Amanda VanAllen has no plans to spend time in small media markets. The native Chicagoan considers herself a die-hard big-city girl, taking her first steps toward becoming a major metropolitan reporter.

Last year, VanAllen, 22, started work on her master’s degree in reporting at New York University. She said the program has introduced her to all aspects of multimedia news production. She said the director of the program, Yvonne Latty, has a harsh editing style that has helped her grow.

“She’s an amazing journalist and has made me a better journalist,” VanAllen said of Latty. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”

VanAllen said her goal is to make herself more marketable by strengthening her multimedia skills. She plans to use her degrees in journalism and African-American studies to shine light on minority issues that she believes are all too often overlooked by the media.

VanAllen, who was the only African-American woman in her elite private high school, said she is concerned about the paltry numbers of African-Americans working in many newsrooms. And she said she intends to be an advocate for diversity.

“It’s really important for African-Americans to have their voices heard and to be seen in the newsroom,” she said.

Though VanAllen is focused on work, she still makes time to play. An athlete at heart, she hopes to join an urban league basketball team this summer.

VanAllen said she plans to apply for an internship at CNN, since she’s interested in broadcast production and would like to dabble in on-air reporting. She said she sees CNN’s Soledad O’Brien as a role model and hopes eventually to have the opportunity to produce long-form projects and to cover cultural issues.

“I know I can do it,” VanAllen said. “I’ve done amazing things so far so why not that.”

– Brittany Dandy

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