Madison McVan is from Pflugerville, Texas, where she discovered her love for journalism while working at her high school newspaper. She graduated from the University of Missouri in 2020 with degrees in Journalism and Latin American studies. While attending Mizzou, she covered the Missouri legislature for the Columbia Missourian and interned at the Liberty Hill Independent, a community newspaper outside of Austin, Texas. After graduating, she participated in the Missouri Information Corps, reporting on the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on workers in high-risk industries, and freelanced for various outlets. She joined Investigate Midwest in January 2021. McVan spends her time outside of work volunteering as an English teacher and interpreter, watching football and trying to stay warm in the Minnesota weather.