My family moved away from the Whitsundays when I finished Year 10. I then completed Year 11 and 12 on the Gold Coast. Although I always wish I finished my schooling at Proserpine High - I loved it there. 

What were your senior subjects? Gosh, it feels like a lifetime ago. I always enjoyed Drama, English and Sport. Once I moved to the Gold Coast for my senior years - I did English Extension which I loved, Modern History and I honestly cannot remember what else. 

Favourite PSHS memory? Sports Carnivales! Dressing up and competing was always so much fun.

Where did life take you after you graduated? After graduating high school, I went straight to Griffith University on the Gold Coast to study Journalism specialising in Politics and Sociology. In my final year, I did an internship with Nine News Gold Coast and shortly after gained work with Channel 9. I was hosting the live weather at age 20 and doing shifts in the news room also. I took a more senior position at NBN Lismore, before leaving news around 23-years-old for a position hosting luxury real estate and lifestyle videos around Australia. At 25, I moved to LA where I still live today with my husband who’s a stuntman/second unit director and our two sons. Although we’re more often traveling for work than at home. 

What job position are you currently in? I am the executive producer and owner of a production company in Los Angeles. Since it opened in 2017, I’ve won 3 Emmy Awards for 3 different TV shows all of which I produced and hosted - two travel shows and a car/tech show.

From the age of 12 I knew this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a journalist and I wanted to be paid to travel! Fortunately, I achieved both. When I landed my first cable show Boys Toys, it aired to 30-million homes across the USA, which was so exciting considering that was more than the entire population of Australia. Then I leveraged that opportunity to make a travel show, Private Islands, which was a dream come true but in all honestly, I was relentless and never took no for answer in getting there.

My degree set me up, but it was the internship that gave me the first foot in the door, allowing me to prove my worth that resulted in a job soon after. Every experience since, the good and the bad, has taught me something and helped me be where I am today.

Best experience since leaving at Proserpine State High School? The last 10 years has been full of amazing experiences so it is hard to pick just one! In 2018, I traveled to 30 countries in the one year as a result of filming requirements. It’s also the year I fell pregnant with my first son and won my first Emmy Award. 

Best advice for current Year 12 students? Always let passion come first. This was true when I left school but even more so now with social media and Youtube channels. There are so many more opportunities/platforms to showcase your skills.

Also, if you’re passionate about something, you’ll work harder than everyone else and eventually you’ll be the best at it. Money will come, which by then will just be icing on the cake because you’re already doing something you love. 

I also truly believe, if you really want something, don’t take no for an answer. Instead, kindly ask "Why?". Perhaps you’ll learn something about yourself you didn’t realise that’ll help you land the next opportunity. You can use every no as a learning curve, not a road block.

 
Favourite quote? Be nice to those on your way up, you never know who will catch you when you fall. Since high school and university, it's crazy how many times I've crossed paths again with someone who's moved or changed roles. It's important to always be kind and respectful to everyone you meet - no matter their position.