CNN Reporter Soledad O’Brien to Speak at the College of Saint Elizabeth, March 2, 2011

CNN news anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien, author of the recently published book, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, will appear at the College of Saint Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J., March 2, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. in Dolan Performance Hall, Annunciation Center. Tickets are $25 and can be ordered by calling 973-290-4378 or emailing events@cse.edu. A book signing will follow the conclusion of her speech.

O’Brien is an anchor and special correspondent for CNN: Special Investigations Unit, reporting on the most important ongoing and breaking news stories for all major CNN programs. She also covers political news as part of CNN’s Best Political Team on Television. She joined CNN in 2003 as the co-anchor of the network’s flagship morning program, American Morning, and distinguished herself by reporting from the scene on events such as Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Phuket, Thailand.

She is the recipient of several, major awards including one named in her honor, “Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award,” bestowed by Community Voices at Morehouse School of Medicine. As its first honoree, O’Brien was cited for her accomplishments in her field together with her commitment to cover stories that others fail to pursue, and her willingness to be a voice for those in society who are unable to speak for themselves.

As a reporter, O’Brien is known for her compassion for the people whose stories she tells. O’Brien’s book, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, chronicles her beginnings as a mixed-race child growing up in suburban Long Island, N.Y., and explains how those experiences have influenced her approach to her work. Using some of her biggest reporting moments as examples, she tells stories of how American opportunity, optimism, and generosity thrive in the face of enormous tragedy. She writes, “Bad things happen until good people get in the way. I learn this life lesson … almost everywhere I go in pursuit of the next big story. People have an incredible potential to do good and make good and seize good from bad if they will only make the choice to do it. “

Commenting on O’Brien’s book, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric says, “Soledad is a living example of achieving the American dream. Because a door opened to her family, she has been able to accomplish so many things. Her life story shows that opportunity can create success…and success can create a sense of responsibility that can create opportunities for others. Soledad has paid it forward, cares deeply about the disenfranchised, and brings her unique personal experience to whatever story she may be covering.”

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.