Prendie grad-turned-newswoman aims for balance
Rahel Solomon was in one of those post-graduate quandaries about what to do next.
She earned a degree in finance from St. John’s University, but when it came time to use her training in economics, marketing, and accounting to secure a job, she wasn’t interested in much she was educationally qualified to do.
Rahel, seen mornings opposite Jim Donovan as the co-anchor of Channel 3’s early morning newscast, wanted to write. She’d always likes writing, something she discovered and remembered from her days at Archbishop Prendergast High where Rahel was editor of the student newspaper.
She was also involved at Prendie’s student radio station and the president of its Business Club.
“I never liked math,” she says by telephone from CBS 3 studios. “My favorite subjects were English, history, and government. Finance lured me. At the time, I thought it would be the best way to make money and be independent.”
Investment banking, alas, had no allure. Rahel says she spent most of her time back home in Upper Darby thinking of what she wanted to write and how she could make a living as writer. She considered public relations and commercial writing along with journalism.
Then luck hit. Friends of Rahel were working at a local television station. They enjoyed their work and soon Rahel joined them as a production assistant.
“All of a sudden, almost upon entering the newsroom, what I wanted and what I’d enjoy came clear to me.
“In that newsroom, I found my niche. It was so exciting seeing how reporters actually operated, how stories emerged, and how shows were put together. In high school, I edited a newspaper and was heard on radio programs, but I never considered journalism for a career. I get a job to tide me over until I could make up my mind, and I find exactly what I’m looking for.”
Experience taught Rahel a lot, but once she decided journalism was her métier, she studied it formally, earning a Master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
“I talk to young people who have embarked on news careers or are considering one, and I tell them journalism courses can only take you so far. They’re good for solidifying the basics about attribution, research, sourcing, and accuracy, but it’s equally important to study subjects from all parts of a university curriculum. My degree is finance helps when I’m facing a story that involves budgets and projections. I understand the intricacies and can do some analysis of a statute or proposal. Finance prepared me in a way I never expected it would. To be really grounded, I recommend studying other fields as well, especially history, political science and culture.
“Knowing the world you’re talking about each day on the air is critical. The best advice I got when I first became serious about a career in news was to read the newspaper every day and keep up with big stories and issues.
“I follow that advice. Each day, I read the Washington Post, The New York Times, Politico, and other newspapers and sites. I DVR cable news and spend my time between the noon news and my 5:30 p.m. bedtime watching CNN and other national and international news sources.”
Rahel would relate to the international. She likes to travel and has a trip to London, Paris, and possibly Amsterdam in the works for this summer. She has also lived abroad, having taken classes in France, Spain, and Italy.
Although Rahel regards Delaware County, and Upper Darby specifically as home — “I grew up across the street from Beverly Hills Middle School” — she did not come to the United States until she was 3.
“My parents are Ethiopian, and I was born and lived my early childhood in the Sudan. I have never been back to the Sudan, but I have visited family in Ethiopia.
“Family also explains how I came to Philadelphia and Delaware County. My dad’s sister lived in West Chester, in Chester County, and we moved nearby. We also lived at times in West Philadelphia.”
Rahel remains close to her family. When the NFL held its draft in Philadelphia, she took her younger brothers, Samson, 18, and Abel, 14, to be a part of it. She says she enjoys spending time with her brothers and talking to them about their futures and what they want from them. One of the joys about being on television in Philadelphia is her parents, Almaz and Solomon Woreta, get to see her, both on the screen and in person. Before coming to Channel 3, Rahel worked in Charleston, W.Va., and in Denver.
In addition to her immediate family, Rahel has nothing but praise and affection for her television family. Jim Donovan, Katie Fehlinger, and Meisha Johnson were a team before Rahel joined their ranks. She says they made her feel welcome and notes how much they complement each other.
“We each have the other’s back. It gives you a great sense of security to know someone is there to pick you up if you need it. Which happens a lot when you’re working live and four two-and-a half hours. (“Eyewitness News This Morning” runs from 4:30 to 7 a.m.)
“We’re all so different, but we click. Jim is so outlandish. You don’t what he’s going to say next. “
Rahel will be with Donovan, Ukee Washington, and Jessica Dean on Sunday when they co-anchor the annual Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure that Channel 3 has sponsored for more than two decades. Fehlinger and Johnson will Also be on hand, along with Channel 3’s Stephanie Stahl, Natasha Brown, Vittoria Woodill, and breast cancer survivor Carole Erickson, who is retired =but returns to the air for the Komen event. Fehlinger will be running the 5K course, with her husband, Steve, and their 20-month-old twins, Parker and Kaeden.
Race coverage begins at 6 a.m., but that has become the middle of the morning for Rahel, who says she is disciplined about managing her day and is in bed no later than 5:30 p.m. each night.
“I may not fall asleep right away, but I am in bed and resting for the next day’s work. I worked mornings in Denver, so I have some experience with early, early rising. One thing a schedule like this does is make you appreciate sleep.”
Weekends are for family and for the friends Rahel has had since high school.
They’re also for exploring new things. Rahel says she recently took up running and intends to run in local marathons this year.
“I can cross that off my list,” she says. Asked what else in on the list, she said she isn’t sure. She makes it up as she goes along.”
That wasn’t her only clever answer. After talking about all Donovan, Fehlinger, and Johnson bring to the morning news, she said she didn’t know what she brought.
“You’ll have to ask Jim, Katie, and Meisha,” she says.
Good response. Good plan.