Professional Experience

2018 to present: Reporter, WINK News. Previously worked as an anchor and reporter for WUFT in Gainesville, F.L, 2017; WSVN in Miami as an Investigative Unit intern, 2017; Today Show intern in NYC.

Awards & Recognition

I earned two Associated Press Awards while covering Hurricane Irma and a confederate rally. I was ranked Top Speaker in the State of Florida for Varsity Public Forum Debate. I’ve covered big stories in my home state of Florida from the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando to the Richard Spencer rally in Gainesville.

News Philosophy

Be the voice people can rely on in a community to relay accurate, important, and inspiring information. Journalism is what we need to make democracy work.

Hobbies, Interests & Community Involvement

I worked as a tennis instructor back in Miami, so in my free time, I like to play tennis. I also love to travel with my friends and family! Cheering on the Gators is a big family tradition. I didn't miss a single home football game while I was in college.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications from the University of Florida

Likes best about Southwest Florida

All of the beautiful islands.

Hometown

Miami Beach, Florida.

The remains were found of this missing 14-year-old. (WINK News photo)

Authorities discover human remains of a Sarasota missing teenager

Investigators just recovered the remains of a teen nearly a year-and-half after he vanished. The 14-year-old disappeared from his family’s Labor Day party in Sarasota. The Sarasota police chief said while this closes one chapter of a missing person case, it is now opening up another one, turning it to a death investigation. Authorities are trying […]

California man arrested with 10 pounds of marijuana in Estero

A California man was arrested in Estero after his Uber driver demanded he leave the car on suspicion of possessing marijuana. On Saturday, Florida Highway Patrol arrested Branden Anthony Charles, 38, after he was found in possession of 10 pounds of marijuana in the parking lot of the Embassy Suites hotel on Corkscrew Road in Estero. […]

Mother of teen beaten at bus stop seeks justice

A teenager was bloodied and beaten moments after getting off a school bus in Fort Myers. A recording of the incident shows other people punching a girl in the face and kicking her in the head. She is also seen being dragged by her hair down a sidewalk. The Lee County school district said the […]

Punta Gorda woman records bobcat chasing squirrel at home

A video of a bobcat chasing the squirrel across a lanai screen in Southwest Florida is gaining viral recognition on social media. Michelle Kloese captured the video at her home in Punta Gorda Sunday. “So, this morning I woke up, and I opened up the sliders,” Kloese said. “And I heard a lot of commotion […]

Charlotte County woman sues maker of Roundup, retailers, and county over health issues

A new lawsuit is filed surrounding Roundup, the weed killer and pesticide. A woman is suing the company that makes it and the stores that sell it, claiming it ruined her and her neighbors’ health. More and more people in Charlotte County are speaking up about their symptoms they say are related to Roundup. Not only is […]

An abandoned boat. (WINK News photo)

Derelict boats abandoned in Charlotte Harbor, but who’s responsible?

Not one, not two, not three, but four sunken and derelict boats are in the water along Bayshore Live Oak Park in Charlotte Harbor, and people are worried they can be a safety hazard. “I think it’s a distraction to this area here,” said Glen Price, a part-time resident. “It’s a nice park and with that boat […]

Record breaking cold temperatures throughout the United States. (WINK News photo.)

Northerners increasingly search online for homes in Southwest Florida

As cold temperatures complicate life in most northern areas of the country, many there are searching for a tropical refuge to escape the brutal weather. There are zero complaints about living in the Sunshine State while record-breaking low temperatures slam our northern friends and family. “People go, ‘you’re going to live down here in Florida?’” […]

Neighbors express concern over seven unleashed dogs

Neighbors said for over a year now dogs have been wreaking havoc in a Cape Coral neighborhood. “If you’re not careful,” Joel Perez said, “the dog can definitely bite you.” Neighbors like Perez claim the seven dogs across the street are constantly left out alone for days at a time. When the owner is home, […]

FMB Public Library board appoints interim director

A silent room quickly turned emotional as people stood up to memorialize Dr. Leroy Hommerding. It was supposed to be a routine board meeting. But the brutal murder of the Fort Myers Beach Public Library director at a book sale Sunday altered plans. Cletus Posner, the reference librarian, was appointed the interim director at the […]