Professional Experience

July 2018 to present: Reporter, WINK News. Previously worked as a resident reporter at WVVA in Bluefield, W.Va.; at ABC 7 Chicago as a news planning intern; at Dateline NBC as a story development intern; and at the Northwestern University's Medill Justice Project as a multimedia investigative reporter.

Awards & Recognition

Hearst Foundation Journalism Award for Enterprise Reporting.

Assistant produced 2-hour, Dateline episode hosted by Keith Morrison, “At the Bottom of the Pool,” aired Oct. 13, 2017.

Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society - lifelong membership exclusively for students in top 10 percent of their graduating class in journalism programs across the country.

National QuestBridge Scholar - awarded to the country's most talented, determined, and self-motivated students from low-income populations who demonstrate outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges.

News Philosophy

We consume news when we are gripped by the emotions making us all human — these are the stories that knock us off our feet. Tell the stories not easily seen that must be experienced through the emotions we all feel.

Hobbies, Interests & Community Involvement

Running and cycling! I love all of the fitness-inspired events South West Florida holds to benefit others.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, Magna Cum Laude.

Likes best about Southwest Florida

I am so grateful for the hundreds of days you can spend outdoors with friends and family.

Hometown 

Keystone Heights, Florida.

FGCU urges anyone involved in reported fraternity parties to get COVID-19 tested

If students don’t stop throwing huge parties, FGCU says it will shut down campus. The university’s president interim suspended two fraternities for having big bashes and putting students at risk for the coronavirus. FGCU wants anyone who went to the parties hosted by the accused FGCU fraternity chapters Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi to […]

Mail delays puts those in need of prescriptions by delivery at risk

Mail being delayed can mean you might not get your package on time. There are extreme delays in Southwest Florida because several machines were removed from a local plant. For some community members, this could mean a matter of life and death. We learned why some veterans are saying their packages could mean life or […]

SWFL feels impacts of US Postal Service cost cuts

The mail is slowing down, the postmaster general told Congress. Changes to post offices operations are having unintended consequences. Those changes were stopped this week, but it’s already too late. We looked at how mail in Southwest Florida is piling up Friday as a result of the U.S. Postal Service changes. Sam Wood and Daniel […]

Travel restrictions preventing seasonal travelers from coming back to SWFL

Laura Bonomi’s heart and home are in Southwest Florida. But, unfortunately for her, she’s not. “It’s frustrating seeing the numbers don’t go down so quickly. It’s hard. We wish we were there,” Bonomi said. But for now, this seasonal Floridian is stuck in Rome. “If the borders were not closed, I probably would have taken […]

Backpack giveaway to help families in SWFL get school supplies for upcoming school year

The coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for many families to afford their most basic needs like rent and utilities. With the school year just around the corner, and concerns brewing over whether in-person instruction is a good idea, buying school supplies in 2020 is even more difficult than before. Norma Navaro, mom to three […]

Task force on the limited reopening of long-term care facilities to hold meeting

The Task Force on the Safe and Limited Re-Opening of Long-Term Care Facilities met Friday. There is finally hope for people not allowed to see their loved ones living at a nursing home or assisted-living facility. “This is incredibly difficult for me,” caregiver Mary Daniel said. From the start, Daniel urged everyone to move quickly. […]

Good Samaritans work to help college students at start of fall semester

Some Southwest Floridians are making it their mission to help some of the most vulnerable teens who are starting college during the coronavirus pandemic. The “D.R.E.A.M College Trunk Fest” fundraiser is scheduled at Golden Gate Community Center in Collier County Saturday to help college students get ready for the fall semester. “To be able to […]

Health remains focus, concern at FGCU during move-in month

FGCU students and staff continue to return to campus as the start of the fall semester gets underway. A student has already tested positive for the coronavirus, and the university says an employee at the campus has too. FGCU confirms a WGCU employee on its campus has tested positive for the coronavirus. The employee last […]