BREAKING NEWS SWFL schools affected due to Milton

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.

Red tide forces some SWFL employees to find work elsewhere

Employees at restaurants along the Southwest Florida coast say they’re forced to take jobs in other cities to make money. They say bare beaches mean they can’t make ends meet. Tony Syrakis manages the front desk at the Lani Kai resort on Fort Myers Beach, but he says so many others are having a hard […]

Food bank comes to Fort Myers Beach, helping those affected by red tide

The Harry Chapin Food Bank is hard at work preparing to help those affected by red tide. People who work along the water say they’re struggling to make ends meet and need any kind of support they can get. That’s why the opening of a temporary food bank on Estero Boulevard so vital. Paying for food on […]

Disease sickens Charlotte County palm trees

Customers showed Rebecca Copenhaver, owner of Becky’s Garden Shoppe, their dying majestic palms. “The first one I thought got struck by lightning, just because it was so quick, but that wasn’t the case,” Copenhaver said. “So we took a cross-section of one of the least dead palm fronds, and I took it to Ralph Mitchell […]

Man accused of defrauding FEMA after Hurricane Irma

Fort Myers Beach resident Kaylee and her family did make it through Hurricane Irma, despite a mom’s worst nightmare, “It was miserable, I truly don’t know how we made it through … I was 8 months pregnant with my 5th child, and our yard was inaccessible,” she said. Kaylee said she was grateful FEMA helped, […]

Memory of Aretha Franklin rings loud in SWFL, once performed at Artis Naples

Aretha Franklin was dubbed the Queen of Soul and a singing sensation. Her songs became the sound of the Civil Rights movement. With her passing Thursday, artists across the nation and here in Fort Myers are talking about the impact she left in her anthems, and the inspiration she gave with her character. In particular, […]

Permit now required to pick berries from saw palmetto plants in Florida

You’re likely see saw palmetto plants (Serenoa repens) everywhere, lining the roads and even in your backyard. But it’s now illegal to pick and sell their berries without a permit. Richard Gunn, lives in Lehigh Acres and says there’s plants are covered in thousands, and has picked some of these berries himself, “In just a […]

Neighbors help catch porch thief, stolen packages returned

Neighbors helped identify a man who had stolen packages from Harbour Boulevard by reporting suspicious behavior to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. A man witnessed a man riding a bicycle around his neighbor’s house on the 2000 block of Harbour Blvd and acting suspicious, CCSO said in a release. The neighbor said he saw the […]

How does red tide affect pets?

Veterinarians warned pet owners to keep their furry friends from coming in contact with red tide “Dogs like to turn around and lick themselves and they can ingest that toxin,” said Dr. Sharon Powell, a veterinarian at Edison Park Animal Hospital. “If they ingest a sufficient amount it can cause different neurological problems.” Dr. Powell […]