Jennifer Brookland is a journalist covering child welfare in Michigan for The Detroit Free Press. She has written, edited, or produced for college magazines, North Carolina Public Radio, and the United Nations. She began her career as a special agent with the U.S. Air Force, where she led felony-level criminal investigations and deployed to the Horn of Africa in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She vaguely remembers enjoying traveling, reading, and theater but spends most of her time now trying to convince her three kids that she’s in charge.