Professional Experience

July 2018 to present: Reporter, WINK News. Previously worked as a resident reporter at WVVA in Bluefield, W.Va.; at ABC 7 Chicago as a news planning intern; at Dateline NBC as a story development intern; and at the Northwestern University's Medill Justice Project as a multimedia investigative reporter.

Awards & Recognition

Hearst Foundation Journalism Award for Enterprise Reporting.

Assistant produced 2-hour, Dateline episode hosted by Keith Morrison, “At the Bottom of the Pool,” aired Oct. 13, 2017.

Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society - lifelong membership exclusively for students in top 10 percent of their graduating class in journalism programs across the country.

National QuestBridge Scholar - awarded to the country's most talented, determined, and self-motivated students from low-income populations who demonstrate outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges.

News Philosophy

We consume news when we are gripped by the emotions making us all human — these are the stories that knock us off our feet. Tell the stories not easily seen that must be experienced through the emotions we all feel.

Hobbies, Interests & Community Involvement

Running and cycling! I love all of the fitness-inspired events South West Florida holds to benefit others.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, Magna Cum Laude.

Likes best about Southwest Florida

I am so grateful for the hundreds of days you can spend outdoors with friends and family.

Hometown 

Keystone Heights, Florida.

Rainy day doesn’t stop early voters going to the polls in Lee County

A rainy Monday did not keep people in Lee County from participating in the first day of early voting. Long lines kept voters stuck in the rain for hours. “All the way down and around the election building and down the side,” John Penn said. “You’re talking hundreds.” Early voting was busy in south Fort […]

The School District of Lee County. Photo via WINK News.

Almost 9,000 Lee County students set to return to in-person school

The deadline is past Friday to change your kids from Lee Home Connect to in-person learning in Lee County. We spoke to parents passionate about this issue. As of Friday morning, 8,648 students are returning to face-to-face learning in Lee County, and 373 will head online with Lee Home Connect. The deadline for those students […]

SWFL doctor’s family raises awareness about his serious cases of COVID-19

A doctor treating patients in our community for the coronavirus is now a COVID-19 patient himself. The family of Dr. Clarence Scott is raising awareness about what happens to heroes when they end up in a hospital bed. Four months ago, their dad was a doctor in Fort Myers, caring for people with COVID-19. Now, […]

Scammer poses as law enforcement, tries to have woman wire $3,000

A woman in Southwest Florida says a man tried to scare her into wiring $3,000 to him. On Tiffany Barnes’ way home from work Tuesday, she received what was a seemingly worrisome voicemail from a law enforcement officer. “This is Sergeant Thomas Orr from the Naples Police Department,” the voicemail said. “I need Tiffany Barnes […]

Lee County elections office ensures voting machines are accurate

Voting machines for early voting and Election Day are being tested in Lee County Monday. It’s a long-term process to make sure machines are working properly. “We don’t want any glitches during the election,” said Tommy Doyle, Lee County’s supervisor of elections. “We’re always gonna be ready for something.” The canvassing board for Lee County […]

Memorial for Lehigh Acres homicide victim disappears

A Lehigh Acres homicide victim’s family is distraught after a memorial for their loved one disappeared. Isaiah Robles was 21 when he was killed in a drive-by shooting earlier this year at Beth Stacey Boulevard and Woodward Court in Lehigh Acres. A memorial of flowers, photos, and a cross sat well kept for months – […]

Navy reservist gets a welcome home at RSW like never before

We witnessed an incredible welcome home for a hometown hero returning from his tenth tour of duty. Community members gathered Thursday to welcome home Navy reservist Shawn Wittwer upon landing at RSW airport. For 21 years, Wittwer couldn’t be there for many family milestones. “This guy’s in taekwondo. He got a brown belt. We had […]

Fort-Myers-seal

Some think Fort Myers city manager’s pay raise is bad timing

As the economy struggles, a public leader in Southwest Florida is receiving a pay raise through taxpayer money. Monday, a 20% salary bump for City Manager Saeed Kazemi in Fort Myers was approved in a 4-3 vote by city council. Many people in Fort Myers have fallen on hard times in 2020, so the pay […]

Harry Chapin Food Bank keeps president’s letter in boxes to preserve fresh food

Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida benefits from a federal government fresh food initiative through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program. In boxes of fresh food donated to Harry Chapin and other participating nonprofits is a letter from President Donald Trump, and it’s causing controversy. Many food banks chose to remove a […]

Hundreds of Lee County voters opt for drive-thru ballot drop

One after another, hundreds of Lee County voters showed up to drop off their mail-in ballots, wanting to make sure their votes count. Election workers say they’ve never seen anything like it. They’ve never tried a drive-thru drop-off for ballots before, something that has proved to be very popular. Sylvia Maynard drove from North Fort […]