Before even unpacking from her Olympic trip, silver medalist Anita Alvarez spoke with me. In this interview, she opens up about team rituals, stepping onto the podium in Paris, watching her USA artistic swimming team’s underwater moonwalk explode online, the time she almost drowned, and how that setback inspired others to persevere through challenges. Alvarez fell in love with artistic swimming while growing up in Western New York. This is her story.

Thank you to USA Artistic Swimming for providing me with photos. Courtesies: Anita Alvarez, Liz Corman, JH Exposures and James Rokop.

This report contains candid images a United Nations ambassador gave me from footage that she swiftly tossed in her handbag as she fled from invading troops seeking her life. An Indonesian army was attacking Timor-Leste, a small Southeast Asian country, while she was overseeing the Timorese’ vote on independence after over 400 years of captivity. On May 20, Timor-Leste celebrates 22 years of sovereignty.

In 2018, I first studied this island nation while preparing to interview young Timor-Leste delegates for a CBS story covering their visit to the United States. That report went viral in their country, and the Timorese invited me to cover last year’s historic parliamentary election between two leaders considered resistance-era heroes. That time, my report trended internationally. This would not have been possible without the help of the Timorese and Debra Lee, the ambassador who risked her life in their vote for independence, and said, “They are the bravest people I’ve worked with.”

It has been nearly two years since the horrific, racially-driven mass shooting took the lives of loved ones at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York. Residents continue to honor them and enrich their city. On that sad day, Lieutenant Aaron Salter Jr. gave his life to save the lives of others. Creating this story about the victims and how Western New Yorkers are keeping their memories alive, was very personal for me. I had covered stories for the news in the neighborhood where this tragedy occurred many times and the people there were always so welcoming. Lieutenant Salter even went out of his way to make sure I stayed safe as I filmed a story on a busy street. Starting this weekend, through June 24, there will be a 5K race, a celebrity golf tournament, and a gala to raise funds for a charity which honors the victims by helping Buffalo’s rising generation.

For this story, I followed the restoration of a century-old Buffalo building that has attracted travelers from around the world! Watching the work of these skilled preservationists felt like going on a treasure hunt, as they chipped away old drywall and discovered elaborate artifacts hidden underneath. Supplemental photos in my report came from The Buffalo History Museum, Jason Yots, Tom Yots and Preservation Studios.

This is the first time I have animated an entire news report! For years, this Buffalo building, steeped in history, has been hidden underneath a plain façade. Few realized that it was a treasure designed by the first-know female architect and used to help lead the Black Arts Movement. In this report, I bring the building to life by combining my own animation with current footage and archival images from Preservation Studios. Restoration experts from that company are collaborating with Common Bond Real Estate and Urban Vantage to bring the building back to its original state. Recently, motion graphics have become more prominent in newscasts, and although every station I have worked at has had animators, I wanted to learn these skills for myself to help my news team when needed. I loved interviewing the talented preservationists and artists showcased in this piece!