KWWL anchor delivers inspiration for upcoming women leaders

KWWL news anchor Amanda Goodman visited Holmes Junior High on April 20 to talk to the to the Peet and Holmes LEAD girls about being a woman in the workplace, the adversities that she has overcome and how to be a better woman.

Goodman said it’s a man’s world and it’s always working against women. From her early career in Texas and North Carolina as a reporter to her current job now as an anchor, she told powerful stories of her receiving hate on social media and in person, as well as her sexist encounters with people asking her co-anchor, Ron Steele, about his job and how hard it is, and those same people asking her about her makeup and clothes.

Goodman ended her speech on a simple note. “You do you,” teaching the girls not to rely on others, mind your own business and just be yourself.

A lot of what she said resonated with the students. Freshman Sarimah Ogbonda said, “I think it was a really good lesson that Amanda left with us. I think I learned that in this society, like for Amanda with it being a man’s world, that you have to be confident in your actions and remember that you just do you, and as long as you’re going out and giving your best shot, you shouldn’t worry about small mistakes you make and instead try to grow from them.”

Jillian Gaines, also a freshmen, said, “The most inspiring thing she said was, make sure that no matter who you meet, they remember your name and what you do, not what outfit you had on or your hair color.”