Resume

Freelance/Contributor/Stringer  

While specializing in youth culture and the education beat, I also cover a mix of politics, entertainment, trending news and more for a mix of publications. I’ve contributed to outlets including Teen Vogue and Cosmopolitan. My work has also been featured in: Time Out, British Airways’ High Life Magazine, Insider (then Business Insider), Fort Lauderdale Magazine, The Daily Dot, Lifestyle Magazine, Miami and Broward New Times, SunFest, South Florida Gay News, SouthFlorida.com, Debt.com, MSN Money, RockSound Magazine, PBS Frontline, Associated Press and The Daily Beast. See my clips here.

Experience

The Philadelphia Inquirer
National News Reporter: Sept. 2022 – Present

I cover the biggest trending stories of the day through an explainer lens — experimenting with different storytelling formats and approaches, including live blogs, timelines and listicles. I work closely with our SEO, audience and social teams to connect national needs to a local audience. Merging a complex understanding of how the internet works along with Google Trends data and social media engagement, my work often holds our site’s top pageview metrics of the day.

The Florida Times-Union
Education Reporter: May 2019 – August 2022

I covered youth culture and education for one of the largest school districts in Florida — Duval County Public Schools. My role consisted of daily beat coverage as well as meatier watchdog enterprise stories on student voices and equity in Jacksonville. My award-winning work led to internal investigations and policy changes: from deep dives on a school board’s long-winded fight for a sales-tax to documenting how local teachers’ salaries leave them needing to work extra jobs, to stories profiling student-led pushes for diversity and inclusion on campus. Aside from reporting, I served as the Times-Union’s engagement specialist, overhauling and running the paper’s Instagram and TikTok accounts, leading innovative campaigns and even launching a Subreddit for local news from the ground up. I also served as lead reporter on big story topics including hurricanes, the Republican National Convention and COVID-19. 

Flamingo Magazine
Associate Editor: January 2019-March 2019

For this contract position, I oversaw digital and print content for Florida’s only statewide lifestyle magazine. I reported and wrote original stories, including a 10-page feature while also proofing issues. I managed the publication’s freelance budget, handled freelance correspondence — including recruiting contributors and editing their work — and wrote copy for the magazine’s newsletter. Outside of editorial, I assisted in organizing and promoting magazine-related social events. 

South Florida Gay News
Digital Content Director: August 2018 – November 2018

In this temporary position, I handled everything web-related for SFGN, one of the largest LGBTQ+ publications on the East Coast. Daily duties included editing and uploading stories to web, managing a daily story budget and creating and sending out newsletters each week. In this position I also trained a longterm web editor to take over the role. 

Sun Sentinel
Broward County Community News Reporter: February 2017 – August 2018

I covered a range of topics — from city council meetings and politics to retail developments and art shows — for the Sun Sentinel’s community news sector. I covered the entire county with news, features, crime and business stories. I was also responsible for filming and editing corresponding video assignments to go with my assignments. Having my thumb on about 30 cities resulted in some of my stories being picked up by wire news services and being placed in newspapers across the country. 

University Press
Senior Editor: July 2016 – December 2016
Editor-in-Chief: June 2015 – June 2016
Other roles included Managing Editor, Associate Editor, Features Editor and Staff Writer between July 2012 – June 2016.

I led Florida Atlantic’s student-run newspaper, a 3,000-circulation paper, with a bi-weekly print edition and web daily. As editor, I doubled the page count of the print edition and moved publication style from glossy magazine to tabloid format newspaper. I also added interactive features to the daily news site covering the 30,000 students at the sixth-largest state school.

DEBT.COM / CONSOLIDATED CREDIT US
Social Media Coordinator: March 2014 – June 2015

I developed a new weekly contests feature, interactive quizzes, lists and graphic quotes for two sister websites while maintaining both websites’ Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages. 

Achievements

I’m Vice President of the Society of Professional Journalists and a past president of the Society of Professional Journalists Florida Pro Chapter. While chapter president, SPJ Florida received back-to-back Large Chapter of the Year honors (2020 and 2021). I’ve organizing grant-funded programs for journalists across the country as well as media literacy training for non-journalists (more on that here). Work under my leadership includes the national Race & Gender Hotline.

Vice President 2023-present
Society of Professional Journalists – National Board

At-large-director 2021-2023
Society of Professional Journalists – National Board 

President 2019-2021
Society of Professional Journalists Florida Pro 

I lead the statewide chapter, which has made national headlines for programs and campaigns including Fake News ™, Journalists Against Humanity and The Fake News Game Show. 

Vice President of Programs
Society of Professional Journalists Florida Pro 

For this five-time Chapter of the Year winner, I ran and organized grant-funded programs held across the country.

Executive Director Search Committee Member
Society of Professional Journalists National 

Appointed by the President of SPJ National, I was the youngest member of a nine-member search committee, which worked for six months to interview, select and ultimately hire the organization’s executive director. 

Community Coordinator
Society of Professional Journalists National

I served as a liaison between the national board and the five community leaders. Communities include Freelance, Digital, Generation J and more.

Awards 

  • SPJ Sunshine State Awards 2022
    First place, profile story (Rebekah Jones Tried to Warn Us About COVID-19. Now Her Freedom Is on the Line)
    Second place, new media engagement (How the Florida Times-Union used Instagram to connect with a younger, more diverse audience)
  • SPJ Sunshine State Awards 2021
    Second place, beat reporting in education for her portfolio of work.
    Second place, new media engagement for Times-Union Tik Tok Collection.
  • Florida Press Club Awards 2021
    Third place, features (Surfside tower collapse coverage)
  • Florida Press Club Awards 2020
    Second place, writing – education news 
  • Florida Press Club Awards 2019
    Third place, writing – education news 
  • SPJ Sunshine State Awards 2019
    Third place, Commentary and Criticism
  • SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards 2017
    Winner, regional, Online News (large university)
    Finalist, regional, General News (large university)
  • SPJ Sunshine State Awards 2016
    Finalist, College Journalist of the Year
  • Barbara L. Frye Journalism – Capitol Press Club of Florida
    Scholarship recipient, one of eight to receive $2,000 award 
  • Larry Peterson Investigative Journalism Award 2016
    First place, Online Collegiate
  • Green Eyeshade Awards 2016
    Second place, Best Columnist
  • Palm Beach Post / James M. Cox Jr.
    Scholarship recipient
  • SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards 2013
    Second place, regional, Online Feature Reporting

Public Speaking

As a practicing journalist and SPJ leader, I speak regularly at public events centering around journalism, the First Amendment, student journalism and more.

I regularly speak to college and high school journalists, either visiting their newsrooms, through Zoom sessions or by going to high school and college classes. I regularly present multiple sessions at the college media convention circuit.

Presented at:

  • College Media Association Spring 2024 convention: Manhattan, New York (also an organizer)
  • Associated Collegiate Press Spring 2020 convention: San Francisco, California
  • College Media Association Spring 2018 convention: Manhattan, New York
  • College Media Association Fall 2017 convention: Dallas, Texas
  • Florida College System Publications Association Fall 2017 convention: Orlando, Florida
  • College Media Association Spring 2017 convention: Manhattan, New York
  • College Media Association Fall 2016 convention: Atlanta, Georgia
  • College Media Association Spring 2016 convention: Manhattan, New York
  • College Media Association Fall 2015 convention: Austin, Texas

Additionally, I’ve been a featured keynote speaker or panelist at events hosted by The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, the League of Women Voters, Western Kentucky University and more.

Education

Florida Atlantic University  I Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Major: Multimedia Journalism