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.

Suspect in officer-involved shooting ID’d

The suspect in an officer-involved shooting has been booked into Lee County Jail. Fort Myers Police Department arrested suspect David James Dotts, 37, Thursday. According to FMPD, Dotts is the suspect who tried driving a car onto a secure area of FMPD headquarters property Wednesday. Among several charges, Dotts is accused of using his car […]

A look at what’s next in the Hendry County school paddling case

Hendry County District Schools has not released any information related to the student paddling at Central Elementary School in Clewiston since WINK News first reported about the video recording of it. We do know corporal punishment is banned in Hendry County school district schools. To get the perspective of a career educator, we spoke to […]

A previous paddling led to ban on corporal punishment in Hendry County schools

Paul Puletti, a former Hendry County school superintendent, is responsible for the ban on corporal punishment in the school district he used to lead. That’s why Puletti was surprised to see the video of Melissa Carter, Central Elementary School principal, paddling a 6-year-old student while a school clerk, Cecilia Self, held the girl down. “I […]

Demanding answers after 6-year-old paddled at Hendry County school

There is a demand for answers from a school district in Southwest Florida that has been silent. A WINK News exclusive story has been seen on national news and around the world — a 6-year-old girl paddled by her principal as punishment at a Hendry County elementary school. The child’s mom told deputies it was […]

nfm shopping plaza

The possible future of a North Fort Myers shopping center

A shopping plaza in North Fort Myers doesn’t look like very much right now but there could be a new plan for it. It could be a rough road to change this into something new. There are already new businesses around and people use it as a cut-through road from U.S. 41 to Pondella Road. […]

north fort myers homeless

County tells homeless to vacate lot near North Fort Myers shopping center

Some people are being forced out of the place they call home. The homeless living in a camp behind Hancock Bridge Square Shopping Plaza in North Fort Myers have been asked to leave. This move-out request comes after other well-known homeless camps in Southwest Florida have been cleared out. And, just one week ago, Lee […]

Naples theater offers COVID-19 vaccine as supply outpaces demand

Fewer people are scrambling to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Demand has fallen off over the last few weeks in Southwest Florida. And one study has found vaccine supply is outpacing demand. Experts say between 70 and 80% of the population needs to be vaccinated before herd immunity kicks in. The goal now is to make […]

CDC says many Americans don’t need to wear masks outdoors anymore

U.S. health officials say fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to wear masks outdoors anymore unless they are in a big crowd of strangers, and those who are unvaccinated can go without a face covering outside in some cases, too. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the updated guidance Tuesday in yet another carefully […]

Fort Myers police remind gun owners of safety protocols to prevent another tragic shooting

After Sunday evening’s shooting that left one child dead and another injured in Fort Myers, police released information they hope will prevent another tragedy due to the careless handling of firearms. The investigation into the shooting continues to determine exactly what happened and why, and who’s to blame. Fort Myers police refuse to say how […]

DeSantis sued over new ‘anti-riot’ law

A social justice group has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis and others two days after the Republican signed a bill to create tougher penalties for people who participate in violent protests. The nonprofit group Legacy Entertainment & Arts Foundation filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Orlando federal court, according to court records. It argues […]