How I Became A Storyteller: Just Call Me Oprah

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Therapist Turned Reporter

Dozens of plastic eyeballs look back at me. Everyone is naked except for a few who are wearing
bow ties, ribbons, or bows. My audience is spread out on the floor of my parent’s dining room, yet
I feel like I am speaking in my own Carnegie Hall surrounded by people who want to hear the words
that will come out of my mouth. I close my eyes and imagine those bright lights shining down on me,
the long length of the stage, and the fullness of the audience.

When I open my eyes, I’m back in my parent's house with just a few Teddy Bears as spectators.
For twenty minutes I speak to those feather filled toys like they are people. My eyes connect with theirs.
I point. I use my hands to illustrate important moments in my speech. I wish I could say I was five or
six, but I’m in my early twenties and this is how I’ve come to prepare for speeches for my Public
Speaking Class. At the local community college where I am taking classes. Public Speaking classes
are mandatory for an Associates in Psychology.  I hope when I finish my associates I will transfer
to a big place like the University of Virginia and eventually become a family therapist. In high school
all my friends called me Oprah because I counseled them on all their relationship issues. I decided
this meant I would be a good therapist one day.

I am carrying a full course load, working, and doing a research study on campus. While I enjoy my major, it is this speaking class that gives me the most anxiety, excitement, and pride. Nailing a speech
is indescribable. When I look back at students in class, and they applaud or cheer, or cry; I feel like for
those few moments we’ve made a connection, my story has value therefore I have value.
Does this make me a narcissist? Did I not get enough attention as a child.? I don’t know. No matter
the reason, all I know is that I love this feeling.I never thought I could make an actual career out of
public speaking. It wasn’t until after class one day that my teacher gave me a new vision for what
my life could be.

After one invigorating speech in class I gave about my love for the wrestler Dwayne “The Rock”
Johnson, my teacher asked me to stay after class. I thought maybe my Rock t-shirts, and props were
a bit too much and was expecting her to tell me to tone it down the next speech.

“Have you ever thought about being a television reporter?” she asked. 

“A what?,” I replied.

“You know like a news reporter telling stories on television.” I knew what she was talking about,
but it had never crossed my imagination ever. I thought the most air time I would get would be from
writing a book as a therapist. Maybe I would go on a book tour, and give some speeches, but being
on television every single day, out of the question.

“I think you’d be great. There is something magnetic about you. The way you tell stories is special
and I think you could have a great career in news if you wanted to,” she said.

I took her advice, and worked over 5 years in news.

I wish to God I remembered her name. This short, curly headed white woman changed the course of
my entire life. In that moment I didn’t realize how instrumental those words would be in changing the
course of my career, so maybe that’s why I didn’t record it in my memory bank. At the time it didn’t
seem like a plausible option. I figured it was a kind thing she said to a lot of her public speaking
students and I keep on in my studies. I didn’t chuck my Psychology major right away, but as
graduation grew closer I found myself really thinking of what a life in television could mean.
I started researching what reporters actually do; interviewing, writing, meeting people. Everyday
I would learn something new, and then share it to the world. I have to admit the perceived glamour
was exciting too. The thought of me the frumpy, funny girl from the marching band being on television
was intoxicating. It would stroke my pride and show everyone back in high school that gem I knew I
was. Isn’t that what we all want from success in our twenties to show our classmates we’ve made it at
our high school reunion?

I wasn’t sure if I had what it took to be a reporter. I was pudgy, insecure, and not the most assertive
person in the world so when I thought of a college to transfer to I applied to University of Virginia for
Psychology and Virginia Commonwealth for Broadcast Journalism. Even though I made close to a
4.0 at my community college (TCC), I didn’t think I’d actually get into both schools. I figured whichever
school accepted me that was the career I was supposed to choose. I was accepted to both, but that
nudging from my speech teacher made all the difference. I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue
broadcast journalism.

This story is not just a story of how I got into television news. It's really a story about the teacher,
and the LIFE GIVING words she spoke into my life.

I can honestly say I would have NEVER pursued a career in news if that college professor had not
kept after me about being a reporter. As a very spiritual person I think this was God's divine way of
leading me on my purpose. And, while I am not on the news today, I believe my Higher Power gave
me that experience for something even larger. I don't know what that is yet, but I'm grateful for that
teacher who stopped, noticed something amazing in me, and SPOKE IT!

It's a big reason I know and believe there is POWER in what we say. Choose your words to speak
LIFE into them--- who knows you might be birthing the next Oprah, or the next Lauren Hope.