bayaburgess@gmail.com — linkedin.com/in/bayaburgess/ — @bayaburgess

I am a freelance multimedia journalist in Washington, D.C. I graduated from the University of Kansas’ journalism school in 2026. I grew up in Kansas and have been reporting here since I was 15 years old. I love to document the people around me and strive to make their stories known.

A woman with red hair wearing a black shirt and blue jeans stands on a stone wall, looking out over a green field with a cloudy sky in the distance.

During the summer of 2026, I covered state politics, education, immigration, health and elections with text and photographs as the intern for Kansas Reflector, an acclaimed nonprofit States Newsroom affiliate publication. I received invaluable mentorship from the editors and staff. Though my internship came to an end in August, I continue to write in-depth enterprise stories for Kansas Reflector as a freelancer.

Person holding a sash that reads "The Student Voice Since 1904," wearing a black jacket and a pink and blue academic stole from The University of Kansas School of Journalism & Mass Communications.

As a multimedia reporter and editor for The Kansan, KU’s student-led publication, I documented student culture and leads a team of photojournalists. As a reporter, I produced weekly photo essays, features and health news stories. As a multimedia editor, I developed, assigned and edited visual stories for publication. 

A crowded conference room filled with people sitting at tables, many looking towards a speaker standing at the front. The room has wood-paneled walls, large light fixtures, and an exit sign visible.

During my last semester of college, I covered the 2026 Kansas legislative session for the KU Statehouse Wire Service, often reporting from the capitol building. The service wired stories to publications across the state.

A woman with a bun hairstyle and polka dot blouse sitting at a table with laptops, during a virtual meeting at the Center for Strategic & International Studies.

That same semester, my university selected me to attend the the Center for Strategic & International Studies Journalism Bootcamp to report on women & global security in Washington, D.C. Alongside a team of my classmates, I developed, produced and presented a multimedia project analyzing gender-based violence in Italy and Mexico under female heads of state in one week. I primarily contributed to in-depth video on grassroots efforts against gender-based violence in Mexico. 

Black-and-white page from a publication showing a photograph of two people, likely a coach and a young man, in a locker room. The coach is standing and leaning towards the young man who is kneeling. The background has shelves with helmets, shoes, and sports equipment. The heading reads 'Call to Williamsburg'.
Black-and-white page from a publication showing a photograph of two people, likely a coach and a young man, in a locker room. The coach is standing and leaning towards the young man who is kneeling. The background has shelves with helmets, shoes, and sports equipment. The heading reads 'Call to Williamsburg'.
Black and white photo collage: Top left shows Shan talking to students in a gymnasium, top right shows Shan coaching a young man during practice, sitting on a bench with one hand on his chin, bottom left shows a girl with a microphone in a gym with a large logo, bottom right shows students in Halloween costumes at a school event.

In October 2024 I attended a similar kind of bootcamp, the Mountain Workshop for photojournalists held by Western Kentucky University. I spent one week in rural Kentucky learning from acclaimed photojournalists in lectures and coaching sessions. I created a photo story about members of the local community for publication in a book.

Person on a boat holding a plastic bag with a label, wearing a purple backpack and a purple jacket, with water in the background and spray cans on the boat deck.

I love to take my camera on adventures,

Photography studio setup with softbox lighting, a large reflector, and studio stands against a plain wall.

work in the studio …

A woman in traditional clothing and headscarf walks barefoot across a courtyard with a stone arcade featuring arches and columns, under a clear blue sky.

and explore foreign places.

interview people,