Yolanda Fernandez
Latin Times Staff Goes one on one with Yolanda Fernandez the trend setting Latina newscaster with WFLA-TV , News Channel 8 !
LatinTimes : Where were you born and raised ? Yolanda Fernandez : I was born in Santa Clara , Cuba . My family left Cuba fleeing Castro when I was just 5 months old . We settled in St . Petersburg and eventually moved to Clearwater when I was about to start school .
LatinTimes : Where are your parents from ? Yolanda Fernandez : My parents are from Santa Clara , Cuba .
Latin Times : Tell us about your family . Yolanda Fernandez : I have a wonderful , close family . I have three older brothers , and several cousins who are also my best friends .
My mother lives near me and is a huge part of my life . She helps me and my husband care for my two children , a 10 year old boy and an 8 year old girl .
LatinTimes : As a young child , did you have any idea , any vision , of what you wanted to accomplish ?
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Yolanda Fernandez : As a young child I wanted to be a teacher , then later , a music teacher . I spent hours practicing piano and my parents sacrificed a great deal to provide me with lessons . In fact , my first college major was music . I actually graduated with a double major in music and broadcast journalism .
LatinTimes : Tell us about your time as Miss Alabama , and the Miss America pageant . Yolanda Fernandez : I was always a good student , but there weren ’ t many scholarships available to me . The pageant provided a way to use my music to further my education . I ended up getting a four year , fully paid college education through America ’ s Junior Miss , and Miss America .
LatinTimes : Tell us about your first “ big ” break . Yolanda Fernandez : My first big break came after I had worked a couple of years at small stations . I was hired by CBS to work at its brand new ‘ owned and operated ’ television station in Miami . This gave me the opportunity to work in a major television market and to use my bilingual skills .
LatinTimes : What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment in your career ? Yolanda Fernandez : One accomplishment I am proud of is a series of reports I did out of Cuba in 1994 . I went back , undercover , and put together six reports giving viewers an uncensored first hand view of post-USSR Cuba . The reports earned an associated press award .
LatinTimes : Your career in Broadcasting and Media spans nearly 20 years , how have things changed within the industry for Latinos and Latinas in general . Yolanda Fernandez : It has changed a great deal . For many years I was the only Latina working in the local television market . The Hispanic market , as a consumer , was largely ignored . Now , there
Latinos In Media is a great deal of interest in reaching this growing population . Just recently I was part of the station ’ s first bilingual television spot to promote hurricane awareness .
LatinTimes : Tell us about your work within the Hispanic Community . Yolanda Fernandez : I try to be the news department ’ s unofficial liaison to the Hispanic community . I air frequent reports on Hispanic events and issues in the Tampa Bay area .
LatinTimes : What message can you tell a young aspiring journalist ? Yolanda Fernandez : I would urge him / her to study hard and do well in school . Read everything . Be persistent in reaching your goals . Persistence and dedication are necessary qualities to be successful in journalism .
MEDIA BIO Yolanda Fernandez is a newscaster with WFLA-TV , News Channel 8 , weekend mornings and afternoons . She anchors and reports during the week . Fernandez joined Channel 8 in October , 1989 as a general assignment news reporter . Prior to that she worked in several other markets . To begin , she started her career in Montgomery , Alabama anchoring live local newsbreaks for “ Good Morning America .” She then relocated to WTOG in St . Petersburg and eventually to a CBS-owned station in Miami before returning to the Tampa Bay area .
Yolanda grew up in the Bay area . She graduated Valedictorian from Clearwater Central Catholic High School . Fernandez also graduated Summa Cum Laude from Troy State University in Alabama where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism , Music and Modern Language . In 1982 , she was named Miss Alabama and ultimately was named 3rd runner-up to Miss America .
Fluent in Spanish , Yolanda is very active with the Hispanic community . Yolanda presently resides in Clearwater with her husband and two children .