Category Writing
Sioux City apartment guide: Maneuvering a maze of possibilities
By Kay Kemmet | Sioux City Weekender Brad Wehde awkwardly described his living situation to his friends and romantic interests. After finishing his degree in architecture at Iowa State University, Wehde moved home to Sioux City and did the unthinkable, he crashed at his parents house leaving his father to wonder, “What did I do […]
The cost of experience: Some interns forgo paycheck to get a foot in the door
Story by Kay Kemmet | Indianapolis Star Writer’s note: The controversy over unpaid internships seems to come up every summer. With this summer’s news of more interns suing their former employees, I wanted to find a new way to cover this issue. Lizzette Menendez, with her dedication to her career and willingness to put in extra hours, […]
Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio features second and third generation of string-pullers
Story by Kay Kemmet | Indianapolis Star Writer’s note: Puppeteering isn’t a typical career path, but for this family, it’s a way of life. My challenge with this story was finding an angle to this multigenerational business. I found that in Heidi Shackleford, a relatable stay-at-home mom who balances her two loves: her children and her puppets. This […]
Indianapolis photographer Katie Basbagill documents life of refugees in Bangladesh
Story by Kay Kemmet | Indianapolis Star Writer’s note: Through this article, about an Indianapolis photographer traveling abroad, I wanted to tell not only her story but the story of the Biharis, an under-represented group in Bangladesh. I believe I accomplished that with this defining moment lead from the photographer’s time in Bangladesh. This story ran on […]
U visas offer violence victims a way to stay
Story by Kay Kemmet | Nebraska Mosaic Writer’s note: While researching a separate article on citizenship for undocumented immigrants, I learned about a unique visa for victims of abuse, U visas. While reporting this article, and many other articles for Nebraska Mosaic, I conducted interviews in Spanish, giving a voice to Nebraska’s Hispanic immigrants. The scars on […]
‘The kid in the bathtub’: 20 years later
Story by Kay Kemmet | Bismarck Tribune Writer’s note: “The kid in the bathtub” story has followed this North Dakota man his entire adult life. It was difficult to find his unlisted phone number and took searching online databases for a close family relative. However once I spoke with John Thompson, it was clear more of […]
300 games later, Husker pride still burns red hot
Story by Kay Kemmet | Omaha World-Herald Writer’s note: This Saturday feature is an interesting spin on a sports feature and was placed where sports stories are usually teased, above the masthead in the Omaha-World Herald. The story of these two fans shows Nebraskan’s passion for football, but also tells the story of a couple and their life […]
Lyme disease can be debilitating
Story by Kay Kemmet | The Grand Island Independent Writer’s note: Through one woman’s story, this article about Lyme disease reached many people who didn’t realize the severity of the disease as well as others who suffer from the same illness. I received many positive comments and emails long after the story was published. Karleen Sundermeier […]
Digging family from misfortune
Story by Kay Kemmet | Digital Media India Writer’s note: As I approached Usha Debi, she told me she expected payment for our short interview. She saw me as an outsider, a stranger and wanted to continue sorting her trash. By the end of our conversation, though, she was in tears thanking me for listening to her story. […]
Kay Kemmet 