Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathaly Alcalá.
Hi Nathaly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Yes, I have that Caribbean vibe and energy inside of me! I am the youngest of three daughters who have been extremely fortunate to have a happy childhood, with supportive parents who have been present throughout our ups and downs and who have helped us fulfill our dreams.
I finished high school in Caracas, in a Catholic school, where I was instructed under a strict code of conduct and to whom I owe a large part of my discipline. However, after I finished high school, there was a critical situation in my country that forced me to leave to pursue my goals. The political-economic and social crisis that was going on did not offer me a bright future. Therefore, my family and I decided that I should go abroad and study English in Santa Barbara, California.
Once I perfected the language, I started studying in college to become a dietitian. But, as time passed by, I discovered that even though my “life motto” had always been to help others, that was not the path I had to take to achieve it, so I immediately changed career and began to study Journalism. There, I knew I could help more people and at the same time, I could enjoy another of my greatest passions: telling stories, becoming the voice of those who have no voice and also I could help fight injustice.
While studying journalism at California State University of Northridge, I was active with internships. In parallel, I had my own online radio show, I anchor my University’s newscast, wrote for the web at Univision Los Angeles, and host a news channel on YouTube.
Right after I graduated from CSUN, I got my first paid job with Estrella TV as a MMJ reporter and then as a news anchor for the morning newscast at Univision San Francisco. Later, I accepted the role of a news anchor and producer at Univision Las Vegas with the afternoon and night newscast; and now I am fortunate and happy to be the news anchor for the morning newscast in Univision Houston.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
No, it has not been easy. Arriving in an unknown country by yourself at an early age and leaving your family behind to fulfill your dreams is not easy. I experienced culture shock, a foreign language, anxiety and panic attacks, but my desire to get ahead, to conquer my dreams and to make my family be proud of me was always bigger.
Definitely, I am not afraid of changes. I consider myself a resilient person who knows how to transform difficult situations and pain into growth, opportunities and self-improvement to continue moving forward into the future.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have an unusual work schedule and has been like that for three years already. My schedule requires a lot of discipline, for example: I wake up at 12 midnight from Monday to Friday to go to work at 1 in the morning. At 2 in the morning, we have an editorial meeting, then at 3AM, I start writing for the newscast while having breakfast. Then, from 5-7 in the morning I anchor the newscast live.
However, my work does not end there, I then work on the news briefs, radio, Alexa, social media posts and sometimes I help with content for our website. Despite my work schedule, where I have lunch at 9 in the morning, dinner at 12 noon and go to bed at 3 in the afternoon, I always keep a smile on my face and a good attitude. There is a quote that says that: “when you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life”, and that is how I feel it.
I am very proud that at my young age, I have achieved great goals and got to be working in Houston: market #4 nationwide. My perseverance, effort, talent and hard performance is something of which I am always proud; It has not been luck, but hard work over the years.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
In elementary school, I was always a very introverted and shy girl who had a hard time speaking in public. I remember that I sweated and even got cold hands when I had to do a presentation at school; stage fright was always present in my life. However, since I like challenges, I fought against it. As the years went by and while I grew as a person and as a professional, I worked on it.
Of course, sometimes stage fright reappears, but I have worked on techniques to control it. Now I know how to handle it and I know that it now comes from the fact that I am a very perfectionist person who cares a lot about what I do.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @nathalyalcalatv
- Facebook: @nathy.alejandra1
