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Taylor O'Connor is a dedicated journalist currently serving as a reporter for the Santa Maria Sun since August 2021, covering breaking news and community events, as well as producing long-form investigative pieces in Northern Santa Barbara County. O'Connor also works as a freelance journalist for Times Media Group, contributing stories to a publication that serves more than 1.1 million readers across Phoenix, Tucson, and LA metro markets since January 2019. Previous experience includes an internship at the Arizona State University - Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where O'Connor designed augmented reality segments and created Unity-based storytelling experiences, and an internship with Mission to Costa Rica, focusing on website redesign and translation services. O'Connor holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the Walter Cronkite School and a certificate in Cross-Sector Leadership from ASU's Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions, complemented by a fellowship at Barrett, The Honors College.