A longtime Chicago journalist just stepped away from her job after 30 years of covering crime, politics, education and urban affairs.

Maudlyne Ihejirika’s regular “Chicago Chronicles” columns in the Chicago Sun-Times also focused on positive stories from the Black and Brown communities.

Along the way, Ihejirika has written books and mentored young journalists.

During her award-winning career, Ihejirika left journalism to work for Chicago’s Department of Family Services. After her time with the agency, she delved into politics, helping U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush win his 2000 reelection campaign against Barack Obama.

Ultimately, Ihejirika says she is a storyteller at heart and it was her passion that landed her back at the Sun-Times. She retired from the paper on Nov. 23.

Ihejirika is also the author of “Escape From Nigeria: A Memoir of Faith, Love and War,” which took her 17 years to write. She hopes to continue telling stories and hopes her second book won’t take as long to complete.

Note: This article was updated to correct Ihejirika's retirement date.