Jamila White

Senior / E! News Intern

I fell in love with the art of storytelling in elementary school. I was amazed that an individual could impact an audience’s emotions through language. It was not until the fourth grade when my aunt jokingly mentioned that I should pursue a career that pays me to do what I love: talking.

This backhanded compliment yet genius idea stuck with me until my freshman year at The Pennsylvania State University. I was eager to serve as one of the main sources of news for thousands or even millions of people. Nonetheless, I began to explore a passion that was always seeking the attention I never thought it deserved. The amount of time I spent discovering new music and dissecting lyrics for their true meaning was abnormal. That is why I am pursuing a career as an Entertainment Reporter so that I can combine both my passions for journalism and music.

What was supposed to be my junior year at Penn State turned into a year-long internship at a top ten market with WJLA ABC7/NewsChannel 8 in Washington, D.C. This experience confirmed that everything I had dreamt of becoming was in arms reach. My ability to thrive under pressure, adapt to any environment, and work well in a group setting made it so that WJLA maintained their reputation as one of the top news sources in the Washington Metropolitan Area. During the final months of my internship, the station confided in me to serve as the Associate Producer for “Hispanic Agenda”, a recorded program that discussed an array of topics, focusing primarily on politics and its impact on the Latino community. The show was recorded in both English and Spanish allowing me to take complete advantage of my bilingual skills.

I am eager to begin my journey as a reporter and I am looking forward to all of the opportunities and experiences that come my way!