Enny Pichardo '06 Reporting from Haiti
Enny Pichardo '06, New York Correspondent, Nuestra Tele
Noticias (NTN24)
Almost a month after graduating from Mount Saint Mary College in
May of 2006, Enny Pichardo started working at NY1 Noticias, a
24-hour news station that covers New York City.
He started as a news writer and shortly after that learned how
to produce. Enny was in charge of writing and editing the news
stories, including the video feed, images and sound bites that
accompany each news story.
Soon, Enny got a chance to do what he has dreamed about: a
chance to report the news. His first reporting assignment started
when we got a call in about a possible terrorist threat against JFK
Airport. His boss, Maritz Puello, whom he considers a mentor and
role model, called and asked, “Enny, are you ready for stardom?”
According to Enny, “I ran up to the airport to find nothing!”
Soon after, he was sent to cover a wide variety of stories for
their living segment. He also covered political debates and press
conferences at New York City Hall, and crimes committed in the
local area.
Enny said, “I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to
interview many personalities and political leaders. Some of the
most memorable people are Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sen. Charles
Schumer, Gov. David Paterson, Rep. Jose Serrano, Rep. Charles
Rangel, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, salsa singers Eddie Palmieri, La
India, Jerry Rivera, singers Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio
Estefan, reggaeton group/duo 'Calle 13', Daddy Yankee, Don Omar,
and actress Eva Longoria, among other Spanish-speaking
actors/singers/TV personalities.”
Enny’s next big break came after he received a call from a
friend asking if he could help another friend by contributing to a
morning show on Nuestra Tele Noticias (NTN24). This is an exclusive
24/7 international news channel that provides world-wide news
coverage in Spanish for the U.S. Hispanic audience. They also
broadcast in Latin America and parts of the so-called ‘old world’.
NTN24 needed someone to talk about the David Letterman case. Enny
also assisted them by participating in a talk about the H1N1
Flu.
After assisting NTN24 on several occasions, he received a job
offer to become NTN24’s New York correspondent. Created by RCN
Television, the network has 30-minute news segments, two '1 hour'
newscasts and programming related to the economy, entertainment,
sports, weather and breaking news around the world. Its major
competitor is CNN en Espanol.
According to Enny, “NTN24 has given me the opportunity to
travel. I've been in Haiti twice to cover the earthquake. The first
time, five days after the earthquake, not only did I get to do many
live transmissions and news stories, but I also got to see with my
own eyes what was really going on. There is so much destruction, so
many deaths: from children to the elderly and so much poverty. It
amazed me that they need things that here in America, we get rid
of. It really made me appreciate what God has given me”.
The second time he was sent to Haiti (3 months after the
earthquake), NTN24 decided to do a half-hour special that Enny
hosted called Haiti: 100 dias despues (Haiti: 100 days
later). Enny found Haiti still in turmoil. "People were still
sleeping outside, hungry and in desperate need," said Enny. "The
children are not going to school, they don't have a place to sleep,
or they are by themselves because they lost their parents."
More recently, Enny went to Arizona to cover the recent approval
of the SB1070 law regarding immigration. Enny also had the
opportunity to cover the Dalai Lama’s visit to the United States
and President Obama’s visit to New York City.
Enny stated, “Mount Saint Mary College prepared me very well for
the real world. From Sr. Catherine's news writing class to classes
with JC Barone and Dr. Davidson, they all had a hand in preparing
me for the workforce. I will never forget Dr. Davidson's class on
English grammar. I always remember to write simple, short sentences
rather than long ones!"
"The things I've learned at the Mount have helped me become who
I am today, a person who has grown up both spiritually and
professionally. When I decided to leave City College of New York
and transfer to Mount Saint Mary College as a HEOP (Higher
Education Opportunity Program) student, I was unsure of my
decision. However, I am so glad that I made the leap. At Mount
Saint Mary College I found a place with close student-faculty
interaction. It allowed me to develop a close relationship with my
professors and ask for advice when needed. This allowed me to reach
my full potential as a student. I would not change my experience at
the Mount for anything in the world.”
Enny Pichardo '06 with Cameraman