Colette grew up in Florida and moved to Washington, D.C., to pursue a bachelor's degree in journalism at American University. She knew she wanted to be a journalist ever since she wrote for her high school paper. Colette has extensive reporting experience in the D.C. metropolitan area. She wrote for the Washington Examiner, where she covered stories about crime, business and civil rights issues. She also freelances for the Maryland-based paper The Gazette. In addition to journalism, Colette has a strong legal background - she worked at an international trade law firm and a civil rights firm.