Where I Am

MCKENZIE BEARD IS A WASHINGTON, D.C. - BASED JOURNALIST, EDITOR, PHOTOGRAPHER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER, AND ACTIVIST. 

Beard is a reporter and editor for AWOL Magazine currently covering the Health beat. Her work frequently covers human behavior, gender, identity, the economy, the environment, and local, national, and international politics news and politics. 

Over the course of her career, Beard has been driven by her passion for social justice and love for storytelling. She considers herself a 'lifelong learner,' eager to both stay in tune with the world around her and continue to educate herself and others on progressive issues. Her desire for knowledge, love for the written word, and hunger to seek the truth has helped her share the stories of everyone from Palestinian youth activists to those affected by local food desserts to the patients of COVID-19. 

That's enough about talking about myself in the third person. 

I use my gifts for storytelling, photography, and writing to help encourage genuine human connection that breaks down boundaries. 

Every day, I wake up in search of authentic expression, individuality, and heart. This journey has exposed me to a wide range of people and their stories around the world. It is my civic responsibility, I feel, to document these experiences and use them to create a greater impact and touch the minds and hearts of those who never would have been exposed to various livelihoods otherwise. 

Everything I do stems from a deeply-rooted passion for asking difficult questions and working to help share their answers. Good storytelling, for me, lies in the audience's ability to connect with the words on the page or face on the screen. I strive for this quality in every story I report on, and find that the work I've done is far more impactful when I'm able to be on the ground and interacting with the story and its players directly. My approach to life and work is simple: if it's not broken don't fix it, and if it is, learn from it and immediately make the change. 

As a journalist, the world around me that I'm reporting on is constantly changing. As an individual, the same sentiment is true. I believe it is my responsibility to acknowledge the past, grow from my mistakes, and continue the pursuit of helping others to share their stories. I have a strong commitment to fighting for equality, justice, and holding systems in place and government figures accountable, and have found that I am best at doing this when I can give a platform to others to share their experiences. Diversity in both the stories I'm helping to tell, the sources I interact with, and the media I consume is of paramount importance to me, and is a principle factor in each of my decisions. 

Why I'm a journalist is simple: there is no greater responsibility than using stories to enact change. 

When I'm not glued to my laptop screen, I enjoy traveling, searching flea markets for secrets finds, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and trying to master the perfect Brioche loaf. 

Work and Volunteer Experience

• Teen Vogue (2021) - Freelance reporter on Black Lives Matter and the racial justice movement in public schools. 
• D.C. Witness (2021) - Editorial court reporting intern and data journalist. 
• Voice of America (2020) - Reporter and editor for VoA News Center.
• Public News Service (2019) - Freelance graphic design artist creating logos for digital programs. 
• KBOO Community Radio (2019) - Reporter, social media and website manager, audio engineer, graphic designer, producer, and interim news director. 
• American University Bender Library (May 2019 - present) - interlibrary loans services assistant. 
• YMCA (March 2016 - August 2019) - Childhood Development Teacher
• Young Women's Writing Workshop (September 2017 - June 2018) - Co-founder and Mentor. 
• AWOL (January 2019 - present) - Investigative Reporter, Editor, and member of the Executive Board. 

Education, Honors, and Awards

• American University - School of Communications (August 2021-May 2022) MA Investigative Journalism and Public Affairs.
• American University - School of Communications and the College of Arts and Sciences (August 2018 - May 2021)                                                                     BA Investigative Journalism Major and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Minor. 
• American University Dean's List - Fall 2018- Present
• AU Abroad Student Ambassador (2018) - blogger and representative of the Mentorship Program in England. 
• National Honors Society President (September 2017 - June 2018)
• College Media Associate Pinnacle Award Nominee (2020) - Best Feature "At Their Most Vulnerable."
• Student Advisory Commissioner - Sine Institute of Public Policy (Fall 2020 - May 2021)