Today we’d like to introduce you to Trey Serna
Hi Trey , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a TV journalist. I just moved back to the Houston area earlier this summer. Me and my husband had been doing long distance for the past three years.
I’ve been in news and media relations for many years. I worked in news from 2008 to 2015. Then from 2015 to 2018, I took a brief hiatus from “the business” and moved into media and public relations for two Houston-area school districts. I returned to TV news in 2018.
By June 2020, the pandemic was in full rage and seemingly going nowhere. Vaccines weren’t available to just anyone at this time (just essential workers), and with things feeling very uncertain, my husband and I agreed for me to step away from the business — at least until the pandemic went away, and until I could get vaccinated. Little did we know just how long this pandemic would last.
That year, I did remote work from home and freelance projects. I also started doing a lot of digital content and brand partnerships. By Spring 2021, I was finally able to get my first dose of the vaccine. Coincidentally, at this same time, I saw a Morning News Anchor position open up in the Rio Grande Valley, located in south Texas. That’s where I was born. I jokingly told my husband that it would’ve been cool to anchor in the place that I grew up. He said, “Go for it.” Then it dawned on me — on us. I hadn’t seen my family in more than a year because of the pandemic. If I got the job, it would be a unique opportunity to not only see my family, but to fulfill a career goal. So I applied and things snowballed from there. By the time I knew it, I was on a zoom interview, then an in-person interview, and by that summer, I was in south Texas and starting my gig as the Morning News Anchor for KRGV Channel 5 News, the station I grew up watching.
It was a dream come true and an opportunity I’m extremely thankful for. People who move away from the place they grew up don’t always get the chance to go back the way I did. It was a very cool experience. I’m also so thankful for the time I got with my family, especially my parents. They’re getting older. I can’t put into words how wonderful it was seeing them on a regular basis again. I was a 40-year-old man — feeling like a 15-year-old kid again. It was a little surreal — in a good way.
As anyone can imagine, the long distance was tough. Me and my husband made the most of it though. Thankfully, he was able to spend large chunks of time down there with me because he’s able to do a lot of remote work with his firm. While the distance was tough, we could always see the light at the end of the tunnel because the plan was always for me to return home. It would’ve been great to stay longer, but it’s like they say. Home is where the heart is, and my husband is here in Houston. Our home is here. It’s where we first met and had our first date. It’s where we built our first home and started our lives together. So being back together certainly outweighs any other career opportunity.
I’m hoping to get back into TV news here in Houston, but for now, I’m just getting settled back in. Being away for three years was a long time. I also moved away during the pandemic. The world up here has changed and me and my husband have a lot of readjusting to do. It’s been nice though. We’re so thankful for this time.
Right now I’m working on some special projects. I’ll also be doing a few events in and around the city. I’m also using this re-adjusting time to get back into the digital content world. I slacked off a little over the past three years.
They also say that the longer you stay outside of TV news, the harder it is to get back in because you start to see how the “normal” world operates. I’m not going to lie, I’m really enjoying sleeping again and not waking up at 1am. So we’ll see if my path leads me back in, or leads me elsewhere. Only time will tell — and that’s what makes it exciting.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest struggle was no doubt this long distance these past three years. I was away from July 2021 to July 2024. I moved away when the pandemic was still going on. Things were still not fully open. Mask mandates were in full effect. People were lining up at vaccine clinics. It was a very strange time and a time that me and my husband spent apart. But then, the world slowly started to reopen and things slowly got back to normal. Thing is, for me and my husband, things didn’t get back to normal. We were still living this long distance life. So right now, that’s why we still feel like it’s taking us some time to get readjusted — and we’re ok with that.
As for struggles in the news business in general. Plain and simple — the economy sucks right now. Not just news, but all businesses are struggling. Some aren’t hiring. Some are laying off. Everyone wants more work done for less money. And the news business isn’t immune to any of it. A struggle the TV news business has been seeing for a long time is less viewership. And with our devices and streaming and social media, those numbers keep going down. So right now, I feel like the business is trying to figure itself out and re-invent itself. We have to if we’re going to survive.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve been able to tell a lot of really cool stories throughout my career. Most recently, I’m proud of the work I was able to do in south Texas as the Morning News Anchor KRGV-TV. I launched a weekly segment called “Made in the 956,” highlighting people and/or businesses that are from the Valley and how they’re making a positive impact in the community. I loved the series because I was able to tell so many unique stories — from teachers to businessmen and women, to athletes overcoming adversity, to non-profits and organizations that are impacting the community.
The work from that series that I’m extremely proud of though, are the stories I did on the Valley’s LGBTQ+ community. As an openly gay and married man, I know that visibility is important. I also wanted to use my platform to amplify the LGBTQ+ voices in our community. During the month of June, I dedicated my weekly segment to just that and I’m so touched at the messages of love and support and thanks that I got.
On a more personal level, I’m really proud of the social media work I’ve done on the Free Britney movement. I’m a life-long Britney Spears fan. As many know, she’s had a lot of issues regarding the conservatorship she was placed under many years ago. I was one of the fans that started making social media content when things regarding her started to get strange. My videos went viral and got a lot of attention. So much so, I’ve been invited to podcasts, TikTok lives and more to speak on the topic. My work on the Free Britney movement was even featured in New York Magazine. I know to some it can seem silly, but as a life-long fan, it’s easy for me to speak about her because I’ve followed her work and her life for so many years.
On a more serious level, the legal stuff that’s happened to Britney is pretty alarming. There’s definitely more that’s being covered up. With that in mind, if my videos can help raise some sort of awareness, then I’m happy doing that. I said this on a podcast once — but growing up in my time — we didn’t have “access” to celebrities, and we certainly didn’t have voices through social media. It’s pretty wild to think that my “silly” videos might have some sort of impact to the life of an artist that I grew up admiring. It’s the power of social media.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I favor Instagram and TikTok the most, but you can find me across social media at “Trey Serna.” Or just go to my website, TreySerna.com. I’m in the process of revamping it right now, but my contact information is on there.
Pricing:
- Pricing for brand partnerships varies. People can contact me for more.
- Freelance prices for videos varies depending on project
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.TreySerna.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trey.serna/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreySernaTV
- Twitter: https://x.com/TreySerna
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@treyserna
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@trey.serna?lang=en
Image Credits
All photos belong to me, Trey Serna.
