Been here, done that: Paula Zahn
By Raegan Johnson
Reprinted from Vox Magazine—October
16, 2003
Connection to Columbia
Who would have guessed that the CNN anchor who makes her way into
your home every weeknight made her way through college on a cello
scholarship? Learning to play cello at age 5 proved to have long-lasting
advantages.
Paula graduated from Stephens College with a Bachelor of Arts in
communication studies in 1978. At Stephens, her ambition shone bright.
“I have had many students who have gone on to do great things,
but she is special,” says Connie Schenk, her former Stephens
College Spanish teacher. “She was a real go-getter.”
Before winning interviews with presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter,
George Bush and Bill Clinton, Paula was a fierce competitor on Stephens’
varsity golf and swim teams. By age 20, Paula had done her share
of print work and television commercials, including four years of
media work and an appearance in Seventeen magazine.
Paula returns to Stephens whenever she gets the chance. She spoke
at Alpha Epsilon Rho’s (a broadcasting society she was a member
of at Stephens) 40th anniversary celebration in 1983 and Stephens’
1993 May commencement. She participated in an alumnae auction in
1995.
Born:
February 24, 1956 in Omaha
Known for:
She is an Emmy Award-winning reporter and television anchor.
She formerly hosted Fox’s The Edge with Paula Zahn and co-anchored
World News This Morning and segments of Good Morning America. Currently,
she is the host of CNN’s Paula Zahn Now.
Quotes
" The only way to gain any credibility in the broadcasting
field, especially for women, is to be a reporter first and an anchor
person second."
— Paula Zahn
"Try to give something back to the world that has provided
well for you."
— Paula Zahn
" She is a very delightful person to know, mature beyond her
years. The person you see on television is the person she was then
(in college)... She has an attractive appearance and an attractive
personality."
— Connie Schenk, Zahn’s former Spanish teacher
Awards
National Commission of Working Women Broadcasting Award, 1982
Stephens College Alumnae Achievement Award, 1993
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Spirit Achievement Award, 1993
Emmy for outstanding coverage of a continuing news story, on mainstreaming the mentally disabled into education, 1994
American Women in Radio and Television Award for reporting on gender bias in education, 2002
