October 29,  Mrs. Kate Snow, American television journalist serving as a national correspondent for The National Broadcasting Company (NBC), came to Sacred Heart Greenwich to cover the news of the visit from former biochemistry researcher and retired Chief Astronaut from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Dr. Peggy A. Whitson (Ph.D.). 

Sophomore Isabella Lippolis, a student from the Broadcast Journalism elective class “Today from the Heart,” interviewed Mrs. Snow during her visit.  Additionally, Mrs. Snow interviewed Dr. Whitson for a future segment of “The Drink,” an NBC Nightly News show.

After Mrs. Snow graduated from Cornell University, she went on to pursue her master’s degree at Georgetown University in international affairs and foreign services. Cornell University’s off-campus radio station and sports network, Voice of the Big Red, provided Mrs. Snow with the opportunity to be involved in broadcast journalism and media. After college, she was a reporter for a local news station on ABC in New Mexico for KOAT-TV. Currently, Mrs. Snow is a weekday anchor for MSNBC Live and an Emmy-Award-Winning National Correspondent for NBC News according to msnbc.com.

“[At Cornell University] I covered city council meetings and car accidents and really local stories, but I loved it,” Mrs. Snow said in an interview with Isabella.  “My first big anchor job was Good Morning America on ABC and then I switched to NBC eight years ago.”

Throughout Mrs. Snow’s career, she interviewed people of all backgrounds, such as politicians, actors, and actresses.  However, she stated that the stories she covers that mean the most to her are about those who give back to the community, rather than celebrities.  

“I’ve had a lot of really fun interviews with famous people that you would know [. . .] Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump,” Mrs. Snow said in an interview with Isabella.  “I actually think that the most [. . .] impactful moments for me, personally, were with people [who] aren’t famous that are doing amazing things for their community or have a really hopeful story to tell.”

Mrs. Snow interviewed Dr. Whitson in Head of School Mrs. Pamela Hayes’ office for a future episode of “The Drink.”  The interview consisted of Mrs. Snow asking Dr. Whitson “rapid-fire” questions, as well as some personal questions about her time in space.

Sophomore Isabelle Pipher described her experience about watching the interview with Dr. Whitson and Mrs. Snow. She enjoyed seeing both a famous astronaut as well as a renowned news anchor and learning about what the interview process behind the camera is like.

“My favorite part of the NBC interview was watching all of the action behind the camera,” Isabelle said.  “I thought it was interesting to see all of the work that goes before the interview, from setting up the cameras and lights, to the actual filming of the segment.”

At the end of Mrs. Snow’s interview with Isabella, she advised Sacred Heart students to take initiative and not pass up any opportunity presented to them.

“I would say to young people, take risks and take advantage of opportunities,” Mrs. Snow said in an interview with Isabella. “[Students] have amazing opportunities here at Sacred Heart.  [. . .] So, take advantage of things that are at your fingertips and find something that you love doing and just keep at it. [. . .] Be persistent.”

Featured Image by Broadcast Journalism Studio Director and Broadcast Journalism Teacher Ms. Ellyn Stewart