Melissa B.

The Wait: Inside the Lives of Asylum Seekers in Germany

This project aims to provide perspectives absent from much of the current news on refugees around the globe — a peek into what life is like for those who have made it to Europe in search of safety, freedom, better lives. In 2016, we conducted interviews with asylum seekers in five different German cities. This new media project tells their stories in text, animation, interviews and 360 video.

• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Documentary DP
• Reporter / Journalist
• Video Editor - News

Experience Life On The Streets Of San Francisco

There are more than 6,000 homeless people in San Francisco, according to a 2015 report, and each person has a different story. Cheryl Iversen, who goes by Tygrr, has been homeless since the 1990s. Jackie Juarez and her fiancé, Gustavo Rios, have been living in a tent in the Mission District for about two months. This piece shares their experiences navigating homelessness.

• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Documentary DP

Fleeing War

Khaled, 27, and Kholoud, 23, are from Aleppo, Syria. Both fled war at home, making the dangerous Mediterranean crossing to reach Europe. They met online once Khaled was already in Germany. They are now married and building a life together, despite obstacles, in Muenster.

• News Shooter / Video Journalist

Dead Before the Fire Even Came Through

• Documentary DP
• Video Editor - Documentary

Establishing A New Life

VINCENT, 27, is from Guinea. He has been in Germany since March 2014. Vincent traveled first from Guinea to Belgium, where his initial application for asylum was refused. In order to be allowed to apply in Germany, he was forced to stay in hiding for 18 months.