Rachel K. Cisto

Reporter

Weare, New Hampshire

Journalist. Photographer. Novelist. Lover of puzzles and cats. I graduated from the University of Hartford in May 2015, with my bachelor's in journalism and a minor in politics. I grew up in the Boston area and am ready for a new adventure.

Rachel K. Cisto

Reporter

Weare, New Hampshire

Featured
Always There When Called
HARRISONBURG — Kelly Royston says the way her day goes depends on three things: the weather, the locals and the students. Royston is one of the 51 highly trained employees of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communications Center, where she's worked for the last 13 years.
Daily News-Record
Featured
Tracing Country Bill's Steps
HARRISONBURG - On May 7, 1971, a man was found unconscious in his car in Elkton. He was taken to Rockingham Memorial Hospital, where he died about 90 minutes later as a result of a heart attack. No one knew his real name or where he was from, and no one could find his family - until now.
Daily News-Record
Featured
My Feminist Demand? Just Equality
(Op-Ed from The Hartford Courant) I am a feminist. I've never said that out loud. It's not because feminism is a new, radical idea. I've never labeled myself as a feminist because these days, just the word feminist elicits whispers and strange looks from women, or jokes and cries of "man hater!" All of which I find quite strange, because the dictionary definition of feminism is "the belief that men and women should have equal opportunities."
The Hartford Courant
Featured
Reporter Profile: Beau Berman, FOX Connecticut
Written in March of 2013 for a course entitled "Fundamentals of Journalism".
University of Hartford
Foes Differ on Impact Of California Teacher Tenure Law Standing
The coplaintiff of a lawsuit challenging New York’s Teacher tenure and layoff procedures said Aug. 25 that she isn’t troubled by the California Supreme Court’s upholding that state’s protections by refusing to hear an appeal of a lower appellate court’s ruling.
The Chief-Leader
Naturalized Citizen To Vote, Serve In First Election
Today is a big day for city resident Ana Aceituno. Aceituno is voting in today's presidential primary — for the first time since becoming a U.S. citizen two years ago.
Daily News-Record
City Eyes Big Water Project
HARRISONBURG — When Thomas Harrison founded Harrisonburg in the late 1700s, residents had no problem getting fresh water from the springhouse at Court Square, fed by a tributary of the Shenandoah River. Fast-forward 300 years, and city staff are working to tap the Shenandoah again and ensure a ready supply of fresh water is as easily available as it was in Harrison's days.
Daily News-Record
Honoring The "Forgotten"
HARRISONBURG — The attitude toward veterans when Joe Brown returned home from the Vietnam War contrasts sharply with today. Now 75, the Port Republic resident remembers being booed as he walked through the airport in Philadelphia upon return from overseas.
Daily News-Record
'This Is Their Only Option'
HARRISONBURG — Steven Utterback has been waiting for help for 14 years. The 32-year-old Rockingham County resident is one of 133 people with an intellectual or developmental disability in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County who were waiting for Medicaid assistance waivers at the end of 2015.
Daily News-Record
GOP Inaction Motivates Challenger
HARRISONBURG — Harry Griego has some harsh words for the Republican leadership in Washington, D.C. "These guys are a do-nothing Congress," the 55-year-old Roanoke County Republican said. Griego doesn't lay all the blame on the other side of the aisle, which is why he is challenging 12-term U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, for the 6th Congressional District GOP nomination. A primary election will be held June 14.
Daily News-Record
New Arcade Not For Kids
HARRISONBURG — It may be called Ruby's Arcade, but when it opens near the end of February, patrons won't see — or hear — any electronic games. Owner Clay Clark said the space was designed to be more of an "adult's game room" than what many think of as an "arcade." "We're going for a different market," he said. "Who wants to listen to a dinging pinball machine when you've got a pool table right next to you?"
Daily News-Record
GOP Oath Causing Controversy
HARRISONBURG — The idea of signing a pledge declaring party affiliation is so off-putting to one county election worker, she won't be taking part in this year's presidential primary — or even casting a ballot. Miriam Clark has served as the chief election official at the Broadway voting precinct for years. But, Clark said, she will not be there on March 1 if the Republican Party of Virginia goes through with its plan requiring voters to sign a statement of affiliation before casting a ballot.
Daily News-Record
The Spirit Of Community
QUICKSBURG — Although no classes were in session because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the cafeteria at Stonewall Jackson High School was bustling Monday afternoon as volunteers packed meals for needy families. Max Finberg, director of AmeriCorps VISTA, led a group of roughly 50 volunteers ranging in age from 4 to 92 as they packed dried rice, beans and vegetables in bags.
Daily News-Record
Legalizing The Commonwealth?
HARRISONBURG - Nikki Narduzzi calls medical marijuana "a gateway out of hard drug use." The 38-year-old from Staunton has Crohn's disease, and has had several surgeries since her diagnosis. Narduzzi said she was given strong, opiate pain medications after a surgery earlier this year, and sent home. "I was convinced they were sending me home to die," she said.
Daily News-Record
15 Awkward Moments All Journalism Interns Know
An internship can be one of the most rewarding things you can do for your career while you’re still in college. However, for the naturally awkward, it can be a minefield of painfully uncomfortable encounters. Even the most unflappable of interns has had their awkward moments. #8 Realizing part of the newscast is taped in the newsroom...and you're in every shot.
Stuff Journalists Like
Malloy and Foley get mean in UConn debate
The debate itself started off typically enough - with incumbent Gov. Dan Malloy describing his accomplishments, touting the 60,000 jobs created while he and Lt. Nancy Wyman were in office, and his Republican challenger Tom Foley refuting those claims - but it quickly got personal. "You've said six or seven things that simply aren't true," Foley said nearly halfway through the debate, referring to Malloy.
STN2

About

Rachel K. Cisto

News Writing

Photography

Social Media

I grew up in Weare, New Hampshire and received my bachelor's degree from the University of Hartford in May of 2015. When I arrived at the University of Hartford in August 2011, I was a declared Physics major who decided to join the Student Television Network simply because it seemed interesting, which led to changing my major in January 2012.

I served as the political reporter for STN2 for four years, and the editor-in-chief of Her Campus Hartford, an online lifestyle magazine for college women, for two.

I most recently worked at the Chief-Civil Service Leader in New York, primarily covering city schools and the Mayor's Office. I spent a year in Harrisonburg, Va. at the Daily News-Record, where I was the city beat/politics and government reporter.

When I'm not doing news-related things, I have a wide range of interests including (but by no means limited to) cooking, robotics, building and launching model rockets, photography, fiction and poetry writing, singing, and playing the piano.