Sunrise from the News Room

Last month, I signed an agreement with WJCL/WTGS news stations here in Savannah for them to be the exclusive TV partner for Coastal Pet Rescue. What I didn't know was that I would become the stations' official pet expert. It's a great idea, and really helps the pets, but I've seen sunrise more in the last three weeks than I have the last three years. Funny enough, I'm finally using that first bachelor's degree.

Believe it or not, I did not plan to grow up and be a pet rescuer. According to my 8th grade yearbook, I was going to be a dolphin trainer at Sea World, and my high school scrapbooks says I was going to be a nature photographer for National Geographic. I went to school to pursue journalism, wanting to be a writer as I loved to write and had been published a few times already. Instead, I went the route of communication arts, being jaded by a not so favorite journalism professor my junior year at Georgia Southern University. I continued to write, mostly guest columns for the Tybee News and the Tybee Breeze.

Two years ago, I was sent to New York for an award I won from Jiffy Lube. I was put on a national satellite media tour, which meant that every three minutes I was doing live interviews in different cities around the country. The woman appearing with me, known as The Car Coach, told me I should consider going after CNN to be the pet reporter, that I had the poise, drive and knowledge (or at least could fake it). She turned me on to some great PR reference books, and from there, I learned how to best write press releases so media would run them. What has progressed since has been nothing short of amazing.

I've always considered Coastal Pet Rescue the underdog, or red-headed step-child, in our local community. We're new, we're overly diverse, and we don't get paid for our work. We are constantly looking to push limits and try something new, anything to make our mission work. I've been told I'm pushy and too direct, but I prefer to be called passionate and dedicated. And apparently, that was why WJCL/WTGS offered to partner with us as an exclusive TV partner, which means lots of early mornings for me.

So, here I sit in the newsroom, watching sunrise after having appeared on air from 5 to 7 am and waiting for the 8 am show to start. Mom and Dad would be so happy I'm finally getting something from that college tuition.