Padua’s TV Production class recently took a field trip to CBS-3 Studios in Philadelphia.  During their visit, the twenty five students had the opportunity to meet Padua alumnae, Pat Ciarrocchi, where she opened the day with a tour of the studio.

Pat Ciarrocchi is a news anchor and reporter for CBS 3, one of America’s largest broadcast television networks.  She also co-hosts the Emmy Award-winning news and lifestyle program, Talk Philly.  Ms. Ciarrocchi’s excellent achievement has earned her numerous Philadelphia Emmy Awards, including the individual achievement in News Writing.  Additionally, she has won the nationally prestigious Gabriel Award from Catholic Academy of Communications Arts, a CEBA Award that recognizes communications to Black audiences, and a Sarah Award from Women in Communications.  In 2000, Ms. Ciarrocchi was inducted into the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame to applaud her excellence in the television industry.  Not only is Pat Ciarrocchi’s recognition present in her broadcasting career, but her ongoing activism to better the lives of others is also apparent.  She commits her personal time to community activism and fundraising on issues that affect women and children.  In 2006, she was awarded with the college’s highest honor, the Cresset Award.  Simply put, she is a successful broadcaster with the ability to turn celebrity into philanthropy.

After the tour of the studio, the TV Production class had the opportunity to sit at the set of Talk Philly, where they watched the whole program run live on television.  At the end of the show, Ms. Ciarrocchi shared with them what brought about her passion for Communications and broadcasting, stating that, “When I was editor of the Antonian [Padua’s print newspaper], I read different newspapers and how other people laid out information. I would imitate it and deconstruct and recreate it into something fresh, something that was innovative…something that revealed who I am in order to move the story through my own filter.”  She continued to share her story, reminding students that “using what you have from your experiences and testing things through trial and error to see how you want it to turn out is the driving force behind making an excellent reporter.  It is the production of excellence in everything you set out to do in reporting, writing, as well as anchoring news.”  Her inspiring story gave Padua students remarkable insights for what truly goes on not only on camera, but off camera in between each segmented clip of the show.