I’m an optimistic, multinational, millennial with more ideas about the future than I know what to do with. Recently married to my love and anointed father to a puppy, my life now is a far cry from where I started.

I've worked my way up from being one gap-toothed kid in Milton Keynes, England to being the only Black-British broadcaster on American TV for the country’s most-watched channel.

I’m fulfilling a dream by working as a CBS News anchor and national correspondent based at the network’s New York headquarters. It has taken years to get here but I haven’t done it alone. Those who've beaten the odds inspire me and in many ways, help me try to do the same.

I was born in the UK and moved to the US with my older sister, mother, and American stepfather at age 10. But within a few short and turbulent years, my sister passed away; my mother fell into depression; my stepfather left the family; and my world simply imploded. My teenage years were incredibly challenging, so I threw myself into school, sports and any extra curricular activity I could find. Young, foreign, and unsure of my role in the world, it would be journalism that gave me a sense of purpose more than anything else.

In a way it was therapeutic, as I found comfort in asking people about their biggest challenges while I was still confronting many of my own. 

As it turns out through luck, hard work, and amazing opportunities, I’ve now worked as a reporter my entire adult life, having been assigned to posts on four continents.

The day I turned 18, a current events program tailored for teens called Channel One News hired me, based me in Los Angeles, and sent me throughout the US, reporting on major news events to their audience of millions. I learned so much about the size and diversity of America from Itasca, TX to Seward, AK.

Best of all I worked alongside the likes of Seth Doane, Melissa Knowles, Gotham Chopra, Maria Menounos and others who each showed me something unique in their approach to reporting. The salary I earned allowed me, as a first-generation college student, to earn a political science degree at UCLA.

The week after graduation, I was hired by CNN International as an anchor/correspondent, ultimately working from their bureaus in Atlanta, London, Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg and all over the African continent.

Hosting “Inside Africa” exposed me to people and adventures in 22 countries over two years and without a doubt was the most incredible assignment of all (thank you Ethiopia, Madagascar, Tunisia and the DRC to name a few). Looking back, it feels like I’ve lived multiple lifetimes in these places, and made so many good friends in my eight years there.

I also had the pleasure of co-anchoring eight live hours of ‘CNN Newsroom’ during the week on CNN and CNN International with Rosemary Church in a broadcast seen in more than 300 million households around the world. You can see some of my work from this time here.

I was fortunate enough to leave one dream job for another. I'm now a CBS News anchor and national correspondent based in New York City after initially working from Washington, D.C. covering the White House. I’m still in awe at the fact a kid like me made it to an American institution with profound journalistic heritage.

It's said, "to whom much is given, much is also required." So as someone who found purpose through journalism, I guess I'm required to report what I've learned; We share more in common with each other than it appears.

I've seen proof everywhere, in the stories I've told and in the talented people I've worked with. We should focus on our commonality more often to truly solve lingering problems.

Or even start smaller.

I've strengthened bonds with my larger family following this philosophy, and it's an amazing place to be as I start my own.

If I have any influence among readers and viewers (and that's a big "if"), I would just encourage us to be a consistent force for good. And hey, why not make it exciting while we're at it!

This page is here for you to discover more about me; download my favorite shots, watch reports, donate time to organizations I support subscribe to my youtube channel, or send me a note.

I’m sure there’s something I can learn from you!

Let’s go!

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