Professional Experience

I joined the WINK News team in June 2020. I am a general assignment reporter, soaking in more than just sunshine every single day!

I started my reporting career in Panama City Beach, Florida, at WJHG/WECP. There, my love for storytelling expanded as I learned the true impact of great journalism.

Four months into my time in the Panhandle, Hurricane Michael ravaged the area, showing me the importance of local news and the crucial need for journalism after a devastating event. My reporting helped people get the resources they needed after the storm, such as food, clothing, and shelter.

Given my experience covering a major storm, Hurricane Ian was like deja vu. Immediately after the storm, I knew how crucial it was to tell the stories of survival and connect people with the right resources to rebuild their lives.

The best feeling in the world is when my stories can bring a helping hand to someone in need.

My time in Southwest Florida has led me to cover various topics. From being a lead reporter on the Gabby Petitio case to covering the highly anticipated Florida elections, but not before navigating the challenges of reporting during a global pandemic.

There's a reason why I'm soaking up more than just sunshine! Every day I am lucky to learn something new about the environmental, political, and deeply personal stories of the Sunshine State.

Awards and Recognition

My work in the field led me to win a Florida Associated Press award for my coverage after Hurricane Michael.

I've emceed nearly half a dozen community staple events.

I have been written up in the Florida State University Nomadic Nole magazine for my accomplishments as a proud Seminole alumnus.

Hobbies, Interest & Community Involvement

I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes! I also have an aloe plant I’m really trying to keep alive. More than anything, I love getting outdoors and exercising with my dog Maggie Mae.

Likes best about Southwest Florida

I love just being down south! I love the warm weather, the beaches, and being near friends and family.

ALVA SCENE

Shooting in Alva sends 1 to hospital

One person was taken to the hospital following a shooting Saturday evening in an Alva neighborhood. It happened at about 7:15 p.m. at Charleston Park, just off Palm Beach Boulevard. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said there was one victim with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Earlier in the day, people in the community were posting […]

Expert says red tide caused fish kills in Charlotte Harbor

An expert says red tide is to blame for rotting, dead fish filling a canal in part of Southwest Florida, and a homeowner we spoke to thinks there is more going on. There was lingering red tide in Charlotte Harbor Friday. Homeowners told us fish have been collecting and rotting in their connecting canal since […]

Cape Coral backyard investigation wraps up; nothing found, PD says

UPDATE, 4/27/21: Cape Coral police said their investigation in the backyard of a home has wrapped up without any findings. The department said they investigated the tip they received and the tip did not pan out. Previous story: Cape Coral and Lee County investigators remained at a home Thursday morning in the Cape, but what […]

cape coral trash

Cape Coral creates temporary trash drop-off sites to stop growing piles

Many people in Cape Coral are sick and tired of trash piling up in their neighborhoods. You’ve been sending WINK News pictures and videos of the piles of stuff you hoped to never see again. Now, the City of Cape Coral is teaming up with Waste Pro to offer you central drop-off locations for your […]

march dt fort myers

Fort Myers holds march for justice

Protests have broken out across the country after the death of Daunte Wright at the hands of a police officer. Some even got together to march for Wright in downtown Fort Myers. The message protestors were trying to send is for change in our law enforcement and all across the country. Javier Teuntor marched on […]

Death investigation underway at Lehigh Acres home

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office was conducting a death investigation Wednesday at a home in Lehigh Acres. The scene was very active all day on 9th Street Southwest as investigators pulled evidence from the home. The LCSO Mobile Command and Crime Scene units were at the scene. Neighbors told WINK News that a little girl […]

Florida’s Chamber of Commerce launches program to target children in poverty

The state’s chamber of commerce is launching the Florida Equality of Opportunity Initiative. The plan could make Florida the tenth largest economy in the world by 2030. The goals of the initiative are to cut the number of children living in poverty by half while also 100% of Florida’s third-graders reading at or above their […]

Crews put out brush fire close to homes in Lehigh Acres

Lehigh Acres Fire control & Rescue District responded to a brush fire just under 2 acres near homes in Lehigh Acres Friday. Crews were in the neighborhood on 41st St SW near Stat Road 82 and put the fire out. Flames moved close to a family’s home at the scene, nearly forcing them to evacuate. […]

Lehigh Acres drive-by shooting, crash ends with arrest

Gunshots were fired from a vehicle at a busy intersection, and it ended in a crash and with an arrest. Suspect E’Dareon Jayquan West, 25, was arrested after being involved in a crash in Lehigh Acres Thursday morning. West faces charges for four counts of aggravated assault, one count of improper exhibition of a firearm […]