Professional Experience

2019 to present: Reporter, WINK News
2015 to 2019: Reporter, Producer, and fill-in Anchor, WWSB in Sarasota
2014: Intern, The Today Show and NBC Nightly News in Miami

Awards & Recognition

Finalist in Feature Television Reporting for the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence awards, and Robert Corley Groves Award for Outstanding Achievement in TV Producing.

News Philosophy

Every person has a story. Be honest and transparent while sharing it with the world.

Hobbies, Interests & Community Involvement

Cheering on the Miami Hurricanes, experimenting with vegetarian recipes, spending too much money at Target and taking long naps.

Education

Bachelor of Science from the University of Miami, majoring in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in LGBTQ Studies.

Likes best about Southwest Florida

The WINK Weather Authority will never predict snow for SWFL. Every day feels like summer. It's either hot, hotter, or hottest.

Hometown

Mullica Hill, NJ.

British teen in solo round-the-world record bid stops in Punta Gorda

An 18-year-old man from Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom, is on a journey to become the youngest solo pilot to fly around the world in a single-engine plane. The current titleholder, Mason Andrews from Louisiana, was also 18 when he completed the trek in 2018. WINK News caught up with the pilot, Travis Ludlow, when he stopped […]

Charlotte County family finds home after inspection forces eviction

A mother and her three children now have a safe place to call home after a failing inspection forced them out of their rental in Port Charlotte. Jennifer Cooks and her kids had nowhere to go and an even harder time finding a place to live that would accommodate her daughter Alexandra’s medical equipment. Alexandra […]

kobeeee

Charlotte County boy who was in need of bone marrow is now cancer-free

WINK News first introduced you to 8-year-old Kobe last year when he was in need of a bone marrow transplant in order to survive. After living with leukemia, Jakobe Washington finally heard the words “cancer free.” Now, he and his family are celebrating. Kobe has spent months fighting against a rare form of leukemia. “It’s […]

Finn Farms begins production at Babcock Ranch

From seeds to your table, there’s a one-of-a-kind prototype greenhouse in Southwest Florida. The goal is to naturally grow produce year-round without fighting Florida’s humidity, and one company did it with 95% less water than traditional agriculture. “This is controlled environment agriculture at its best,” said Oskari Kariste, founder and CEO of Finn Farms at […]

Charlotte County K-9 unit dog has success finding missing-endangered people

A hero stepped into action to help find a missing man in distress. A special K-9 unit dog made a name for himself on the force at Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office after he successfully located multiple missing people over the past few months. Among those recently, Copper, the CCSO K-9 unit dog, helped to save […]

Charlotte County participates in ‘World’s Largest Swim Lesson’

Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide. In the last two months, at least two drownings have been reported in Cape Coral. The CDC  reports 1 in 5 drowning victims is under 15. It’s vital for children and adults in Florida to know how to swim, which is why Charlotte County […]

Mom of Englewood teen accused in fatal shooting arrested for letting son keep guns

The mother of a Charlotte County teen accused in the accidental shooting death of his girlfriend has been arrested. Lori Lynn Wik, 46, was jailed Wednesday morning for letting her 17-year-old son Hayden possess a gun illegally. According to the arrest affidavit, Wik let her son keep guns in a gun safe in his bedroom […]

14-year-old SWFL boy looks to earn HS diploma, college degree simultaneously

A Southwest Florida teen is jumping four years ahead by getting his high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree all in one. The child prodigy has a goal to turn his hobby into a career, and his family is ready to help make that happen by packing up and moving to Florida’s East Coast. Noah […]

seagrass

Charlotte Harbor seagrass lost 3 decades of recovery in 2 years

Seagrass in Charlotte Harbor has lost three decades worth of recovery growth in just two years. Charlotte Harbor is home to manatees sea turtles and plenty of fish. Marine life there relies on the harbor’s seagrass for food and shelter. That seagrass depends on clean water and sunlight to thrive. Eric Milbrandt is the marine […]

Punta Gorda Airport EXPANSION

Progress being made on Punta Gorda Airport expansion

WINK News got an exclusive look Friday at the progress being made on Punta Gorda’s airport expansion plans. These plans include office spaces, a full-service restaurant and event space. We asked travelers at the Punta Gorda Airport how they’d describe PGD as it is now. “It’s smaller from what I can tell so far,” said […]