I am a journalism major at the University of Central Florida that graduated in the spring of 2023. I am the sports editor for UCF's student paper, NSM Today, and was an intern for the Orlando Sentinel, which I still freelance for. I have also had stories published in MLB.com, Fan Nation, the West Orange Observer, Winter Haven Sun, Valencia Voice, and the Apopka Voice.

The last thing I remember my mom telling me is that no matter what I do, she'll always support me as long as I'm happy. Three days later, my mom passed away from lung cancer on June 25, 2014. 

Her final words freed me. I struggled with baseball and pretended to still love playing the sport. 

It led me to journalism, where I get to share my love for sports and telling people's stories. 

Now I am a first-generation college student and blazing a trail for people who are in my shoes and have lost a loved one. 

My mom's influence will remain with me for the rest of my life as a person and a journalist. She was a beautiful person inside and out, and genuinely cared for everyone. I plan to treat all of my stories and the people I interview with the same care she had.