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.

Cape canals

Cape Coral canals nearing dangerously low levels

Canals in Cape Coral are nearing dangerously low levels in neighborhoods and it’s a sign that it may be time to conserve. The last time freshwater canals dropped to record lows saw some boats unable to move through the water. Two weeks ago, someone could wade through water in canals along Fifth Avenue. Six weeks […]

Helping victims of the Golden Gate Estates brush fire

Two families were left without homes after a brush fire moved through a Golden Gate Estates neighborhood over the weekend. Now, the community is stepping up to help. Organizations like the American Red Cross say the best thing you can do to support communities impacted by a disaster such as a wildfire or home fire […]

Families worried for inmates in Lee County Jail during fire

Wednesday, families were anxious, worried and helpless when they learned a fire broke out in the jail where their loved ones are inmates. We spoke to the Fort Myers fire chief Thursday, who said it was difficult to keep people safe. Jails are meant to keep people locked in, and with a fire on top […]

Gateway High School set to open next year with new technology that makes it safe

Gateway High School is set to open its doors next school year with new technology meant to keep it safe. Officials celebrated its ribbon-cutting on Wednesday. The school will be home to 1,200 students and is designed with student safety in mind. New technology installed is focused on protection after the shooting at Parkland’s Marjory […]

Lee County commissioners share Lake O management concerns in letter to Army Corps

Lee County Board of County Commissioners is concerned for the blue-green algae in Lake Okeechobee that is also growing in the Caloosahatchee River, so commissioners sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to express dissatisfaction with present lake management. Commissioners discussed growing water quality and Lake Okeechobee management concerns during its regular […]

Couple ventures out for first time during pandemic to celebrate 71st anniversary

John and Renate Schotsch have spent decades together. The married couple celebrated their 70th anniversary under COVID lockdown, quarantined in their assisted living facility. They set a nice table in a private room and dined on a meal from the dining hall, with a bit of scotch. When you’re 90 and 97 years old each […]

Victims of ’96 ValuJet plane crash in Everglades remembered

The lives of 110 people killed in a plane crash 25 years ago in the Everglades were remembered Tuesday. The ValuJet flight, headed for Atlanta, crashed May 11, 1996, shortly after taking off from Miami International Airport. Moms and dads, baseball coaches, and favorite uncles were among the passengers on Flight 592. Loved ones and […]

Small protest at Lee County school district wants schools to unmask children

The controversy over masking up is heating up at the Lee County School Board as a handful of protesters showed up at the school district’s building to protest their children having to wear a mask. Ricky Reinoso, of Cape Coral, said he has mixed emotions about donning a mask. Sarasota resident Alison Goergen knows where […]