.

– Nour Alhajjeh, The Chicago Reporter