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Hello, I'm Isabelle!

I am a May 2026 graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in journalism and mass communications and a minor in Spanish. Please check out my work to see my skills in print, digital, and multimedia journalism!

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The Daily Iowan •

Former ICE detainee recounts experience in Muscatine County Jail

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on March 4 to include Muscatine County Jail’s contract with the federal government, which was not provided to The Daily Iowan at the time of initial publication.
Released from Muscatine County Jail after nearly a year and a half in ICE detainment, a former detainee was relieved to see the sun again. Granted anonymity by The Daily Iowan due to safety concerns, the source said the windows inside the facility were so opaque they did not let direct sunlight in....
The Daily Iowan •

State, local resources lead Iowa to lowest recidivism rate in a decade

Tommy Miller was sitting in his first period high school biology class when police walked in and arrested him for a crime that would eventually land him in various prisons across Iowa for 17 1/2 years.While incarcerated, Miller said he was not the type of person to sit idly in his cell, counting down the days. Instead, he spent time reading any book he could get his hands on, taking classes the institutions offered, and doing groundskeeping work at local cemeteries. “There’s a lot of things to g...
The Gazette •

How Corridor governments spent $140M in pandemic aid

Since its start in 2012, Dream City has continued to evolve its mission with the support of the community the organization calls home ― Iowa City.
Dream City, 611 Southgate Ave., began as a community organization with an aim to support young men of color with different programming, such as performing arts. Eight years after it began, the organization began to pivot its focus to community and economic development in south Iowa City.
Soon after this shift, Dream City applied fo...
The Gazette •

Iowa City residents rally for rec center recognition

IOWA CITY — Mary Bennett spent around two decades of her life teaching aerobic classes at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center in Iowa City, where she’d walk to after her workday at the nearby State Historical Society.
She said she grew to appreciate the space not only for its indoor amenities, such as its pool and community gathering spaces, but also for its architectural design.
To honor the building, at 220 S. Gilbert St., Bennett began to pursue placing it on the...
The Daily Iowan •

Female leadership at the UI sees increase over past decade

In her time at the UI, Hansen has consistently worked in some sort of division or department that related to student life. She started in Health Promotion and Health Education — now known as Student Wellness — and eventually worked her way up from an entry-level position to being selected as the vice president for student life in April 2020.

Wilson said the UI does not have any hiring initiatives that specifically target women but rather that the university hires the best fit for a job and has...
The Daily Iowan •

UI to dissolve Rape Victim Advocacy Program, lay off staff members

The University of Iowa is dissolving the Rape Victim Advocacy Program and transitioning its services to the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, the university announced Thursday on Iowa Now. 
Storm O’Brink, volunteer coordinator for the Rape Victim Advocacy Program, stated in an email obtained by The Daily Iowan that the staff members of the program were reportedly not notified of this transition until Thursday. 
O’Brink stated no member of the program was reportedly consulted about this tra...
The Daily Iowan •

Fifteen years later: Iowa’s evolution of marriage equality

When Jen and Dawn BarbouRoske first met on a softball team in Grinnell, Iowa, the two said it was the sentimental kind of love that is only seen in romantic comedies.
“It was one of those sorts of goofy love at first sight, it really was for both of us,” Dawn BarbouRoske said. “We would just hang out, looking at the stars, and I mean, it was pretty sappy.”As the years went by and their love for each other grew, the BarbouRoskes eventually got married — not once, but twice.
Their first wedding wa...
The Daily Iowan •

Southside residents fearful of industrial development in old IC Kirkwood campus

When Anne Marie Kraus, a southside Iowa City resident, is out in her garden tending to her plants, she said she is often bombarded with many scents. These scents are not the pleasant aromas of peonies or fresh-grown vegetables, though.
Instead, Kraus said these scents are potent, headache-inducing odors put off by nearby industrial buildings. These kinds of odors have become somewhat of a norm in the neighborhood, according to residents.
These smells are so strong Kraus said she can tell the exa...
The Daily Iowan •

Trump prevails in rural Johnson County caucus

Residents of rural Johnson County braved the extreme cold and snow-covered roads for the Republican caucuses to show their support for former President Donald Trump. 
In Oxford, Iowa, located about 30 minutes northwest of Iowa City with a population of 700, more than half of the approximately 50 caucus attendees cast their support toward Trump. Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Ron DeSantis received votes in the single digits. 
This result follows suit with the rest of the state, with Trump winn...
The Daily Iowan •

Housing code changes causing division in Iowa City

When Danixa Johanna Saravia Santos returns home from her job as a house cleaner, her trailer home is bustling with 11 other adults and eight children. When she walks into the kitchen, her foot sinks down because of the home’s uneven floor due to leaky pipes underneath that they can’t afford to repair.
Saravia Santos is one of many immigrants and refugee residents in Iowa City who lives in poor conditions because she can’t afford the cost of living anywhere else in the city.
The National Low Inco...

About Me

I have worked in the field of journalism since my senior year of high school and fell in love with meeting people, telling their stories, and, most of all, providing a service to the public by keeping them informed. While my experience has been primarily in print, I have a wide range of multimedia and digital skills through professional and academic experiences, including photography, videography, graphic design, and web design. I am currently looking for jobs in any type of newsroom — print, broadcast, radio, or digital — that will allow me to continue pursuing my passion for storytelling and strengthening our democracy.