UMO Student Natalia Kaminski Lands Full-Time Reporting Role at ABC7

April 28, 2026
Contact: Rhonda Jessup, Director of Public Relations

When Natalia Kaminski first began filming homemade as a child in St. Louis, Missouri, she had no idea those early storytelling experiments would eventually lead her to a professional newsroom. Today, the University of Mount Olive (UMO) sports communication major is living out that passion as a reporter for ABC7 WWSB-TV in Sarasota, Florida. There, she is gaining hands-on experience that has already launched her career in broadcast journalism.

Kaminski’s love for storytelling began long before college. Family members often recall her vivid imagination and ability to craft creative stories, a talent her teachers noticed as early as elementary school. “Teachers would sometimes tell me my papers were a little too creative,” Kaminski laughed. “But I always had a big imagination and a love for storytelling.”

Inspired by the Disney Channel series Good Luck Charlie, Kaminski began filming her own documentary-style videos featuring the everyday adventures of her younger brother. Throughout middle and high school, she continued experimenting with digital storytelling by creating YouTube videos. Still, when it came time to choose a career path, Kaminski admits she was unsure of what direction to take. “The thought of picking a job that I would commit to for the rest of my life was scary,” she said. “All I knew was that I wanted a career that made an impact on people and their communities.”

Kaminski’s direction became clearer during her college sophomore year.  That’s when she realized her daily habit of watching The Today Show was more than casual viewing. “I realized it probably wasn’t normal for a young adult to watch the news as much as I did,” she said. “But I was drawn to how those stories educate people and highlight individuals making a difference.”

Around that same time, her college path was also taking shape. Kaminski’s journey to the University of Mount Olive began through athletics. She accepted a scholarship to play on the women’s soccer team, allowing her to continue competing while pursuing a degree that aligned with her growing interest in journalism.

At UMO, she developed foundational journalism skills through research assignments, class presentations, and hands-on work with the University’s Athletic Communications office. Writing, editing, and photography all became part of her growing skillset. Her time as a student-athlete also played an important role in shaping her professional mindset. Kaminski served on the team’s leadership council and played defensive midfield, a demanding position that requires constant communication and awareness on the field. “The vision of the team comes from the defensive midfielder,” she explained. “You’re responsible for connecting the defense and offense, which requires focus, discipline, and communication.”

Those lessons now serve her well in the fast-paced environment of a television newsroom.Kaminski’s opportunity with WWSB-TV began after she connected with the station’s news director, Jeff Schlesser. Following several conversations and a writing assignment designed to test her broadcast skills, she was selected for the station’s Future Focus Internship during the summer of 2025.

Over the summer, Kaminski gained experience across multiple areas of the newsroom, including producing, editing, and anchoring. She eventually began writing stories for anchors and editing video segments, producing two news packages that aired on ABC7 broadcasts. One of her stories was later picked up by a sister station in Panama City.

Kaminski continued working remotely for the station during the fall 2025 semester, writing stories for the station’s website. When an opportunity opened for the spring 2026 semester, she was invited to return to Sarasota, this time as a full-time reporter. Her days now follow the fast pace typical of a professional newsroom. Each morning begins with an editorial meeting where reporters pitch story ideas to producers and managers. “I usually come in with three story ideas,” Kaminski said. “We discuss them as a team and decide which story I’ll cover for the day.”

From there, she heads into the field to conduct interviews, gather footage, and produce a report. Most of the time she works independently, meaning she is responsible for writing scripts, filming interviews, editing videos, and delivering live reports for newscasts. The experience has pushed her to grow quickly as a journalist. “Nothing prepares you for how fast-paced a newsroom is,” she said. “Stories can change within minutes, but the deadlines stay the same.”

One of the most meaningful stories she has pitched so far focused on an athlete who was diagnosed with scoliosis at age two and also lives with craniofacial differences and autism. Despite those challenges, the athlete went on to qualify for the 2026 World Triathlon Multisport Championship in Abu Dhabi. Stories like that remind Kaminski why she chose journalism. “I want to tell the stories of real people doing amazing things,” she said.

Another memorable moment came when she reported live for the first time during breaking news coverage of a brush fire in a residential neighborhood. Though intimidating at first, the experience proved to be a turning point as a reporter. “That was the moment I realized I could do this,” she said. “It went from being Natalia sharing stories to Natalia the reporter.”

Like many young journalists entering the field, Kaminski admits confidence has been one of her biggest challenges. Often the youngest person in the room, she sometimes questioned her abilities despite positive feedback from colleagues. Reflecting on daily successes and lessons learned has helped her overcome that doubt. “I remind myself that I didn’t get this opportunity by accident,” she said. “I earned it.”

Kaminski credits her parents for instilling the work ethic and determination that have carried her through each stage of her journey. “They always taught me that if you aren’t going to give something your full effort, there’s no point in doing it,” she said.

That mindset continues to shape the next chapter of her journey. Kaminski is on track to graduate from UMO in May, and she has already signed on as a full-time reporter with WWSB-TV. For the young journalist, whose promising career is just beginning, the mission is simple: find the stories that matter and make sure they are heard.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT OLIVE

The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University was founded by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.