Paola Yañez, a junior broadcast journalism major, visited a television news studio while in high school and fell in love with the profession.
“I realized how important it is for citizens to be informed and, more importantly, how necessary it is to have a trustworthy person to inform them,” Yañez says. “I take it upon myself to be just that—someone the people trust to inform them on their day-to-day lives.”
Originally from Fort Worth, Yañez’s goal after graduating from UTA is to become a news producer. Now, thanks to a partnership with NBCUniversal News Group’s NBCU Academy, that goal is well within reach.
NBCU Academy offers on-campus training and education as well as internships and job opportunities to students in the UTA Department of Communication as part of its nationwide journalism training and development program. The resources are aimed at providing more equitable access for diverse and marginalized communities who have been historically underrepresented in the news industry.
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are central to our broadcasting program,” says Charla Markham Shaw, Department of Communication chair and principal investigator for the grant. “This transformational project with NBCU Academy will support our students’ ongoing efforts to excel, and this will make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students.”
