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"If you want to come to a place where people believe in
you and work diligently to make sure you succeed,
Huntington is the place for you. To feel loved, cared
about and believed in – you can’t pay for that. There’s
nothing on your tuition bill that says ‘self esteem’ or
‘potential reached.'" |
Awarding-winning broadcast journalist Angela Atalla covers what
matters most to her – family. As a reporter and anchor for WTSP/Tampa
Bay’s 10, Angela “tells the stories of everyday people who do
extraordinary things on a daily basis and have fun in the
process.”
“If you would
have told me when I was at Huntington that I would be working at
a top 10 station, I might have thought that was too lofty of a
goal,” says Angela, a 1996 graduate.
Tampa Bay’s
Channel 10, a highly respected CBS affiliate, serves the No. 1
market in Florida and the 12th largest market in the
country. Angela does much of her own story planning, though she
has a producer who assists her. She is particularly proud of a
story she did about sexual predators and how to protect children
from them.
“It was a
five-minute piece, and one that long is almost unheard of in my
business,” Angela says.
Before coming
to Tampa Bay, she worked for WXYZ, the ABC affiliate in Detroit,
as a full-time freelance reporter and anchor, focusing on
breaking news and lead news events of the day. Prior to her
position in Detroit, she served as a news anchor for NBC
affiliate WNWO-TV 24 in Toledo, Ohio. Her poise and
professionalism helped the station achieve the Associated Press
Award for Best Newscast for two consecutive years.
“When it comes
to what you believe and who you are, Huntington will set you up
for success. It’s up to you to do something with that,” Angela
says.
The experience Angela gained at
Huntington served as a foundation for her career. She assisted
Dr. Lance Clark, associate professor of communication, with
rebuilding Huntington’s television studio and launching a weekly
cable-news program. “By the time I left Huntington, we had a
full studio, with three cameras, Teleprompters and other
equipment,” Angela says. “In three years, we came a remarkably
long way.”
Angela continues to be involved
with Huntington’s cable-news program, HTV 22 news, as a news
talent coach. She regularly coaches on-air talent one-on-one via
conference phone and critiques the show using professional
industry standards.
“Her input has made a huge
difference in the overall look and feel of the show,” Dr. Clark
says.
At some larger universities,
broadcast students may have only one opportunity during their
senior year to do a broadcast, but at Huntington, Angela had
plenty of on-air experience. “Every week for three years, I was
able to anchor a 30-minute local news broadcast at Huntington,”
she says. “That experience definitely helped me prepare for my
career.”
More than career
preparation, Huntington provided people of influence that left
an indelible mark on Angela’s life.
“There’s no
question in my mind that the people of Huntington helped form
the person that I am,” she says. “What I learned in the
classroom was far outweighed by the people who taught me. I
remember the people and the impact they had on me. These people
made an investment in me, and I am the one who sees the return.
They don’t ever expect to see the return.”
For students
interested in not only a career in broadcasting but also
personal development, Angela recommends Huntington University.
“If you want
to come to a place where people believe in you and work
diligently to make sure you succeed, Huntington is the place for
you,” Angela says. “To feel loved, cared about and believed in –
you can’t pay for that. There’s nothing on your tuition bill
that says ‘self esteem’ or ‘potential reached.’” |
