The Person
Behind
the Pen
Hailing from a little city in Central Florida named Ocala, my name is Yasmene Warren. I won’t lie and say I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, but I’ve never been a stranger to the craft. From drafting short stories for my elementary school peers to read and earning impressive essay scores to exploring literary genres in creative writing and reporting on breaking news in a concise but engaging fashion — there isn’t a single area of writing I’m afraid to put my skills to the test in. I’ve always enjoyed writing, but it didn’t dawn on me that I could do it for a living until I went to college.
Circling back to June 2019, I came to the University of Central Florida as a head-strong nursing major with financial security and a successful future at the forefront of my mind and left in December of 2022 letting my passions define my success — and I couldn’t be happier.
Switching my major to journalism in July of 2019 shifted me into a state of writing euphoria, and I haven’t been able to shake it yet (and don’t intend to)! My career has introduced me to extraordinary people, each with their own awe-inspiring stories that continue making immense contributions to my development as a writer and growth as a person.
There’s always more to come, and I hope you’ll stick along for the ride! :)
- Yasmene
I began my journey at the University of Central Florida in June 2019 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a minor in English — Creative Writing in December 2022.
During my time at UCF, I wrote and reported for the school’s student-run news outlet, NSM Today (now The Charge). I got firsthand experience working in a fast-paced news environment, reporting and writing articles on a tight deadline. My fall 2021 semester was spent reporting and publishing multimedia stories with Orlando’s renowned news outlet, the Orlando Sentinel. My spring 2022 semester was spent creating video packages for television news.
I developed new skills in copywriting, editing and proofreading from my internships at The Online Farmers Market, Watermark and The Apopka Voice. I composed a variety of media from blog posts to feature articles to profiles.
From 2019 to 2022, I worked at WUCF TV & FM in script writing and audio editing. I spent my graduating semester at UCF serving as copy chief of NSM Today and editing hundreds of news stories for publication.
Post graduation, I freelanced with The Orlando Real from 2022 to 2025, writing blogs about real estate and life in the City Beautiful. I landed my first full-time position at Rosen Hotels & Resorts as its junior copywriter in July 2023. In this role, I composed engaging website copy, marketing collateral, email blasts and digital blog posts — all while developing and maintaining the brand voice.
My academic achievements and professional experiences have led me to my current position at Universal Destinations & Experiences as its associate news writer where I compose high-impact news articles and capture lifestyle photography for the Discover Universal blog. See the many ways I’ve put my skills to the test with the links below!
