Jessica Barreto, Action News Jax

Jessica Barreto joined Action News Jax as a reporter in March of 2021, and she is thrilled to be back in her home state of Florida! Jessica spent the previous three years at KOAA News 5 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she enjoyed the mountain views, but also discovered how extreme the high-altitude weather can be. In the Centennial State, Jessica did live reports from the scene of wildfires, flash flooding, hail storms, and snowstorms. You name it and chances are, she's been in the middle of it! But when she wasn’t in the middle of breaking news or weather coverage, Jessica put together stories to shine a spotlight on non-profits making a difference in her community. As a reporter, she wants to help viewers recognize that they have the power to create a positive change. Jessica graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) with a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication. Jessica won first place in the Florida AP College Broadcasting Awards for a story on how the Gainesville Police Department was working on recruiting more minorities to join their force. Jessica’s family is from Colombia, and she grew up with Spanish as her first language. She’s happy to use her Spanish to reach her Hispanic and Latino communities. Jessica is a native south Florida gal, so she loves finding new Latin food spots, dancing salsa, and soaking up the sunshine on the beach. She also enjoys days in, where she’s probably watching Jurassic Park for the millionth time, or playing with her adorable recue cat, Jolie.