I am an award-winning strategic communications and public relations expert specializing in education, social impact, public diplomacy and media literacy. Dynamic storytelling is a passion of mine, and I love capturing the essence of what businesses need to communicate so that messages make an impact and create results. I've been fortunate to work in all aspects of my field, including strategic planning, media relations, digital media, special-events, crisis communications, brand management, internal communications and content development for internet, video and print. I also conduct customized training sessions on media literacy, which build more informed media consumers who own the skills to analyze news and social media posts, think critically and make educated decisions about media consumption and sharing. I received my MA of Public Diplomacy degree from the University of Southern California’s (USC) Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, where my research focused on human rights and communications tools and techniques, including propaganda used during the Cold War era. My work has been recognized with awards, including an IABC Gold Quill Award, an IABC Silver Six Award, an APEX Award for Publication Excellence and an Orange County Register Golden Pen Award.