Despite her Californiablonde looks Whitney was actually born in St Louis Missouri but soon after she and her family moved to Minnesota After spending her early childhood years there they relocated again this time to Manhattan Beach California where her career was launched when she was cast as Fred Willards daughter in the role of Ella in Prehysteria 3 Whitney took a hiatus from acting for high school to focus on her education and enjoy a normal high school experience Later she enrolled at the University of Southern California USC where she ultimately earned a degree in theater broadcast journalism After graduating she returned to the screen and portrayed characters in several different television shows