Hanna Gordola

Date of graduation: May, 06
Employer: CNN
Location: Atlanta, GA
Job Title: CNN Newsroom associate producer
Carolina Week Title: reporter
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Carolina Week Testimonial: My Carolina Week experience is definitely the highlight of my senior year. I remember it didn't take long for me to become immersed in the program. It seemed like I ate, slept and, well, LIVED in the studio and newsroom. The real, hands-on editorial and production experience I received from the program were essential in getting my job after graduating. The people who hired me at Voice of America and then CNN told me they were really impressed by the amount of experience I had right out of college. So I have the program and the professors to thank for that. Speaking of professors: they're amazing! They knew how to balance giving their students independence with guidance. When I started, Dr. T told us we were in charge of shepherding a story from start to finish. He gave me advice about how to make a story stronger, yet he allowed me to make rookie mistakes. I know it sounds counter-intuitive: allowing mistakes on air, but by letting me make mistakes, then for me to see those mistakes on TV, well, it forced me to learn from it. The next time I knew better, thus, becoming a stronger, more efficient journalist/production crew member.