On July 19, 2025, Better Together Productions won a Heartland Regional Emmy®️.
Even writing that feels surreal.
The award was for Rebecoming Me, a project I had the honor of directing which aired on PBS12 and brought together five extraordinary individuals — Nyomi Davis, Mitchell Devito, Brittany Barros, Jae Allyce, and Latisha Mead— who shared their lived experiences growing up in the foster care system. The film is a raw, intimate, and deeply human conversation. It’s honest. Sometimes painful. Always real.
“Although the trauma ends, the healing is a lifelong journey.” — Brittany Barros, Rebecoming Me
That quote stayed with us throughout production. Because Rebecoming Me wasn’t designed to market a message — it was created to hold space. For truth. For reflection. For healing.
What made this project possible was trust. Our funders and PBS12 gave us full creative license — no filters, no corporate notes, no expectations to soften the story. That kind of trust is rare. And because of it, we were able to listen deeply, follow the story honestly, and make something that felt truly meaningful.
We don’t take that trust lightly. At Better Together, we see ourselves as stewards — of our collaborators’ investment, of the participants’ stories, and of the larger mission behind every project. With Rebecoming Me, we knew we had a responsibility to honor each person’s experience, without shaping it into something more comfortable or convenient.
I’m proud of the work — and grateful beyond words to those who helped bring it to life:
Production Team
- Rachel Farha, Director
- Lara Smedley, Executive Producer
- Heather Ender , Producer
- Michael Anderson , Director of Photography
- Blake Sinnock , Camera and Editor
- Megan Sinnock , Motion Graphic Artist
To PBS12 — thank you for staying committed to your mission and for making room for real, honest storytelling.
To Shari Shink , our lead funder, thank you for a lifetime of advocacy and for helping us bring this story into the world. Shari has spent decades fighting for kids in foster care as the founder of both the Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center and Cobbled Streets, where she continues to make a profound impact. Her support wasn’t just financial — it was personal. She believes in the power of lived experience, and in building a system that doesn’t just protect children, but truly sees them.
And to the participants — thank you for your bravery, honesty, and presence. This story belongs to you.
Rebecoming Me reminded all of us what’s possible when creatives are trusted to lead with heart — and when funders like Shari, and organizations like Cobbled Streets are willing to invest in truth over polish. Stay tuned for the next incredible experience they will be announcing…
The Emmy is an incredible honor. But the real reward has been the conversations this film has sparked, and the feeling that we made something that matters.