Faces Of Northeast: EllieAna Hale

EllieAna Hale is joining the Northeast News team this summer as an intern, bringing with her years of reporting experience.


Hale is double majoring in political science and communications with an emphasis in journalism at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, but that wasn’t always the plan.


“I actually was on the medical path up until my second semester of my senior year,” Hale said. “I was about to get my biomedical certification. I was applying for schools that had very reputable medical programs. I was ready to major in microbiology, and then the pandemic happened, and I literally watched the medical world crumble around me, and I decided that I did not want to be in that environment.”


The pandemic really changed Hale’s perspective on a future in the medical field, especially because she planned on studying epidemics.


In addition to gaining experience in the medical field in high school, Hale discovered a deep passion for civil rights.


“I had a really deep passion for law, communication with other people,” Hale said. “I did journalism all throughout high school and so I was like, ‘Okay, I can make a career out of this.’”


Hale headed off to college with plans of one day attending law school. She hopes to be able to provide free legal advice to low income communities.


“I’m really happy I went with this path actually, because I look at my friends who are like STEM majors and I cry for them,” Hale said. “I’m happy that I am not in that position anymore. I’m also a lot happier as a person knowing that my main goal in life is to help others – that’s what I want to do, I want to make change in a meaningful way – I believe doing that through law, being a lawyer or going into civil rights or going into journalism, I really am able to do that.”


In her limited free time, Hale enjoys trying new restaurants, bouldering at local rock climbing gyms, reading nonfiction, painting and sketching.


“I also played the violin for 12 years, and so typically when I have downtime, I like to pull it out, look at it, see if I’ll play it, or I’ll play the piano,” Hale said. “I like to do creative things because I don’t feel like I have enough time nowadays to be creative.”


Hale moved around a lot as a kid constantly, settling in Derby, Kan., long enough to graduate high school. She enjoyed visiting Kansas City with her mom, who commuted here during the week for a job in medical billing.


“I would go explore by myself and I would take the streetcar up and down Main Street and I would go to the River Market and explore, and for me personally, I always knew I would probably settle down in a city environment,” Hale said. “Just because I did grow up in more southern environments where there were lots of fields, lots of barns, cows, and so very excited to be in a city where life was happening. Life was loud, life was fast, and I was excited.”


She views Kansas City as a stepping stone to bigger cities, and a place where she can get her grounding as an individual and as an adult.


As Hale has gotten to know Historic Northeast, she’s come to love how close the community is, even though it is in a larger city.


“Other neighborhoods kind of feel a little disconnected and people just don’t stop and talk,” Hale said. “From my experience of being in Northeast all the time now with the internship and everything, I really see that people know each other, people talk to each other, people care for each other, and you just don’t really see that anywhere else, which I think is really interesting and really cool. It kind of reminds me of like small town environments where like everybody knows everybody but it’s on a more city level, which is exactly what I’m looking for because I want to live in a city but I also crave that small town culture, and Northeast kind of just provides that.”


If you see EllieAna out and about in Historic Northeast this summer, be sure to say hello and share your story!

Want Northeast News articles sent straight to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
Enter your email address and click on the Get Instant Access button.
We respect your privacy

Comments are closed.

  • ‘El acceso al idioma es un derecho humano’, detrás de la campaña de acceso al idioma de Inquilines KC

    December 6th, 2023
    by

    Daisy Garcia Montoya  Reportero de educación Inquilinos KC está uniendo fuerzas con el gobierno local e involucrando a los miembros […]


    ‘Language access is a human right’ behind KC Tenant’s language access campaign 

    December 6th, 2023
    by

    Daisy Garcia Montoya Education Reporter KC Tenants is joining forces with local government and engaging community members in efforts to create […]


    Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Independence Avenue CID Year in Review

    December 6th, 2023
    by

    Northeast News The Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce hosted a number of events throughout 2023 and spearheaded myriad improvements […]


    Jerry and Virginia Celebrating Seventy Years of Family and Community

    December 6th, 2023
    by

    Mark MoralesContributor  Jerry and Virginia Morales, longtime residents of Northeast’s Sheffield Neighborhood, recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.  Jerry and […]


    Local Author Catherine Browder Debuts New Novel, The Manning Girl

    November 29th, 2023
    by

    EllieAna HaleReporter  Catherine Browder, a familiar face in the Historic Northeast Neighborhood, reveals her debut novel, The Manning Girl. A […]


    Historic Northeast | Murals | A Kingdom Divided

    November 29th, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellReporter For this week’s Mural Spotlight, we roll down to Independence Avenue and Norton, to the west facing wall […]


    Support Local: Shop Small on the Avenue

    November 22nd, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellReporter This Saturday, November 25th is the annual Small Business Saturday and the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, […]


    City Debuts Low Bridge Warning Curtain System

    November 22nd, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellReporter After thousands of strikes and the birth of at least two cottage industries poking fun at the Independence […]


    Northeast Coalition Unveils Unified Demands for City’s Low-Barrier Shelter Proposal

    November 22nd, 2023
    by

    EllieAna HaleReporter In a second meeting held on November 14th, facilitated by 3rd District City Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, held at […]


  • This Kansas City theater company is creating space for ‘the next of LGBTQ playwrights’

    November 22nd, 2023
    by

    Taylor WilmoreStartland News Kansas City’s theater scene should be a safe and comfortable space, said Kevin King, detailing his effort […]


    Most Missouri families can’t rely on public transit to get their kids to Head Start

    November 22nd, 2023
    by

    Jodi FortinoKCUR Reporter In Missouri, just under 25% of its Head Start centers are within a walkable distance from a […]


    Historic Northeast | Murals | Jose Faus: A mural artist for the community

    November 15th, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellReporter This week as part of our ongoing Avenue Mural spotlight, we’re taking an in depth look at muralist […]


    Jerusalem Farm Earns Outstanding Partner of the Year Award in Thrive Celebration

    November 15th, 2023
    by

    EllieAna HaleReporter On Nov. 9, Jerusalem Farm was awarded Outstanding Partner of the Year by LISC Greater KC (Local Initiatives […]


    Agencies partner to offer free Narcan along the Avenue

    November 15th, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellReporter What do you get when you combine the dynamic networking ability of the Independence Avenue Community Improvement District […]


    PUBLIC NOTICE: Reward

    November 8th, 2023
    by

    PUBLIC NOTICE REWARD OF UP TO 30% of the assets returned to my control, currently under the control of a […]


    La Feria Escolar Anual de la Ciudad vuelve este mes 

    November 8th, 2023
    by

    Daisy Garcia Montoya Reportero de educación Show Me KC Schools y la Biblioteca Pública de Kansas City se preparan para su […]


    New Parks Board passes funding resolutions for two key Northeast projects

    November 8th, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellReporter The Kansas City, Missouri Parks Board meeting on November 7th saw four brand new members seated and funding […]


    ReBuild KC: Empowering Kansas City Communities through Grant Opportunities

    November 8th, 2023
    by

    EllieAna HaleReporter First introduced in 2022 through an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, ReBuild KC […]


  • Want articles sent directly to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
    We respect your privacy and will not distribute your information.