Covering education and politics for the Houston Defender this year has been both grounding and humbling.
Reporting on Houston ISD’s rapid transformations, the state’s shifting accountability landscape, and the everyday realities facing teachers and families has reminded me that public education is not an abstract policy arena; it is a living system shaped by power and community voices.
On the political side, following local elections, the redistricting saga over congressional district maps, legislative debates, and the ripple effects of state oversight have deepened my understanding of how governance decisions impact different neighborhoods across Houston. Whether I was interviewing state representatives and senators on the bills they proposed during the 89th legislative session this year, educators navigating new metrics, or local lawmakers defending their propositions, the throughline was always the same. It is a profound feeling to conclude that, at the end of the day, people want to be heard and taken seriously.
As an Indian reporter and Report for America corps member working in a historic Black newsroom, my reporting was accompanied by a sense of responsibility. The Defender’s legacy demands reporting that is community-centered and unafraid to interrogate inequity. I have learned to ask better questions, follow the data even when it complicates the narrative, and amplify perspectives that are often overlooked in larger outlets.
This beat has challenged me and stretched me in a way that has made me a more empathetic reporter. I am deeply grateful for the trust Houston’s communities have placed in me along the way.
