My husband and I are what many would call "small town." I grew up in Clarence, Missouri in the northeast corner of the Show Me state.

My mom is a teacher and my dad a police officer, so it was hard to get by with anything as a kid but I still managed to challenge them every day. That determination is paying off today... I still don't give up easily.

After graduating from South Shelby High School in 1994, I went on to Mizzou for Broadcast Journalism and History degrees. I left Columbia and KOMU and started my first job in TV as an anchor/reporter/producer at KHQA-TV in Quincy, Illinois on the Mississippi River. I was able to covered stories ranging from the visit of President Bill Clinton to the election of Sen. Barack Obama.

After nearly seven great years in Quincy, I welcomed the opportunity to get back to Columbia.

I've been part of the staff in the KOMU-TV newsroom since 2005.

My husband, Brian, and I are high school sweethearts and had our first child, a son, in June 2005.

I love the news business because it's something new every day and the learning never ends. I also enjoy a good weekend home renovation project. The rest of my spare time is spent with family, in the yard, bargain hunting at auctions and flea markets or reading.