CLAY COUNTY – Hi! My name is Nikki and I’m the new reporter for Clay Today. I’m excited to meet new people and learn more about the county. I hope my stories portray the beauty of Clay and the kindness of the people who live here. 

A little about me: I recently graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in journalism. I adored going to a smaller campus that was surrounded by nature, with geese and other wildlife. I also enjoyed being looked after by our unofficial mascot “Howard The Duck,” Due to the smaller class sizes, I was able to form close relationships with all my professors. UNF was my dream school and I’m so happy I got to graduate from there.

I chose to be a journalism major after I took a speech class in community college. Speech was the class I was the most worried about because I’m normally a shy, quiet person. However, the class would become one of my favorite classes I ever took in college. I loved learning about other people and new ideas. I loved hearing other people’s points of view and their stories and beliefs. Even though I wasn’t the most talkative or outgoing person, I knew that a degree in the communications field was right for me. 

Before UNF, I lived in the small tourist town of Bradenton. I have a close relationship with my parents and regularly go home to visit my three cats. I would love to adopt a cat one day but at this point in time, I’m not even sure if I could keep a houseplant alive so right now, so I’m just focused on taking care of myself.

When I’m not attempting to cook something, I love exploring various nature preserves and national parks. My favorite nature preserve is Robinson Preserve. However, I would love any suggestions for nature preserves in the Clay County area! I’m also a huge bookworm and much prefer books over movies, but I will go to the movie theater for butter popcorn. I’ve lost track of how many books I own but there are at least a couple hundred. I try to support local libraries and bookstores as much as I can.

I also love anything vintage. History was one of my favorite subjects in school and I love being able to have a piece of it. My room is currently filled with various knick-knacks, vintage magazines, books and vintage clothing. My definition of a good weekend is exploring an antique shop or thrift store. My dream is to one day own an older house that has as much original charm as possible.

I hope to grow and learn in Clay County. I’m eager to meet all of you and learn about your interests and beliefs. Everyone has a story. This is my story and I hope to learn all of yours.