I still can’t find the words to express the whirlwind of feelings after hearing that Coverings, our investigation of child sexual abuse and cover-ups in the insular Amish and Mennonite communities, was named as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. It’s my sincere hope that the survivors who took a risk in sharing their most vulnerable stories with us in hopes of building safer, more healing communities for new generations feel their voices amplified in this moment. We hear change is happening for the better, and I couldn’t think of a better honor than that.

Reporting like this is not born in a vacuum, it’s mopped from the brows of a team of people who believe in the hard work of stories that are hard to report. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to learn from Peter Smith and Shelly Bradbury, whose humble excellence in the craft of reporting carries beyond the page and into the sinews of who they are. Editors Rebecca Droke and Lillian Thomas understood the importance of time, patience, and gentle guidance as we continued to bring back new pieces of a complex puzzle to connect together. My fellow photo staff picked up other assignments so I could be on the road or editing. Designers Zack Tanner and Alex Miller built impactful, clean presentations from the pile of text, video, and photos we’d built throughout the months.

Even further behind-the-scenes are each of our at-home support systems. My family supported me from afar with love and patience I can’t possibly deserve (even while worrying about me and probably not understanding entirely what I was doing). My partner Justin Merriman never questioned the importance of spending time away to work on this, even through my all-nighters of video editing I pulled on our long-awaited vacation at the beach. He gets why it’s important on a broader level, and I can’t imagine this past year without his loyalty and understanding. A tip of my hat to the motel vending machines I frequented as I backed up and organized files after long days of interviews. And to my grandad, a newspaper man through and through, who always told me I would see my name on the Pulitzer list (and who I always thought was just being a sweet grandad by saying that)– I hope you can see this wherever you are.