Professional Experience:
 
I joined the WINK News team in June 2022 and worked as an Environmental Reporter for the first year and a half. Now I work as a general assignment reporter.
At the University of Florida, I reported, produced, and anchored for WUFT News.
Awards & Recognition:
 
National Student Edward R. Murrow award and first place in BEA's news magazine category for coverage of Hurricane Ida's aftermath in Houma, LA.
Education
 
Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication-News, University of Florida. GO GATORS!
Likes best about Southwest Florida
 
The beach, the people, and the lack of a winter.
Memorable Assignments
As a native Floridian, I have witnessed the impact of hurricanes and tropical storms throughout my life. During my senior year at the University of Florida, I took an investigative reporting class and traveled to Houma, Louisiana, after Hurricane Ida. There, I saw the devastation from the storm and the resilience of a community rising from the rubble. That story solidified what I wanted to do - become a broadcast journalist.
Just months after joining the WINK News team, Hurricane Ian struck, and once again, I saw the familiar sight of a community uniting in the wake of disaster. Those stories of hope, moments of kindness, and the people within hold a special place in my memory.
Hobbies and Interests: 
I love doing anything outdoors! On weekends, you can find me on a walk at one of my favorite nature preserves, including Six-Mile-Cypress and Audobon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, and then at one of our beautiful beaches.
Hometown: 
I was born and raised in Orlando. My mom, dad, and two brothers still live there. They are the reason WINK News viewership out of Central Florida spiked starting in June 2022.
Fun fact: 
My number one goal is to be on Jeopardy one day. Growing up, my dad and I watched every night we could, and I continue that tradition today.

Hurricane Ian’s erosion impact on Sanibel

The City of Sanibel released an initial erosion assessment, and the signs of what Hurricane Ian did to the coast near the city are becoming clearer. The City of Sanibel’s strategy in the past has been to let nature take its course. Unlike many other islands, Sanibel had not needed to undergo large-scale beach restoration […]

The red tide dangers that remain after the water is deemed safe

As red tide alerts are lifted at beaches from Boca Grande Pass down to Bonita Beach Park, one alert remains active along Lighthouse Beach Park on Sanibel. Just like the wind and waves wash away sand and shells on our beaches, they can wash away red tide too. “We’ve had these cold fronts with north […]

Hurricane Ian damages beehives at Sanibel Honey

Honey bees not only create an agricultural product, but they also help facilitate the Florida agriculture industry, pollinating crops and bolstering food supply. But Hurricane Ian’s path crossed over 15% of the nation’s bees. In two years, Brad Mackenzie, the owner of Sanibel Honey, and his girlfriend Andrea grew their beekeeping hobby into a business […]

Nonprofit helps marine scientists study Southwest Florida’s waters

While scientists work to learn more about Southwest Florida’s beautiful waters, one nonprofit is helping with widespread data collection by engaging citizen scientists. When it comes to researching the ocean and other marine environments, the hard part is the sheer vastness of the area that needs to be covered. “You can’t do everything,” said Dr. […]

Red tide research gets a $840K funding boost from FWC

From Tampa to the Florida keys, red tide research is getting a boost. It comes from $840,000 in grants to two Florida universities and Mote Marine. Researchers hope to learn to better prepare for, forecast and respond to harmful algal blooms. Above is the red tide map from last Tuesday. And this is the one […]

How safe is it to eat locally harvested fish amid red tide?

Turkey is the classic choice on Thanksgiving but, in Southwest Florida, residents are wondering if locally harvested seafood is safe to eat. Amid red tide resulting as a consequence of Hurricane Ian, people have growing concerns about how safe it is to eat local fish. Captain Bill Hammond is living his dream as the owner […]

Water safety at Collier County beaches

More Collier County beaches are opening, including the North Gulf Shore access point and the Vanderbilt Beach Access Point at numbers two, four, and six. Despite this, the water is still not safe to swim in. While the shores and streets around Vanderbilt Beach look a lot better than they did after Ian, don’t assume […]

You can help scientists monitor red tide in SWFL by reporting fish kills

With red tide blooming along the Southwest Florida coast, you may wonder if there is anything you can do to help, and it turns out you can. Currently, our coast is experiencing varying levels of red tide.  Yellow means low concentrations, orange is medium, and red is high. Many of the samples taken around Captiva […]

Captains for Clean Water named Gulfshore Life’s Men of the Year

A pair of Southwest Florida boat captains came together to create the nonprofit Captains for Clean Water and educate people about the environment. “The vast, vast majority of our supporters are not captains; half of our supporters don’t even fish,” said Capt. Daniel Andrews. “But we have the business community that typically doesn’t want to […]

FGCU opens water school

Florida Gulf Coast University’s water school held its official opening on Friday. The water school opened its doors to students in August, but Friday was a day to celebrate a new facility and the important things that will happen there. As the major research institution into Southwest Florida’s water opens, the big water topic on […]