I published my first novel at 17, although my parents can confirm I started writing as soon as I could hold a crayon, self-publishing collections stapled into manila folders about the family goats, llama, dogs, and cat. When I started a Cross family newspaper at 12 and demanded my entire family “subscribe,” advertising on our toilet seats, it became clear my purpose was to tell stories about the things that mattered to me.

As I learned more about the natural world, I uncovered a commitment to natural habitat and endangered species conservation. In the second grade, I went to the school board with a plan to institute a recycling program at my elementary school. I have always found fulfillment in educating others about the beauty and importance of biomes like coral reefs and wetlands and endangered species.

After earning a degree in journalism and communications from Bishop’s University in 2015, covering local news honed my ability to tell unfolding stories accurately and engagingly. My work won four New England Newspaper and Press Association awards in spot news, arts and entertainment reporting, obituaries, and a first-place win for a social issues feature story. I spent five years in newspaper and digital journalism in Vermont, starting at St. Johnsbury's Caledonian Record and then moving on to the Vermont Community Newspaper Group in Stowe.

I pivoted into brand and social media management and digital copywriting in my next role as digital content coordinator for the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing.

There, I took on a strategic role, managing all aspects of my content projects from the creative brief stage to final publication and working with videographers.

I’m transitioning into using my storytelling and marketing skills to get people excited about the importance of preserving wildlife and wild environments. I’m never happier than when I see the light come on in someone’s eyes when they find their personal connection to marine or wildlife conservation, and the idea of leaving behind a legacy of passion for wild places and conservation of wild species feels like finally taking a deep breath.