Katie Balevic/Insider
- I legally changed my name in 2020 after years of transitioning.
- Three years later, I still love the name.
- That said, I probably should've made sure I didn't share it with a convicted Australian murderer.
2020 was an eventful year for me.
I was laid off from my first job less than a year after graduating college, moved across the country back home with my parents, and was one of millions of unemployed Americans amidst an unprecedented global pandemic before landing a fellowship at Business Insider that led to my job as a full-time reporter today.
But there was a bright spot amongst the chaos: In September, more than a year after I had publicly announced I was trans, a Texas judge allowed me to legally change my name.