ABC 15’s Allison Rodriguez Makes Her Way to the Top in Journalism

Allison Rodriguez, Multimedia Journalist for ABC 15

By: Jessica Danielle Ramirez

Journalism might look glamorous from an outside perspective.

From red carpet events, flattering fan mail and interviews with interesting personalities, it’s easy for people to view journalism as an attractive career.

Although the perks are rewarding, there is another side to the career – one that isn’t often spoken about. Journalism is competitive, deadline-driven and requires your attention 24/7. 

But that hasn’t stopped Allison Rodriguez from achieving her career goals. 

Rodriguez grew up in Chicago, Ill., where she wasn’t exactly sure what career path to take. It was an evolutionary process that ultimately led her to storytelling.

After graduating from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Journalism, Rodriguez began her small market job in Yuma, Ariz.

“It was tough but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she said. “I was in a new place with no family and I didn’t know the area too well, so I had to adjust.”

She went through many sacrifices, but her perseverance and talent soon paid off when she jumped from a market that ranks 166 nationally to number 12. However, the drastic change also meant adjusting once again to yet another environment.

“I felt a lot of pressure to be quite honest,” she explained. “I didn’t want to let anyone down, including myself.”

With her family and the ABC15 team on her side, she has applied the skills she learned in Yuma and continues to grow into the journalist she had been striving to become all along.

“I learned how to be quicker, what questions to ask and how to use my time wisely,” she explained.

Rodriguez can now be found at the ABC 15 anchor desk weekend mornings, and has been able to connect with the Latino community in an entirely new way.

“Our culture is a friendly one where most of the time, they treat you like family,” she said.

There is no stopping now for Rodriguez as she continues to reach for the stars. While her journey is far from short, it has given her wisdom and now she shares it with those who wish to follow her footsteps.

“Stay grounded and never try to get ahead by being sneaky or mean,” she said. “It always comes back around. We should be supporting each other.”

From the tripods, long days, long hours and a large market, every experience that Rodriguez has endured throughout her career has taught her the sky is the limit. It is because of her hard work that she is now making her way to the top.