Crystal covers stories in and about a diverse array of communities. She previously covered arts and culture and communities at the Seattle Times, where she also served as Interim Features Editor and earned awards for her coverage of the Native community’s canoe journey tradition, the history of tipped workers in the Northwest, and the region’s little known Buffalo Soldiers history.

She has a Bachelor's degree from Yale University, and her professional background includes stints as a book editor, neuroscience researcher, and even once as a farmer — experiences that bolster her ability to cover diverse communities and topics.

As a reporter and editor, she has launched initiatives for accountability and diversity in media coverage and newsrooms and co-created the “communities” beat at the Seattle Times to share stories about the people, issues, and places that make a community what it is.

Currently based in Chicago, she covers race & culture, arts, communities and education. Her photography and reporting has appeared in local publications, including Chalkbeat Chicago, Block Club Chicago, and American Theatre Magazine.