Meredith Browand

From 1995 to 2007 I was an active volunteer with the American Legion Auxiliary’s Girls State program. I lived in Indiana at the time and spent a week each summer volunteering at Hoosier Girls … more

As a new year breaks and the sun rises on 2024, we are faced with the reality that, once again, an election year is upon us. more

July 4, 2023, was the hottest recorded day on Earth. I just happened to be in Phoenix, Arizona, attending a baseball tournament for my son where the daily temperature reached 115 degrees. It was the … more

Earlier this year my husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary at a resort in Fiji. Situated on an island in the Beqa Lagoon south of the Fijian mainland, the resort was an absolute … more

Dec. 14, 2012 dawned like any other mid-winter day. School was winding down before the holidays, Christmas was on the horizon, and families were anticipating the start of the coming new year. But it … more

I was raised by public school educators. I saw firsthand the work, dedication and compassion that being a teacher required. more

In the spring of 2014, after several years of trying, my family was selected in a national lottery for tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll. We were beyond thrilled. My husband and I decided to … more

My daughter turned 1 just two days after Gov. Jay Inslee issued the first stay-at-home orders of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. We opened birthday presents with family on Facetime and she had … more

My social media feeds were recently filled with people lamenting the fact they were just now learning about the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. Many of these friends were also publicly wondering how … more

My two oldest children are 12 and 13, and until recently I had never cried at a school drop off; not the first day of preschool, not the start of full-day kindergarten, not when we moved to the … more

Since its release on Disney+ July 3, I’ve been watching and listening to “Hamilton: The Musical” on a regular basis while anxiously awaiting the day when live theater is again a reality so I can see it in person. I was undoubtedly late to the Hamilton party but I quickly fell in love with the storytelling, the cast, the music, and the connection I felt between the show and the 2020 election already swirling around me. more

When I turned 18, I told my dad I was never going to miss an election. Not a general, primary or special election. I grew up with parents that took their civic responsibilities seriously and I guess … more

I am typically an undeniable news junkie. I love to watch the news, I read all types of news outlets throughout the day, and I can identify my favorite cable … more

As 2019 rapidly comes to a close it’s natural to take a few minutes to reflect on the past year. If your year was anything like mine it flew by in what felt … more

The world recently lost one of the most profound voices of our time, Toni Morrison. This Nobel laureate and recipient of the Presidential Medal of … more