Elena Ferrarin

Journalist/Freelance Writer

United States

Fluent in Spanish and Italian.

Bylines in newspapers, magazines and online publications.

Awards from the Illinois Newspaper Association, the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors, the Inland Press Association and the National Association of Hispanic Publications.

M.S. in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.A. in psychology from Brown University,

For more information, please contact me at [email protected]

Portfolio
A&E
12/16/2022
A decades-old cold case ends with the ID of a young boy; mother charged with murder

After 6-year-old William DaShawn Hamilton was killed more than two decades ago, his little body was left in a wooded area near a church cemetery in DeKalb County, Georgia. Solving the riddle of William’s identity happened in large part due to the perseverance of two women who, for different reasons, never forgot the child.

Daily Herald
06/13/2018
Houseless, not homeless: Elgin man 'content' with life in 'Tent City'

"I am not homeless. I am houseless." That's how Doug Henke, a 56-year-old man who lives in a tent in the woods in Elgin, describes his life. Henke is one of the few year-round residents of "Tent City," an encampment of scattered tents and makeshift dwellings ensconced between the railroad tracks and the Fox River in Elgin.

Fra Noi
07/01/2023
A calling for journalism

Award-winning WGN-TV anchor and reporter talks about her work, giving and family.

Daily Herald
12/27/2019
11 kids means 'structured chaos' for suburban family

The Schambach family of Elgin -- mom, dad and 11 kids ages 23 to 5 years old -- likes to joke that there are two kinds of people in the world: Schambachs and those who want to be Schambachs.

Daily Herald
05/21/2017
The key role of culture in mental health treatment: a 3-part series

First of three parts Ale Bugaro is listening to her new client's uncertainty about seeking therapy for her depression and anxiety. The client just isn't sure it will work. Besides, the woman tells Bugaro, she's already paid a witch doctor $500 to chase the devil out of her.

Daily Herald
10/12/2019
Was South Elgin police officer let off easy by other cops?

South Elgin police officer Shane Christenson, who for a year was allowed to carry a gun only while on duty, has been working under a "last chance" disciplinary agreement. The officer was disciplined after he violated an order to abstain from alcohol after he was indicted on domestic violence charges in Elgin, charges that later were reduced to disorderly conduct.

Military Families
09/19/2022
Dutch man creates cycling 'route through history' to remember WWII operation

Every September, residents of towns along "Hell's Highway" in the Netherlands commemorate a famous World War II operation by lining their streets with U.S. flags. "(The memory) is really kept alive," said Bart Verhulst, an avid cyclist and history buff who came up with five cycling routes along Operation Market Garden's path.

Daily Herald
12/05/2017
Murdered Elgin woman's relatives urged her to stay away from son

Gail Peck kept pictures of her son Brian in drawers all over her bedroom -- in her nightstand, among her clothes, in yellowed photo albums. The 76-year-old woman displayed one special photo -- Brian smiling in a black suit and tie, Gail glowing in a sequined gown and sparkling necklace -- in a frame on her dresser, likely a reminder of happier times before her troubled son turned violent.

Daily Herald
12/10/2019
An equal share of legal pot: Entrepreneurs look to communities hurt by laws in the past

When Illinois begins accepting applications today from the general public to open recreational marijuana stores, Zuly Gomez and Alexander Perez hope they'll have an edge in getting licensed to open businesses in Elgin and Aurora. They are applying under a "social equity" component of legalization in the new state law that will provide opportunities to people and communities historically affected by marijuana criminalization

Chicago Tribune
09/19/2022
Skokie man scales summits of Pacific Crest trail as he fights two rare diseases

Adam Rubinberg is hiking the circa 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, a daunting undertaking for most people, while managing two currently incurable diseases. The 25-year-old from Skokie set off March 8 to hike the trail spanning California, Oregon and Washington, starting from the Mexican border and hiking north to the Canadian border.

Being Patient
08/01/2022
Being there for Black Alzheimer's caregivers

This article is part of the series Diversity & Dementia , produced by Being Patient with support provided by Eisai. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's is not an easy journey, but 62-year-old GeVonna Fassett views it as the most important job she's had in her life.

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
12/03/2021
An in-depth analysis of the Capacity Building Program

Interviewed more than 30 sources, including internal and external stakeholders, and wrote a 20-page report and a five-page executive summary on CMAP's Capacity Building Program for local municipalities.

A&E
09/07/2021
Cold Case Files host Bill Kurtis talks true crime

Bill Kurtis is the original host of A&E's original true crime series, Cold Case Files. The series, which featured 135 episodes from 1999 to 2017, returned in August 2021 with new episodes-and Kurtis as its narrator once again. Kurtis has worn a lot of hats in his life-anchor, journalist, TV host, author, documentarian, spokesman.

Daily Herald
06/04/2020
Elgin cop retires after questions about Twitter posts

An Elgin police officer announced his immediate retirement after the Daily Herald asked him about statements he made on Twitter, including laughing about a protester who reportedly lost an eye after he was struck by a police tear gas canister in Indiana.

Daily Herald
03/30/2020
Fair maps advocates hopeful

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown uncertainty into the push for independent and transparent legislative redistricting in Illinois.

Daily Herald
10/23/2017
Activist still going strong at 76

Mary Shesgreen If you drive over the Kimball Street bridge in downtown Elgin on any given Saturday, you'll likely spot 76-year-old Mary Shesgreen on the sidewalk, waving at drivers and holding signs proclaiming progressive causes.

Daily Herald
10/10/2015
More police traffic stops for Black drivers in Elgin

Blacks were disproportionately stopped and more likely to be asked for consent for vehicle searches during traffic stops in 2013 in Elgin, according to a Daily Herald analysis of the most recent Illinois Traffic Stop Study.

Fra Noi
07/01/2014
More than just a game

A referee from a family of referees, he has developed an appreciation for football that transcends the rules he is empowered to enforce.

Brown Alumni Magazine
12/05/2012
Updating Ebony

Whitney Houston's death last February made headlines around the world. But, while most media outlets highlighted Houston's battles with drug addiction, the African American media tended to celebrate the achievements of a woman who, yes, fought her personal demons, but who is nonetheless a hero and a role model.

Reflejos
08/30/2008
A life rebuilt

From prison to helping the homeless, Israel Vargas said he's found his way.