Overview:
Houston Landing has had three Livingston finalists in two years.
Two Houston Landing reporters have been recognized as finalists for the 2025 Livingston Award.
Immigration reporter Anna-Catherine Brigida and Houston ISD reporter Asher Lehrer-Small join a group of over 70 finalists representing the best reporting and storytelling by journalists under 35 years of age. The winners will be announced June 10 in New York City.
“In a world where algorithms and devices often constrict our view and narrow our understanding, these finalists exemplify the fierce commitment of reporters to dig beyond dominant narratives. Their work uncovers overlooked stories and voices that demand our attention,” said Lynette Clemetson, director of the awards and the Wallace House Center for Journalists. “We invite you to read, watch, and listen to some of the most compelling journalism of the past year.”
Immigration reporter Anna-Catherine Brigida received honors in Excellence in International Reporting for her two-part series “Behind the Journey” chronicling a Venezuelan family’s struggle to reunite in the United States. Brigida followed Venezuelan national Yasmin Escobar and her two children after they traveled over 3,400 miles across four months in 2024 to join her husband José Suárez in the U.S., documenting the family’s first reunion in McAllen last December.
Escobar and her children braved the jungle, cartels, and layers of bureaucracy to immigrate to the U.S. Súarez spent over a year in the country, alone, waiting for them.
“You breathe, and they charge you for breathing,” Escobar told Brigida of the cartel leaders that charged for passage across the infamous Darién Gap in Colombia.
Lehrer-Small’s investigation, “Young, Homeless, Illegally Suspended” placed among the top finalists in the Excellence in Local Reporting category. Although a 2021 Texas state law prohibits public school districts from suspending homeless students, Lehrer-Small’s April 2024 report found that Texas schools illegally issued out-of-school suspensions to thousands of homeless students, leaving them without access to shelter and other vital school resources.
The investigation led to a statewide crackdown on public school districts found to have suspended homeless students by the Texas Education Agency, prompting many of Houston’s largest school districts to revise their disciplinary policies. HISD leaders acknowledged in a district report that they had illegally suspended roughly 1 in 10 students experiencing homelessness during the 2022-2023 school year, but did not share specific steps they would take to address the issue.
Alief ISD spokesperson Kristyn Hunt-Cathey told the Landing after the investigation that it had altered its digital recordkeeping system to create a “critical alert code” when district or campus leaders tried to log a suspension of a homeless student.
Last week’s announcement marked the third time in its two-year existence that a member of the Houston Landing newsroom had been named a Livingston Award finalist. In 2024, former Houston Landing public safety reporter Clare Amari was named a finalist for her work covering the Harris County criminal courts. Amari is now with the New York Times as a member of its Local Investigations Fellowship.
Now in its 44th year, the awards continue to bolster the work of young reporters, encourage the next generation of journalism leaders and mentors, and foster civic engagement around powerful storytelling.
“The Livingston Award is one of the premier recognitions in journalism. To have one finalist in a newsroom is an achievement, and for Houston Landing to have two finalists is extraordinary,” Editor-in-Chief Manny García said. “We have now had three Livingston finalists in two years. It speaks to our investment in developing our team. We are beyond proud.”
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