In our reporting through the summer of 2009, our news team concluded that we were hearing "new voices." A voice that says, "I can't find a job;" another voice that says, "I don't know where my next meal will come from;" and yet another that says "I've just lost my home." As the numbers of the jobless, the hungry, and the homeless continued to grow, we found that the names increasingly included those that we know. As a result, we have found ourselves "one degree away" from poverty.

We are in a unique position to go beyond the statistics and trends of the recession. Instead, we propose to engage. Engage with our community. Engage with our providers. Engage with our leaders.

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on the "That Could Be Me" series.

ELIZABETH DUNCAN

Elizabeth Duncan is News Director at Boise State Radio. Duncan has an extensive news background having spent 15 years as a primary television news anchor in various markets around the United States including Laredo, Texas; Amarillo, Texas; Columbia, South Carolina; and Raleigh, North Carolina. Duncan has also worked in government as a spokesperson for several state and municipal agencies. Duncan began her journalism career as a writer and researcher for CNN's Larry King Live and went on to become an award-winning television anchor. The first thing Elizabeth said she did when she drove in to Boise 8 years ago was pull over and find the local NPR station on the dial. Duncan says "As a journalist I believe deeply that quality journalism is essential to a highly functioning robust democracy. NPR is an invaluable source for news and cerebral discussion. We consider it a huge responsibility to provide our listeners with access to clear information." Duncan grew up in Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Texas Woman's University.