CLARION—Clarion University junior Ashley Connor will take a big step toward her career goal and relive part of her past when she works as an intern at WXIA-TV in Atlanta, Ga., this summer.

“I’ve been wanting to do this since I was nine years old,” said Connor, a mass media arts, journalism, and communication studies major. “I will be working in the news department beginning June 2 for eight to 10 weeks. I’ve been told I will work at the assignment desk, get to work with people in the field, and have a resume tape completed.”

Connor will not be going to Atlanta for the first time. She spent a year in the city while growing up and watched her cousin, Donna Lowry, an Emmy Award-winning reporter, work on WXIA.

ASHLEY CONNOR

“Donna called me and told me about the internship opportunity,” said Connor. “I have been working to achieve this ever since I saw her on TV for the first time.”

Connor followed up with an application, which included two letters of recommendation and a resume. She was accepted as an intern.

Connor, a daughter of Douglas Connor of Pittsburgh, and Cornelia Connor of North Carolina, is a Woodland Hills High School graduate. Before college she attended the Frank Bolden Urban Journalism Workshop in Pittsburgh.

“They had a section on broadcasting and I worked on an actual story,” said Connor about the workshop. “I was picked to anchor the half-hour news show that we did. It made me more motivated to pursue this career.”

In 2005 she first came in contact with Clarion University through her participation in the Miss Black Teenage Pageant in Pittsburgh, in which she captured the title. Clarion offered her a Board of Governors Scholarship.

“I visited Clarion and they presented their communication department better than any of the other colleges I visited,” said Connor. “I saw the TV station and what they had to offer and I knew this is where I wanted to go.”

Connor has worked with Clarion University’s television station, WCUB-TV, since arriving at Clarion. She is also the current vice president and president elect of the Black Student Union.

“I’ve met amazing people, such as Dr. Joanne Washington and Dr. Scott Kuehn, since I’ve come to Clarion,” said Connor. “They are great people to guide me and help me grow. I am receiving a great education and experience beyond the classroom.”

Connor plans to pursue a career in broadcasting once she graduates in May 2009, focusing her attention on landing a job in Atlanta or in North Carolina.