Jessi Smith, Neighbor

Email: jessi.smith941@gmail.com

Hometown: Bradenton, FL

Birthday: July 20, 1987

Jessi is a third generation Florida native who grew up in eastern Manatee County in a house alongside the Braden River, a locale she frequently explored throughout her childhood. After graduating from Lakewood Ranch High School in 2005, she moved to Miami to attend Florida International University where she graduated magna cum laude in 2009, receiving her B.A. in art history and minor in English literature. Liberal arts degree in hand and tail tucked between her legs, she returned, penniless and jobless to her parents' home in Bradenton shortly after the graduation ceremony. Out of financial necessity, Jessi put her passion for writing to use and has recently discovered how fortunate she is to have stumbled into a field of employment that she actually loves. She currently resides in downtown Sarasota where she freelances for a variety of local publications.