Kathi
Valeii
Writing
Kathi is an editor and writer, covering health, parenting, and inequality—often the intersection of these things. She writes essays, reported features, and creative nonfiction.
She is an updates editor for Dotdash Meredith and a contributing writer for Verywell Health and Parents.com.
Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Rolling Stone, CNN, Business Insider, Vice, ESPN, the Independent, HuffPost, Talk Poverty, and dozens of other places. In 2018, her reporting for Pacific Standard Magazine on driver's education was featured on American Public Media's Marketplace.
Kathi has been regularly invited to talk about freelance journalism for Southwest Michigan Second Wave Community Correspondent Academy. And she has facilitated discussions with journalism delegates from Colleagues International on building digital literacy and media responsibility in democracies.
"I strive to do more than tell a story. I believe that good writing done well fosters empathy, expands our understanding of the world, and acts as a catalyst for change."
Kathi's Writing
New York Times
Watching the Pandemic Steal Intimate Moments From Teenagers
I’m afraid of holding a tight line of protection and having it snap under the weight of my almost-adult kid’s frustration.
Washington Post
Why I’m helping my teen, even though conventional wisdom says I should step back
Collecting his things, folding his clothes, making his lunch feels attentive and healing, like placing stitches over the torn and rough spots.
CNN
Teachers and students shouldn’t be Covid-19 experiments in the fall
In an ideal world, opening schools is what everyone wants, sure. But this isn't an ideal world and it certainly won't be in a few weeks' time.
Pacific Standard
ARE ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILLS HARMING MORE THAN THEY’RE HELPING?
Some teachers have reported being shot with pellet guns and experiencing ongoing trauma after the drills, yet the effectiveness of the training is unproven.
AARP - The Girlfriend
My Teen And His Partner Broke Up
Why am I also grieving?
Motherwell
Here’s to hope, and hugging my grown son this year
I wonder if this is the year I’ll get to invite my son inside. I think of the vaccine.. It’s the only thing that gives me hope.
Work With Kathi
Commission Kathi at kathivaleii at gmail dot com