I'm a born and raised Miami, FL girl. My mother is Cuban of Spanish descent while my father is American with a European/Jewish family background. Meteorology has been a part of me since I was only seven years old when Category 5 Hurricane Andrew devastated my hometown in August 1992. That experience with Mother Nature gave me the drive and inspiration to where I am today. I have been both a member of the American Meteorological Society & the National Weather Association since I was college student. I was awarded an AMS Minority Scholarship to study & pursue my career dreams to become a broadcast meteorologist. I also became a founding member of the University of Miami AMS Student Chapter & attended the AMS Annual Conferences in San Diego (2005), Atlanta (2006) and San Antonio (2007) as a Student Volunteer.
I graduated from the University of Miami in 2008 as the first student to receive a Bachelor of Science in Communication in both Meteorology & Broadcast Journalism. I was very active during my five years there by being involved in various clubs and organizations across campus including being a cheerleader, dancer, & flag girl during football season. I was a SKYWARN storm spotter for the National Weather Service in Miami. I interned at the weather departments of CNN in Atlanta, WTVJ NBC 6, WSVN Channel 7 FOX and WFOR CBS 4 in Miami. I even was highly involved as a writer, reporter, and weather forecaster for UMTV’s award winning show “Newsvision.”
In August 2009, I left the Sunshine State & the hurricanes behind and headed out to the Show Me State of Missouri to pursue my career goals and dreams. I lived first in Joplin working for a short time at KOAM-TV/KFJX FOX 14 as their Weekend Meteorologist. There I got the chance to experience all four seasons for the first time ever, from the snowy & cold winters to severe weather & tornadoes in spring to the hot & dry summers to the cool & changing colors in the fall and the sunny skies in between.
In April 2011, I went up north to Kirksville to work at KTVO-TV as their Bilingual English/Spanish Meteorologist and Multimedia Journalist. Five weeks after I moved from Joplin, the EF-5 tornado hit the city on May 22. I used to live in the area that was in the tornado's path and it was just heartbreaking to see that the parts of town I knew were just gone. I'm so proud on how much they have rebuilt and how far they have come. In the almost six years I was at KTVO, I did extensive Winter Weather, Severe Weather & Tornado Warning Coverage.
In Febuary 2017, I went over to the Sunflower State to KSNT-TV in Topeka, Kansas where I was their Weekend Morning Meteorologist and Multimedia Journalist. During my 10 months there, I got the chance to go out in the elements and storm chase in the stations own "Storm Tracker" Hummer.
I then went back to my second home state of Missouri to be the Weekday Morning Meteorologist for KQ2 in St. Joseph in December 2017. In February 2019, after years of perseverance, dedication, hard work and with the encouragement & support of my family, friends and fellow broadcast meteorologist colleagues...I was awarded the American Meteorological Society's Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal (AMS CBM #815.) It's been by far the best and proudest moment of my career.
I’m currently the Sunrise/Midday Meteorologist at WCBI-TV in Columbus, MS as of December 2019. Not only do I do the weather there, I'm also working on bringing the subject of climate change and its affects to the forefront to my viewers as part of my special monthly series "Our Changing Planet."
I have been honored to continue being a part of the AMS throughout my broadcast meteorologist career as I've attended AMS Broadcast Conferences in Austin, Kansas City and the 100th Annual Meeting in Boston to meet & share my passion for weather with others. I'm also now paying it forward as a mentor for the AMS Student Chapters at the University of Kansas and at my Alma Mater. I want to inspire our next generation to follow their dreams and that they can do anything they set their minds to.
When I'm not following the weather, I like to stay active by traveling, dancing, exercising, cooking/baking, movies, reading, shopping, hanging out with my family & friends, watching my hometown teams (Go Canes, Heat, Marlins & Dolphins.) I've also developed a fan base for the Kansas City Royals & Chiefs plus the KU Jayhawks. I also I'm a huge Disney fan and I try to visit Walt Disney World any chance I can get.