She started taking photos as a girl, and when it came time to decide a potential career path, there was nothing she could think of that would make her happier than being a photojournalist for a living. Ayrika shot sporting events for her high school with nothing more than the point-and-shoot provided by the tech prep program she was a part of at her high school. Ayrika attended Ohio University from 2009 - 2013 and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication with a specialization in Sports Management and Administration. 

Sports are her passion and was selected to attend the Sports Shooter Academy in 2013 where she worked along side some of the top sports photojournalist in the country. Ayrika worked for WOUB during her time on campus, providing them with photographs of various sporting events. She had an internship with the Southern Ohio Copperheads, a summer collegiate baseball team sponsored by the MLB, and was their team photographer and designer for their 2012 summer season. Immediately following graduation, Ayrika moved to Western Massachusetts for an internship and later moved to the Boston area freelancing for Wicked Local (Gatehouse Media). 

She is currently located in the Nashville area working at The Leaf-Chronicle, a Gannett property, in Clarksville, Tenn.