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.

Red tide blooms appearing along the Southwest Florida coast

Red tide is appearing up and down the Southwest Florida coastline, but is it an issue you should be concerned with? These are pictures of where the cleaner water ends and the red tide begins. The Calusa Waterkeeper posted the pictures on Facebook. Under Blind Pass Bridge between Captiva and Sanibel, the tide forms rows […]

Researching the effects of red tide

On Sanibel, you can’t escape the smell of dead fish. And on the shore, you can’t escape the dead fish. “People are familiar with the red tide smell. But that’s from decay, what you really smell, the actual toxins you cannot smell,” said Manny Aparicio, Calusa Waterkeeper board member. Aparicio said we know the short-term […]

New treatment attacks coral disease

Mote Marina is making waves when it comes to protecting sea life. The Laboratory is teaming up with the National Park Service and pharmaceutical scientists to develop a treatment for a lethal disease attacking corals. Corals are fascinating, colorful creatures that from reefs, providing food and habitats to the world’s fish and other sea life. […]

Red tide getting worse in Southwest Florida

Red tide lines Southwest Florida’s coast from south Lee County into Sarasota. And the bloom appears to be growing. Health officials in Charlotte County issued an alert for the presence of a red tide bloom near Whidden Key, east of Lemon Bay and Buccaneer Bend. The water sample was taken a week ago. When Calusa […]

The benefits of wetlands in Florida

Wetlands make up nearly a third of Florida’s land. You might think it’s swamp land, but they’re actually a defining feature of our natural landscape. Wetlands have a lot of nicknames. Some people call them the kidneys of the landscape, sponges or natural stormwater treatment areas. Whatever you call them, they have innumerable benefits for […]

Hurricane Ian’s impact on the citrus industry

The estimate for losses in citrus, fruits and vegetables to Florida’s agriculture industry from Hurricane Ian is $900 million. From a distance, it can be hard to see the damage done to the orange groves, but up close, you can see trees tipped on their side, fruit scattered on the ground, and a new barn […]

Red tide concerns on Englewood Beach

There are dead fish and debris along the water near the Chadwick Cover Marina on Englewood Beach. Red tide is something they have also had to deal with before. It’s a sight no one wants to see or smell. “It’s never pleasant, never nice, and it never smells good,” said Ray Orozco, owner of Chadwick […]

SCCF wants your help tracking animals on Sanibel after Ian

Grab your camera, the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation needs your help tracking wildlife after Hurricane Ian. Biologists with SCCF are tracking and searching to see what wildlife survived the storm. Ospreys, shorebirds, snakes, and raccoons, these animals may seem ordinary, but their presence on Sanibel after Ian’s destruction is extraordinary. “The thing that makes Sanibel […]

Studying Ian’s effects on the ocean: Researchers go on 7-day trip in the Gulf

Researchers from FGCU and the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation spent seven days at sea studying Ian’s effects on the ecosystem. They set sail on Oct. 18 aboard the Hogarth, a 78-foot research vessel owned and operated by the Florida Institute of Oceanography. The voyage began in St. Petersburg. From there, the ship traveled south to […]

Red tide map lighting up in SWFL

The Red Tide map’s lighting up on Friday, is not a good sign as our community works to recover from Hurricane Ian. Aboard the floating laboratory, the WT Hogarth Research Vessel, WINK News spotted the colors of the Gulf changing from brilliant blues to less-vibrant greens and murky browns. James Douglass works as an associate […]