Annie Yu was able to turn internship into a career in a top 10 market

Annie Yu always wanted a career in television, and she knew that earning a degree would be the first step on her path.

Immigrating to the United States from South Korea in 1985, Yu would have to overcome obstacles like tuition costs and navigating through an unknown higher education environment. She was also concerned about leaving home and not being available to work with her parents in their Washington, D.C., carryout restaurant.

"We were very close. The thought of going away to college frightened me because my parents relied on me," Yu said. "I'm the child of immigrants, and their English wasn't great. They needed my help."

Yu's solution came in the form of a scholarship to George Mason University, alleviating tuition costs and allowing Yu to commute to campus from her family’s home in Virginia. "Having such a great university in our backyard was the best option for someone like me. It all worked out," she said. "I landed at George Mason, and I have zero regrets."

Today, Yu anchors WUSA9's weekday morning show, Get Up DC, and she'll return to the university community to honor its successful alumni on October 17 when she emcees the 2024 Celebration of Distinction, the university's longest-running event highlighting alumni achievements.

Yu is a proud Patriot with fond memories of her college days. As a student, she stacked her classes, immersed herself in campus culture, and found her community. She also believes that George Mason's diverse student body helped lessen her fears about the college environment.

"The diversity was significant. You walk into a room, and you want to feel like part of the room and not an outsider," said Yu. "It was like the United Nations: every race, every background represented. It made me feel comfortable."

Acceptance was important for Yu. As a student pursuing a newscasting career, she was frequently warned that she was choosing a difficult road. But Yu was undeterred. "I knew that I wanted to do it, and I was so dang determined," she said. "I put my blinders up and kept focusing on it."

At George Mason, Yu not only earned an excellent education, but she also benefited from the university's proximity to Washington, D.C., one of the nation's top 10 media markets. Taught by professors with strong ties to the region’s media, George Mason communication students often have a direct connection into newsrooms in the nation’s capital. Yu was initially introduced to Wisdom Martin, her Get Up DC co-host, when he visited her George Mason classroom as a guest speaker.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences professor Rodger Smith was one of Yu's instructors and has stayed in contact with her over the years. As a senior instructor and an academic and faculty advisor for WGMU Radio, Smith encourages his journalism students to take advantage of the George Mason-Washington, D.C., connection. "I've been advising students, if you're considering journalism, get that internship while you are here. Hopefully, an internship will expose you to creating B-roll or shadowing a reporter. Maybe even working in the studio and as a producer," said Smith. "There are no entry-level positions in the professional world because the professional world expects you to know something."

Yu credits Smith's advice for helping to propel her to where she is today. "That was the message: Get out there and get that hands-on, real-world experience," she said.

And Yu made the most of the Fox 5 internship she held as an undergraduate. "I worked very hard. I poured my heart into it," she said. "I got to know every single person in that building from top to bottom. And I made sure that they knew my name before I left."

Yu's hustle turned her internship into a permanent position. "The day before graduation the news director said, 'I don't know what I want to do with you, but I want to offer you a position here.' And I told her, 'Thank you. Can I just have a day to think about it?'”

After sharing the news at home, Yu's mother said, "You don't have a job, and you graduate tomorrow. You better go back in there and accept that job."

And she did. Yu began in the Fox 5 newsroom and hasn't left the Washington, D.C., market since. It's an unusual career journey for any TV journalist, as the typical path leads through small markets before offering an opportunity to work in a major city. But not for Yu.

"I am so grateful to George Mason because it allowed me to achieve my dream. Twenty-one years in a top 10 market," Yu said. "Right out of George Mason."