Kerri Mcmullen

This is another example of a story I developed from an editor’s lead. I learned that Space Perspective’s test vessel was returning to Port Canaveral after successful sea trials, so I went to meet it at the dock and interviewed both founders onboard. That access led me to explore the manufacturing side of the project, where I was granted a tour of the facility. Cameras weren’t allowed inside, but I was able to speak directly with laborers about the precision and materials involved in building the balloon. The company closed shortly after my reporting, making this one of the last inside accounts of their operation.

This story began as a lead that came through my editor’s email. I picked it up, met with him for an interview, and he shared personal insight into how he got to where he is today — his path, not just his profession. I continued to follow the story by going to the processing facility, waiting as the payload was loaded onto the transport truck, and staying to photograph it as it rolled out. Through my contact at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, I was also able to secure access for both of us to shoot his portrait in the Rocket Garden, adding a visual layer that matched the significance of his story.

I contacted the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office PIO and arranged on-site access to cover the inmate sewing program. I was cleared to go behind the secure areas of the jail, where I conducted in-person interviews with Program Coordinator Janet Andrews and Inmate Programs Manager Debbie Cole. I also interviewed a participating inmate to capture the personal impact of the program. By reporting from inside the facility — on the sewing floor, around the machines, alongside the inmates — I was able to document the program firsthand and show how it teaches real skills, saves taxpayer money, and prepares inmates for reentry.