I’m not quite sure whom the students of Ossining High School intended to meet when 25 of them circled around an imposing podium in the OHS library on Wednesday, October 30. Many, perhaps, were expecting to meet the charismatic host of the television game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, while others were waiting on the amiable talk show co-host who appeared on NBC’s The View.  For weeks, the face of acclaimed television journalist Meredith Vieira had hung on the walls of OHS, advertising an after-school meet and greet for students who showed an interest in TV journalism. The excitement surrounding Meredith’s visit was palpable as the day approached. However, it seems that most of the journalist hopefuls that filled the library’s seats that day were in for a pleasant surprise.

As teachers, principals, counselors, and our Superintendent looked on, Vieira made her way through the circle of kids to a solitary chair in the center of the room, urging the students to move closer. After a brief introduction by Norman H. Fulton, Executive Director or Charles L. Brieant Community Center and Coordinator for the Peer Mediation Program here at OHS, Vieira continued on to tell the students about her background, expounding on particulars such as her family life and the struggles of being a woman in, as she referred to it, “the business.” “I wasn’t expecting her to be so personable, but it was eye opening. It’s nice to know that you can be successful in television but still put family first,” says Julia Solari, a senior at OHS. As a mother of three, Vieira also seemed to have a slew of knowledge about the college application process, answering questions about journalism degrees and her own experience with choosing a major at Tufts University, where she graduated from in 1975. Like most über successful people that make a name for themselves in television, Vieira has her own story about her road to success, which was full of imperfections. However, she also made it clear that no two roads are alike by urging the students to keep an open mind and to pursue what they love.

After a long session of question and answer, which Assistant Principal Lorraine Longing had to cut-off in the interest of time, Vieira took the time to go around the circle of students and ask them their name, grade and aspirations. She also gave out her email, reminding the students that connections mean opportunities in the journalism business. In the words of senior Emma Honcharski, “It was interesting to find out that even though she is so successful, she didn’t go to college knowing exactly what she wanted to do with her life. I think every kid in the room could identify with her in that aspect.”