OU Alumna Creates Success

 

Jennifer Valoppi (’79, CAS), television anchor, investigative reporter, philanthropist and author.

Multi-Emmy-Award-winning journalist and award-winning author, Jennifer Valoppi (CAS ’79) graduated from Oakland University with a degree in Psychology. “I chose psychology because it was a great background for everything and anything,” Jennifer explains, “It didn’t hold me into one specific area.” Jennifer’s liberal education in psychology taught her to problem solve, think critically and communicate effectively. These skills helped to launch Jennifer into a successful career as a television news anchor, investigative reporter, philanthropist and author.

After graduating from OU, Jennifer accepted a position as a weathercaster and science editor for WEYI, the CBS affiliate in Flint, Michigan. Jennifer went on to become a television anchor and investigative reporter, winning numerous awards, including two Emmy Awards. Jennifer explained that her liberal arts education was vital in establishing the needed skills for her career. “I am able to get people to open up about things they weren’t planning on talking about,” says Jennifer. “I can peel back the layers of the onion to get to the heart of the issue.”

Jennifer’s liberal education not only established needed career skills, but it also sparked her passion for women’s issues. This passion led Jennifer to co-found the Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship program in 1997. The organization works to motivate and empower at-risk young women to live up to their full potential through a four-component program involving monthly mentoring sessions, career-focused field trips, college visits and scholarship opportunities. Over 250 of south Florida’s most distinguished women mentor 2,000 young women each year. In addition, the organization has awarded over $2.3 million in scholarships to 838 mentees.

After 25 successful years, Jennifer made the difficult decision to leave the television world to pursue another dream: writing. “I took this opportunity to pursue my next dream,” Jennifer states, “I wanted to continue to challenge myself.” In 2007, Jennifer published her first novel, Certain Cure. This book has won several awards and has allowed Jennifer to continue her writing through an upcoming sequel for Certain Cure.

Through her liberal education from OU, Jennifer has been able to take her acquired skills and turn them into tools to help her become successful in her career. She advises students to “take obstacles, figure out how to conquer them and turn them into successful opportunities.” The final piece of advice Jennifer gives students is: “Find what you love to do in life and you will never work a day, because it will always be a pleasure. That’s what I did.”