Having grown up frequently moving around within the United States and South America, experiencing other cultures and different forms of communication has always been a huge part of my life. I was born in Orange, California. I learned to ride a bike in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. I began playing soccer in Honolulu, Hawaii. I entered high school in Haymarket, Virginia, and then graduated in Lima, Peru. I came to realize the immense value in building and experiencing relationships with all cultures, while not necessarily having full ownership in any of them, giving me a unique view of the world.
Elements from each culture have stayed with me and have been assimilated into my life giving me a fresh perspective on people and their lifestyles. This has intensified my desire to learn how to more effectively communicate my ideas. Throughout my four years at James Madison University, I dedicated my studies to the Media Arts & Design program, concentrating in Journalism, as well as Modern Foreign Language, concentrating in Spanish, which allowed me to deepen my understanding of communication, on a visual, verbal, and written realm. In my videography and photography classes I learned the art of creating content that forms a personal connection with audiences and the importance of keeping images consistent and distinct to create a coherent narrative for the brand. I also earned a minor in Creative Writing, which allowed me to explore different forms of storytelling in a variety of mediums to convey my ideas. The skills I acquired throughout my college career prepared me to enter into a field of communications and visual storytelling. This portfolio is meant to demonstrate just that.
After college, I landed in the field of Public Relations, where I learned the power behind strategic communication. At NBC News PR, my journalism studies from JMU came to life. Journalists are storytellers. By taking on the role of a storyteller, journalists claim a position at the center of a story. They also claim possession: I will decide what the story is and how to tell it in a truthful manner. The journalist is in control. How stories are told is the basic platform of journalism, but more importantly it is the value a journalist adds to a story that makes it meaningful to the public. It was this prior knowledge that allowed me to evaluate storytelling from a different angle under a PR lens. Telling a story clearly, cleanly, and concisely is needed in many situations and platforms when developing communication materials intended to influence the attitudes and/or behaviors of key publics. To succeed as a PR pro, it’s been vital for me to have a passion for writing and communication, while being committed to excelling in both.
My desire to share stories, my love for language, and my curiosity about the world around me have been developed through my studies, professional background and my world experiences. These qualities have prepared me to continue to expand on my storytelling abilities and take on the responsibilities of a strategic communicator in any environment.