>> short bio
| What I enjoy about journalism is being able to tell stories. Whether being a government watchdog, or putting the spotlight on issues that often go unnoticed, journalism is a part of me. I started as a reporter for my college paper, Metropolis, and by the end of 2001, I was promoted to editor-in-chief. The newspaper, under my leadership, received many awards and recognitions. In 2003, I started freelancing at The Miami Herald, that experience led to a successful reporting internship with The St. Petersburg Times, and John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. More recently, I covered law enforcement for The Savannah Morning News. As a hobby, I write movie scripts and had an award-winning short film, Lucia. I blog, have participated in many Web developments, and I am an amateur photographer with some photos published in national newspapers alongside my articles. I'm a graduate of the print journalism program at Florida International University. In 2006, I helped to launch Maid Green, an eco-conscious cleaning services business, and a year later Sticky Fingers Cupcakes, which was voted Miami's Best Cupcakes. I have also designed several Web sites while my journalism career picks up again. In my creative side, I write music and have performed live with several rock bands. I grew up in Miami and now live in the north Atlanta-area, where I've been a freelance writer, editor and designer. I was born in Brazil to Lebanese parents. In addition to English, I speak and write Portuguese, Spanish and can hold my own in Arabic. Traveling is also a hobby of mine. I've visited Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Brazil, Lebanon, London and several U.S. states. |