The mothers, the millennials, and the mavens. Changing our communities.
This is our seventh annual unveiling of 50 amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. Meet this West Virginia Wonder Woman, Weijia Jiang, and many more that are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.
Information Soldier
The path from Buckhannon to Washington, D.C., has been an interesting one for CBS White House Correspondent Weijia Jiang, one she would have never taken had it not been for one influential teacher—Diane Williams—who encouraged her to compete in a student journalism competition at the age of 13. Jiang won the competition and since then has covered the most important stories of this decade—from the Sandy Hook shootings to the impeachment proceedings to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jiang drew approval for demonstrating journalistic ethics and restraint while covering the current administration. Jiang has felt a continued sense of purpose in covering and reporting on the administration’s response to COVID in the United States and as viewers look for information on staying safe. “I’m proud to be a reporter during this time in U.S. history. Every day I feel we are making an impact,” she says. “The best weapon we have is information. And that is my job—to deliver that information.”
Jiang, who was born in China but grew up in Morgantown and Buckhannon, acknowledges that growing up in a small community was challenging at times. “There wasn’t much diversity,” she says. “But that has become central to who I’ve become. It has made me stronger. Having grown up in a small community, I am comfortable connecting with people—and that has been a great gift in this career.” Jiang finds solace from the intense pressures of covering a pandemic by spending time with her family and, when she’s able, she loves to escape to West Virginia. “I’ve traveled all over the world, but West Virginia is my home. I don’t get to return as often as I like, but when I can I feel myself unwind. Stress just melts away. It’s truly God’s country.”
Click here to read about our other 2020 West Virginia Wonder Women
Click here for tickets to the 2020 West Virginia Wonder Women TALKS event
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