Erin kiernan
Class of 2007
Anchor/reporter, WHO-TV
What advice would you give to young people who want to make an impact?
My advice to young people who want to make an impact is to find your passion. I spent many years trying to be all things to all people, and I could have been making a bigger impact by being more selective in the stories I chose to report and the causes for which I chose to volunteer.
What’s one experience that helped you become a better professional?
My first full-time job has helped me in every position I’ve held since. I was working at Channel 5 as what we call a “one-man band.” It’s when you see someone out on a story all by themselves. You shoot the video, write the story and edit the story all by yourself. I was terrible at it and it was enormously frustrating. There were many days I wanted to quit. The experience taught me perseverance, patience, time management skills, work ethic and how to multitask. Now that I’m in a leadership role, it helps me empathize with what our young reporters are dealing with on a daily basis.
How do you handle setbacks?
It’s taken me a long time to learn how to deal with setbacks in a healthy way. I find it most helpful to channel my Grandma Susan. When something bad happened, she used to say, “No time is forever.” It’s a good reminder to take the long view. A tough workout also helps me hit the reset button and move forward.
Class of 2007
Andrew Allen
Chad Alley
Marc Beltrame
Ashley Canney
Scott Carlson
Wade A. Den Hartog
Kendall Dillon
Sally Dix
Rachel Flint
Malcom Goodwin
Brando Guerrero
Nate Hoogeveen
Amy Jennings
Tanya Keith
Erin Kiernan
Rebecca Lowry
Leslie Malcolm
Tim McCulloh
Chris McDonald
Ed McGill
Matthew Meline
Michael Milligan
Sarah Oltrogge
Stephanie Pearl
Marcus Pitts
Kelly Portz
Brett Ridge
Tom Rupprecht
Laura Sauser
Chad Schaller
Charles Schneider
Ray Seidelman
Jill Smith
John P. Smith
Phillip Stover
Channing Swanson
Kevin Tiffany
Mindy Toyne
Ben Washburn
Charles Wittmack