Fredricka Whitfield is known as a famous CNN reporter who has covered many events across the country.
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Background
Fredricka Whitfield was born on May 31, 1965. She was born in the state of Maryland which is located in the upper east region of the United States of America. She is the proud daughter of the famous “Marvelous Mal”. This is her father, Malvin Greston Whitfield, who is an Olympic champion. He managed to win the 800 meters race in the 1948 as well as in the 1958 Summer Olympics. On the other side, her mother Mary A. Whitfield worked as a policewoman.
It’s safe to say that Whitfield has always demonstrated huge interest towards the field of journalism. Coming from a family of incredibly highly successful people, she never settled for anything but the best. This fact was of course reflected in her education. She first went to Paint Branch High School in the town of Burtonsville which is located in her home state of Maryland. She got her high school diploma back in 1983 and she went straight ahead to get her bachelor’s degree at college.
She attended Howard University’s School of Communication which is a place specifically designated to inform and educate students in the particular field of journalism as well as in public relations. She managed to graduate from her college in 1987 and she was the news anchor for the campus radio station throughout her time in the university. Working on the radio really prepared her for her future career. She was able to get her first time jitters out in front of her classmates so that she wouldn’t be nervous when she entered the professional work place.
Professional Career
After joining the CNN network in 2002, her career took off to new heights. This of course had a huge impact on her salary and she is currently reported to have a net worth of approximately $3 million dollars. It is without a doubt that she is amongst the best paid news reporters on television. However, she has put a lot of effort to get there. It wasn’t by luck or any special favors. She learned how to work hard from her parents who always instilled a great work ethic in her and her siblings. She has been reporting on some of the most major stories since she has joined the CNN network. She does not back down from anything that she cares about.
The true fact is that Whitfield has already achieved almost everything there is to achieve in her particular field of expertise. She managed to rapidly draw the attention of different TV stations and channels after a hostile interview she had with Joan Rivers who is a famous American actress. There was also one more story that went viral and which helped develop her career. It was a story covering the shooters of the police in Dallas back in 2015. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t manage to find the right words, claiming that the attackers were courageous and brave. Nevertheless, she quickly abandoned this claim and made a formal on air apology for her statement, explaining that she had misspoken and did not intend to offend anyone.
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Animal Lover
In a statement she posted on KQTV’s website, Fredricka Whitfield revealed her fascination and love for horses. It all started for her when she was a young little girl, “Horses are healers. I didn't know that when I fell in love with them. I was 9 when I first rode one in a dusty ring outside Columbia, Maryland. At the time, I just wanted to keep up with my big brother and sister who would go out riding with friends. I was too little and inexperienced to accompany them on the trail rides. So the folks at the barn were happy to let me sit on a pony and circle the ring to my heart's desire.”
She quickly fell in love with creatures and wanted to tag along with her siblings whenever she knew that they were going to the stables, “From that point on, my brother and sister could never go to the stables without me. Not long after that, my passion for ponies and horses would only grow. My parents supported my passion with lessons, boots, britches and summer riding camps.”
Her parents could see that their daughter had a strong passion in caring and interacting with the animals. They wanted to foster her love for them because one of the best reliefs for parents is finding out that their child is interested in something positive. They pushed her in the right direction, “Perhaps to stop my endless requests about getting a horse for my birthday or Christmas, Mom had a suggestion: volunteer at the Rock Creek Park Horse Center. Smack in the middle of Washington, DC's sprawling Rock Creek Park, the center is a gorgeously rustic horse stable featuring trail rides and lessons.”
The suggestion worked out for Fredricka and taught her about hard work, “Mom's idea was brilliant. It kept me in the arena of all things horses on the weekends -- from cleaning their stalls, sweeping the barn, grooming and tacking the horses to eventually earning rides on what would become my favorite horse Merlin, a Fox Trotter.”
Personal Life
Fredricka has a fairly perfect personal life. She used to date her longtime boyfriend named Cohn Glenn. However, not long afterwards he became her husband because they were so in love. The couple decided to go with it and they got married to each other with strong vows. They are living happily ever since tying the knot.
Even though they might have had their disagreements during their marriage, they have been able to pull through. They had a big argument which almost caused them to get divorced but they felt that they were the best for each other.
Fredricka is currently a happy mother of five wonderful children. She always wanted a big family to raise because of the way she was brought up in her family.
Last Modified: Apr 7, 2020
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