On Monday September 10th, 2013, students of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication were granted the incredible opportunity to meet the women of Arizona TV news. Carey Peña, Catherine Anaya, Linda Williams and Lin Sue Cooney took a break from anchoring the news to give insight about their career paths for the Cronkite School’s “Must See Mondays.”
Ladies, do you want a family and a successful career? Don’t let anyone get in the way of you doing both. These women are writing, rehearsing, or being on air most of their days AND have young children. They explained that they were sick of only seeing their children for breakfast, so they told their producers that they were going home for dinner a few days a week. No one stopped them. These women get to spend time with their families because they know that family comes first. If they can do it, you can do it.
As a young lady, appearance is a major factor in self-confidence. Linda Williams from Fox 10 revealed that people are going to tell you that you cannot do it, but you have to ignore it! “Don’t let anyone steal your joy and don’t let anyone steal your passion,” advises Williams. She told her story of when someone informed her that her eyes were too close together to be on television. If those words discouraged her, she would not be the successful and talented woman that she is on Fox 10 today.
So maybe you haven’t picked your career yet, or maybe you’re just starting out in college. Catherine Anaya from CBS 5 gave advice for students interested in internships. She explained that the most important thing you can do at your internship is be vocal and ask to help out everywhere. If you aren’t vocal in your work environment, Anaya said, “I’m going to ask why you’re here.”
Carey Peña, Catherine Anaya, Linda Williams, and Lin Sue Cooney shared many of their stories about getting into the news business at the “Must See Mondays” event at the Downtown campus. The crowd was star struck to be so close to these famous women and many people asked for pictures. But even as famous faces in their fields, they are still regular moms who shop at Safeway. They are prime examples of how you can succeed in the future by getting ahead in college.