Czekalinski has written about a variety of subjects, including immigration, crime, police action and domestic violence. Her work has resulted in changes at the local, state and federal levels and at least one criminal conviction in federal court. In 2008, she was a finalist for the Taylor Family Award for Fairness in Newspapers. Two years later she was a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. Czekalinski previously worked for the Columbus Dispatch in Columbus, Ohio and its sister publication, Fronteras de la Noticia. She received her undergraduate degree from Wittenberg University in Ohio and an master’s degree from The Citadel in South Carolina.