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In January, I didn't think I'd be eligible to get the COVID-19 jab until July. Yet by the end of April, I was fully vaccinated and able to resume some pre-pandemic pastimes I'd missed: getting together with family and friends, traveling with my husband and interviewing sources in person. That last one might seem silly, but it's really what we all missed in 2020 — connecting, person to person, with people in our community. 

When I joined the Post-Dispatch digital team in August, I was excited to work with a team of talented journalists who shared my passion for promoting the local stories our newsroom produces daily.

You can't really distill that type of work into a list of five clickable links, though. Instead, here's a roundup of stories I've filed in the past few months:

1. WWE Superstar Bianca Belair kicked off 2021 by winning the women's Royal Rumble match. On Jan. 29, she's hoping to start 2022 with similar momentum in St. Louis at the 35th annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view at the Dome at America’s Center. I interviewed her about her career in WWE, including making history with Sasha Banks as the first Black women to main event at WrestleMania. Read the story.

2. A young fan was so excited to meet Nelly on a chilly Saturday in November, she forgot to grab her jacket from the car — so Nelly gave her his. I spoke with her mom to learn more about their encounter with Nelly and how it made her daughter's week so much brighter. Read the story.

3. All Elite Wrestling's Matt Sydal returned to his native St. Louis for Rampage, a live show at Chaifetz Arena, on Nov. 5. I chatted with Sydal about growing up in St. Louis, joining AEW and what iconic St. Louis food he was most excited to eat on his trip home. Read the story.

4. Are you sensing a theme? In October, I spoke with WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre, who is hopeful he’ll get a second shot at a Championship run in front of fans starting at the Royal Rumble in St. Louis on Jan. 29. Read the story.

5. In September, as part of the Post-Dispatch's special coverage of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I interviewed Wake Up to Politics author and St. Louis native Gabe Fleisher about 9/11's legacy for younger Americans. Watch here.