While my classmates would be reading "Twilight" and "Harry Potter," I would be reading "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul" books, autobiographies and biographies of Gabby Giffords, Nancy Pelosi ,Tom Brokaw, Mitch Albom books, "The Last Lecture," Robin Roberts, and Hoda Kotb books.
Teens my age would be admiring Taylor Swift , Beyonce or the Kardashians. I admired Hoda Kotb and Ann Curry.
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This came about from watching "NBC News" growing up. Before school, I would watch "News 4 New York," then I would catch the opening of the "Today Show" reporters and hear the latest headlines of the morning. At night, I would watch "NBC Nightly News." On weekends, I would tune into "Meet the Press with Chuck Todd" to get the latest political news.
In my eighth grade art class we had this portrait project where we can paint a portrait of someone we admired. I chose Ann Curry, who was then news anchor for NBC. She was a serious reporter because she got to interview world leaders like the Dalai Lama, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and many more. She led the twitter campaign for the 26 Random Acts of Kindness in honor of the Newtown Kids. From doing this project, I wanted to show her the portrait.
It was during my freshman year of high school when I met her. I was walking near the barricades when I saw Ann at the news desk. At 8:00, Meredith Vieria and Ann Curry came out to the plaza to greet the crowd. A woman next to me said to hold up my portrait of Ann. Ann saw it and was overjoyed. After the live stand up, Vieria and Curry walked around to talk to the crowd. As she was coming towards me, I was getting excited. She gave me a hug and she told me to write a book about all the amazing things that happened to me. She autographed my portrait; it said, "Emma I love you and you will change the world like I want to too, signed Ann Curry." I got a picture. The portrait of her hangs in my bedroom. I will never forget that day.
Another day I will not forget was when I met Hoda Kotb, who co-hosts the fourth hour of the "Today Show" with Kathie Lee. I admire Hoda Kotb because she worked her way up to becoming a successful journalist. She went to 27 news directors and got rejected from all 27. On the 28th try, she got the yes that would lead her to a successful journalism career.
That yes led her to cover war zones, Hurricane Katrina, and become a "Dateline" correspondent and cohost of the fourth hour of the "Today Show," along with being an author of three books. Hoda is also a cancer survivor, and she used her platform to document her story. In an interview with Ann Curry, she had a pink ring and said that she would forward the proceeds from the sales of the ring to cancer research.
The first time was not planned. My mom and I were walking around the city, and we sat on a bench to rest from all the walking. I wanted to keep going. Then Hoda Kotb walked right by us and was about to cross the street when I yelled, "Hoda!" She turned around and saw that I had my camera. She said, "Let's take a picture." We took a picture, and a few years later at Hoda's book signing for "Where We Belong," I had her sign that picture. As Hoda was signing my picture, I asked her as a young journalist what her advice would be. She said never give up. Hoda wrote on the photo, "Emma, Good Luck, signed Hoda Kotb."
Thank you Ann and Hoda for being the reason I am majoring in journalism.
