Sofi Zeman covers education, safety and crime in Uvalde, Texas, for the Uvalde Leader News. Before joining the Uvalde team, she reported on education and state government for the Columbia Missourian and Missouri News Network, respectively. A few of her favorite past projects include writing about inequity in Missouri’s clemency process and investigating corporal punishment policies in the public schools system. She graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism with a bachelor’s in print journalism and a minor in Spanish.
Beat: Education, safety and crime
This reporter focuses on school coverage and crime. The two beats have become inextricably linked in Uvalde since the tragedy at Robb Elementary, where 19 children and 2 adults were slain by a gunman. At a time of growing secrecy by government officials, this reporter advances and covers school board meetings, develops standalone stories originating from and outside of meetings, and highlights campus events. Sources for the crime beat include the Uvalde Police Department, Uvalde County Sheriff's Office, and Uvalde CISD police, with some interaction with Sabinal Police Department, county constables, and Real and Zavala county sheriff's offices.