A passion for international news and the drive to pursue her dream is how CNN en Espanol anchor Glenda Umana knew she was meant to be in front of the camera.
As a native Costa Rican, Umana spoke at the Walter Cronkite School on Monday about her journey to become a reporter at the leading 24-hour Spanish language network.
Umana said that she knew it would not be easy to get to where she wanted to go. With two babies at home, she chose to pursue her dream.
“At first I was very nervous,” Umana said.
She said her love for international news began when she received a scholarship to attend Florida International University for a master’s degree in communication. From there she landed her first job at a news station, attributing her position to her ability to speak English.
As time went on, Umana still dreamed of going to America to report on international news, though she had no idea how to achieve it.
As fate would have it, a CNN reporter came to her news station and advised Umana to make tapes and send them everywhere, including CNN. In March 1997, she began her career in America as an anchor for a new Spanish-speaking channel called CNN en Español.
Journalism student Gabriela Calles, a native Spanish speaker who has a passion for international news, said she was amazed by the places speaking English could get a person.
“For a native speaker it’s hard,” Calles said. “I’m inspired knowing that she made it.”
Umana was not shy about how emotionally difficult it can be to relay stories as an international reporter,
In 2010, Umana volunteered to go to Haiti and report on the catastrophic earthquake. She said she was shocked upon arrival.
“It’s not about feelings, it is about the people — from that moment I started reporting,” she said.
Covering the death of Pope John Paul II also hit close to home for Umana, who said she was scared and worried to talk about the news of his passing. After speaking with a friend, she said she remembered to set aside her emotions and think about the importance of telling the news to her audience. She discussed how vital it is to decompress from hard stories.
Journalism junior Ben Margiott said Umana’s speech taught him about the challenges of pursuing dreams.
“[It was] cool how she went through her most impactful stories and the day-to-day stuff,” Margiott said.
Umana ended the event with some advice for the students in attendance.
“This is an honor — to be a journalist,” she said. “The purpose of this career is to not be famous. Be humble and respectful.”
Contact the reporter at vermilyea.sara@yahoo.com
