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.

Florida House speaker behind legislation to fight flooding and sea level rise

Hurricanes come to Florida, bringing wind, storm surge and feet of rain. These storms leave many with flooded homes to rebuild. We looked at what lawmakers hope to do to help Floridians facing floodwaters, as flooding becomes more of a reality for people living in the state and reflecting in insurance rates. We spoke to […]

North Fort Myers mom, daughter found after disappearance

Update: Claudia Parker and Jennifer Bess have been located as of Wednesday morning, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Lee County investigators are searching for a mother and her daughter who may be in trouble. Claudia “Sue” Parker, 68, is with her daughter, Jennifer Bess, 43, and the sheriff’s office said the pair was […]

Deputies investigating purse-snatching incident near Bealls in south Fort Myers

Deputies are investigating a purse-snatching incident at a south Fort Myers store on Wednesday. A woman was near the entrance of Bealls when a man attempted to take her purse, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office incident report. The store is at 13300 S. Cleveland Avenue. The woman held on to the purse and […]

Domestic travel to Southwest Florida Int’l increases as tourism industry bounces back

It’s been one year since the World Health Organization announced the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Southwest Florida tourism is booming. Beaches are packed as winter-weary travelers get away from the cold and COVID-19 restrictions. Airlines are adding more flights to the area as demand continues to grow. People of all ages are packing […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis

Bill aims to strip Florida Cabinet of its power

Gov. Ron DeSantis is back in the spotlight for a pending overstep of power. He’s working to strip the Cabinet of its powers and hand them off to him, something he tried to do once before, but that bill didn’t pass. Is the governor going against his own party in this power play? At the […]

Fla. Dem. chairman says GOP shouldn’t get too comfortable despite their gains

The 2020 election showed us Florida voted red, but does this mean the Republican Party holds a tight grip on Florida? Manny Diaz, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party, is unconvinced Republicans have a stronger foothold in the state. Former President Donald Trump defeated President Joe Biden in Florida by more than three percentage […]

Deputies arrest suspect in Family Dollar arson

An arrest has been made after a Lehigh Acres Family Dollar store went up in flames. Josue Vazquez-Reyes, 24, was taken into custody Thursday night on a charge of second-degree arson, suspected in what investigators said was an intentional fire. Detectives from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office say he is a former employee of Family […]

QAnon: What it is, who believes it, and why it’s hurting people

Over the last few months, we’ve been hearing a lot about right-wing conspiracy groups. One – called “QAnon” – is pushing the idea that former President Donald Trump will return to power. The conspiracy group was started by one anonymous user online named “Q.” Their core belief? That a group of Satan-worshipping elites who run […]

DeSantis delivers State of the State address, kicking off 2021 legislative session

Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered the State of the State address Tuesday to kick off the 2021 legislative session. DeSantis says reopening Florida is what most people wanted, and he doesn’t anticipate much will change in 2021. DeSantis believes Florida is the new standard, not for the way he’s handled the pandemic alone, but also including […]