Some of my earliest memories come from watching football with my dad. At four years old, I would stand in front of the TV every time a flag was thrown and make the penalty call with the officials on-screen, including the proper hand signals. As I grew up, sports remained a major influence in my life, whether watching them with my family or playing softball, soccer, and eventually fencing on a Division I scholarship in college. 

I was always told by family and friends that I would be perfect for being on TV broadcasting sports, but I never seriously considered it as my career path until I decided to attend Sacred Heart University. I fell in love with their sports media program right before moving in my freshman year, and I immediately changed my major from political science to sports media and communications. In my three years of undergrad, I was able to get a lot of hands-on experience in my program. Some highlights include color commentary for women’s hockey, rinkside reporting, hosting my own coaches interview show, and becoming an athletic communications assistant for my last semester. 

I decided to move across the country for grad school in March 2023, and I made the move to Arizona to attend Arizona State University in August. I wanted an extra year of experience and networking before jumping into the job market, and the Cronkite School more than delivered. Over the course of a year, I was able to expand my published sports writing while covering Brophy College Preparatory, continue adding to my reel with a position as on-air talent for the ASU Stream Team, and enhance other broadcast and journalism skills in the classroom. I finished off my time at Cronkite with a dual professional experience in the summer: I was a visual journalist for Cronkite News and Sports and a digital marketing specialist in the Cronkite Agency.

Since graduating, my focus has been curating and growing my own social media presence, including @gracehandmedia on Instagram, and honing my craft as a freelance photographer. These experiences (and more) have fueled my lifelong passion for sports. I am currently pursuing my first full-time position to serve as the next building block in my professional career!