I'm "the new Josh." Or so I'm told. 

As many readers are aware, PubliCola creator Josh Feit left Seattle Met magazine in January to become a speechwriter for Seattle mayor Ed Murray. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to try to be "the new Josh"—but let's be honest, I can never fill his shoes. He's a reporter I've admired since college, and I'm still awestruck that I'm sitting in his place. 

So here I am, taking over PubliCola as an associate editor at Seattle Met. I wrote my last few stories for my daily paper on Friday, said goodbye to my small family of coworkers, and spent all of Saturday scrubbing wall spots off my Longview apartment and moving boxes into my new West Seattle home. Josh has had decades' worth of experience reporting on Seattle politics. I'm a young journalist with an incredible opportunity who grew up in a scientific family that doesn't understand politics and would still love to see me become a doctor. 

No, I definitely am not anything like Josh Feit. So I won't try.

Instead I hope I can bring something else to the table. There's a lot I can say about my mix of identities, but the prevailing one for me has always been simple—journalist. I'm passionate about a free press, and I believe it's crucial now more than ever. 

Here's a bit of background: For the past year I've been covering local council meetings, Cowlitz County, and Southwest Washington politics for The Daily News in Longview. Before that I lived in Amman, Jordan, and graduated from the University of Washington and Medill School of Journalism. I'm excited to be back in the city where I spent my early college years, where I know there's a high demand for political coverage and citizen activism unmatched by any other city in the U.S. 

I believe in reporting on topics that affect all kinds of people, not just those who show up at city council meetings. My father's Japanese, my mother is Syrian, and I was raised Muslim in Eastern Washington. I grew up in a family that avoided political activism like the plague, and that background has served me well in my efforts to be objective.

Most importantly I care deeply about accessible journalism, keeping my stories simple enough for those who are most affected by the policies to start paying attention. And my experience has taught me that not every answer is black and white; rural parts of the state are struggling and disenfranchised with the Democratic party, and it's time to try to understand why. 

So here I am, ready to work. I can't promise it'll be the PubliCola you've been missing. But I can promise that I'll do what I can to bring everything I have into the mix.