News at St. Catherine's
Inspired to Chase Her Dream
A product of an all-girls' school, former CNN reporter Jessica Yellin addressed Upper School students last week.
Jessica Yellin can easily recite the words of the motto of her alma mater, The Westlake School for Girls: “Possunt Quia Posse Videntur” (They can because they think they can).
Those words inspired Yellin to pursue a dream to become a White House correspondent for CNN, covering the presidency of Barrack Obama.
Yellin visited St. Catherine’s last week as this year’s Dalton Studies speaker. She addressed Upper School students and faculty in McVey Theatre and then visited with an eighth grade class before having round table lunch discussion with a select group of Upper School students and faculty. A former CNN journalist, Yellin is the current fellow at the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California.
She started her speech Thursday by addressing her time on Air Force One before delving into the journey that landed her on the country’s most famous plane.
The journey wasn’t always easy and her school’s motto often guided her decisions.
“I knew what I wanted and I said what I wanted,” Yellin said. “You can’t get a break if you don’t speak up and work hard.”
Yellin allowed for a question/answer session with the Upper School students.
The students asked a variety of engaged and informed questions addressing topics such as maintaining objectivity in journalism, overcoming the double standard that exists for women journalists, the polarization created by media outlets and the responsibility they hold and several issues related to the ethics of journalism including the recent revelations around NBC anchor Brian Williams. One student even asked her about her experience as the first hologram journalist.
After answering the questions, Yellin left the girls with the following words: “You should all feel empowered to share your voice and be a part of the change that is already started."
Located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, St. Catherine’s School is a private, all-girls pre-K, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school. We provide a well-rounded educational experience for girls from communities across Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and all of central Virginia. St.Catherine’s all-girls educational experience is rooted in more than a century of history and tradition. From our revolutionary past to our dynamic present, St. Catherine’s has always focused on preparing students for a boundless future.
