Born in North Miami Beach, Fla., Samantha braved the cold weather to attend Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, where she graduated in 2006 with an accelerated masters degree.
She currently works full time as a freelance reporter and editor. Her work can be found at Patch.com, The Daily Herald, RedEye and The A.V. Club. She lives in Evanston with her fiance and two cats.