I was a vocal child. Opinionated and not afraid to make my views known when I perceived that an injustice had occurred. In school, when a derogatory comment concerning women was made by a boy in my class, I was the first to raise my hand. Thanks to my female role models, I can say I have been shaped into the woman that I have become today.
While I initially aspired to join the air force or military, throughout my childhood, I developed a passion for writing and storytelling and this led to my interest in journalism. Though war journalism is predominantly a male-dominated profession, my role models were all bold and courageous women.
Christiane Amanpour
I would often watch international news broadcasts on the television with my mother, who always had an interest in politics and world affairs. As a child, one journalist particularly appealed to me: Christiane Amanpour. Her interviews were striking. She was a woman of great courage both on and off the front line of war zones and her interviews were striking in their honesty which always cut to the heart of the subject at hand. I particularly loved how her brilliantly constructed questions would often corner politicians and dictators. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them squirm as they tried in vain to avoid her questions. She has always been bold and has never shied away from a challenge. I was mesmerized by her presence on the screen and the facility she had to switch between English, French and Farsi, fascinated me. Amanpour is currently CNN’s chief international anchor of the network’s flagship global affairs program “Amanpour.” Just recently, Amanpour conducted a stellar interview with Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. It was while watching this interview that I realized just how much she influenced me and my choices.
I, too, never shy away from questions and was often the first person in class with my hand up when someone said something that I disagreed with. Being a natural extrovert, I found myself openly defending those who I felt didn’t have a voice. I would approach new students and refugees in the hopes of making them feel more welcome. I related to them, as I had often been the new student in class since I bounced from country to country with my family. Amanpour had always tried to shine a light on the issues that mattered the most, and I felt compelled to do the same.
Clarissa Ward
Amanpour’s colleague Clarissa Ward was also a big role model for me. She had worked for Fox, ABC and CBS before becoming a senior international correspondent at CNN. In secondary school, I would follow Clarissa Ward online everywhere she went. Every war zone, every live shot broadcast, I watched. When her autobiography, On All Fronts: the Education of a Journalist was released, I counted the days until my copy arrived. I was amazed to read how much we had in common. She also grew up in a multicultural environment and is a fluent French speaker. She has not only been to some of the most dangerous places on earth but has also survived a suicide car bomb attack. Ward even travelled to war zones while pregnant. As a teenager, I was in awe of everything she had done and accomplished. I have continued to actively follow her front-line reporting from Afghanistan and Ukraine in recent years.
My Grandmother
Famous war journalists have not been the only female role models in my life. My grandmother was a very powerful female presence. She is Irish and one of the strongest women I know. She taught me resilience and independence, but most importantly she taught me how to stand up for myself and to always treat people the way you would want to be treated. My grandmother was born the second youngest in a family of fourteen children from Dublin. She married and raised her three daughters in Dublin and later on in New York. She was like a second mother to my twin sister and I, as she also lived with us and took care of us. My grandmother has always pushed me to be the best person that I could be. She taught me to depend only on myself. When I told her that I wanted to study journalism, with the goal of becoming a war journalist, she gave me unwavering support. To this day, she calls me when she sees either Ward or Amanpour on the TV, telling me that she anticipates the day that she will see my face on the screen.
This week, on International Women’s Day, I think it is important we talk time to reflect on the women who have shaped our lives and influenced our career choices. We owe them so much.