The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria Class of 2013 ● Quinnipiac University Class of 2017 ● Reporter for KLAS TV Las Vegas
High school seems so long ago but I remember being constantly worried about not being able to get into college. My director of college counseling (DCC) guided me with my essay and made sure my options were open when it came to choosing a college. The application process was stress-free because there was always someone at TYWLS staying late after school to help me cross the finish line.
I am outspoken and confident and I credit that to my time at TYWLS where I always felt like I had a voice. Now I get to use that voice to help my community tell their stories.
After high school, I went to Quinnipiac University and majored in Broadcast Journalism. My love for this field started when I was a little girl; I remember watching WPIX11 news since I was four years old. I loved current events and knew I wanted to do work in front of the camera. What confirmed my dream was participating in a program called Journey to Excellence during my Junior year at TYWLS. I remember that first day when they gave us a tour of the Fox studios in Manhattan. While in the control room I said out loud to my DCC, “This is what I want to do.” My DCC was in town recently, and he got to see me living my dream firsthand.
After college graduation, I got a job as a television reporter and anchor at a small TV station in Wisconsin. Three years later I am now working as a reporter at KLAS TV in Las Vegas. It has been amazing so far! I am outspoken and confident and I credit that to my time at TYWLS where I always felt like I had a voice. Now I get to use that voice and help my community tell their stories.
The most crucial advice I can give to current and future CBI students is to always have faith. Project to the universe what you want and it will happen. Your dreams won’t come true overnight or in a matter of days but trust me if you put in the work it will. I was unemployed for seven months after graduation and thought I did not have a place in the TV industry. It took seven months and hundreds of applications to get that one call back. That was nearly four years ago and I am now on my second TV job and represented by a national talent agency.