Josalee is a photojournalist living in Southington, Conn., who feels silly writing about herself in third person.

Hi. This is much better. I graduated from Boston University, majoring in journalism and minoring in Latin American studies. During my time at BU I spent six months in New Zealand, where I volunteered as an in-house photographer for Te Whanau o Waipareira Trust, a Maori organization. Even though I did not learn much regarding the technical aspect of my trade, the experience taught me a priceless amount about the value of cultural traditions among indigenous people.

A year later I spent a semester in Washington, DC, where I interned at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Washington bureau and UPI while I also shot for several New England newspapers. After I graduated, I interned at the Waterbury Republican-American, and after two months I was hired as a full-time staffer. Since joining the staff, I have shot practically everything, from college sports and high school robotics, to local and regional politics, and even friendly giant bears wearing t-shirts with my name on them.

I grew up in Ft. Story, Va. and Newport News, Va.. As a child I frequently visited my family in Panama, where I also did a lot of growing up, whether from witnessing the demise of military dictator Manuel Noriega via the work of the US military or from learning how to climb ancient volcanos in flip-flops and then killing giant insects with said flip-flops. There is no knowledge that is not power.

I am available for freelance. Please contact me for rates.

josie@josaleethrift.com