When you've spent much of your childhood overseas in Great Britain and Saudi Arabia, as I did… you have a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the life you've been given. What I also developed during my time traveling the world and the four corners of the USA, is an unquenchable desire to know people's stories, to understand our differences, but even more importantly, our similarities… that which connects all of us. It is the human element I strive to capture in every story I tell. And that is precisely what keeps me in this wonderful, often hectic, always different, but wildly enriching career path.

Alas, in my college years, my goals weren't quite as well formulated. In fact, I struggled for a long time trying to figure out how to use my passion to make a living. Finally - and I can't for the life of me figure out why this didn't dawn on me sooner - I decided to do an internship at a local TV station.

Well, it's not everyday someone stumbles upon what they want to do for the rest of their life - and knows immediately. But, that's what happened. I was out with a reporter on my very first day on a big story… a man-hunt. We were helping police find their suspect. I still remember every detail. I went home, called my parents, and said, "This is it. Sign me up!" I quickly learned it wasn't that easy! But, it is rewarding and continues to motivate and challenge me.

You wouldn't know it now, but I used to be deathly afraid of public speaking. The fact that I now speak for a living demonstrates my determination. This is reflected in my work… including a 30-part series I produced and reported about local, Utah airmen deploying for Iraq. I traveled with them to Balad Air Base in Iraq and reported live, on-scene. One of those airmen was my husband. That series remains my personal career favorite.