As part of our year in review, we’ve asked a few of our writers and editors to suggest a few of the stories they were particularly proud of this year. Here’s what News Reporter Keith Hamm told us.

1. ‘Channel Crossing Taps Ocean-Sized Compassion’

When I think back on standout 2017 stories, the first piece that comes to mind is Ethan Stewart’s first-person reflection on how The Friendship Paddle helped him move through the darkness of his cancer. I had just started editing the Living section, and I’m still grateful Ethan accepted that assignment and delivered some bare-bones perspective.

2. ‘The Cecilia Fund Saved My Life’

A month later, another very personal piece arrived unsolicited in my inbox. Author Molly-Ann Leikin (rhymes with “bacon,” as she likes to say) describes her painful fall from normalcy, going broke paying for treatment, and being saved by a grant from a Santa Barbara nonprofit. And she went through all that without losing her sense of humor.