I grew up knowing my grandfather had served our country for decades in the Navy, buried in his whites in Arlington; I have family members who are veterans.
I'd been invited to deliver the commencement address to the Class of 2017 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Speaking live on television is one thing... speaking to 30,000 people in a football stadium is another.
In the most polarized and passionate, the most angry and aggressive news environment in recent memory, my job as a journalist requires me - often - to push back in live interviews against comments that are unfair, untrue, or leave me thinking, 'Is this seriously happening right now?'
People are full of great advice... Professors, parents, friends mean well... But in the end, the person driving this thing called life is you. Listen to you. Spend time being alone. Learn your worth. Dream. And never forget where you came from.
There are often days when I've sat down in my office for hours and prepped for a show knowing, three minutes before I go on, some big crazy thing happens where everything is thrown out, and the teleprompter goes blank.
All I know is what I do each and every day and what we do here at CNN, which is all about the facts, asking tough questions, challenging leaders and our own leadership in this country.
Seriously, how many places on this planet exist in which you get to say to your boss, 'Sorry, but I'm leaving to climb a mountain, and I won't have Wi-Fi or cell service for a week.'
I want to help lift women's voices. And I realize, in doing that, I need to use my own.
I'm the biggest ice cream eater you've ever met!
I've never used the word 'I' in a piece in my 18 years in journalism.
You never ask a Maasai warrior how many cattle he has; it's like asking someone how much money they've got in their bank account.
One of my early heroes was Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.
Ava DuVernay, Sheryl Crow, Diane von Furstenberg, Ashley Graham, Tracy Reese, Pat Benatar, Issa Rae, Betty White - they've all shattered glass ceilings, whether in music, fashion, or film.
As for my mom, her biggest gift to me was teaching me I can and I must use my voice. I owe her a debt of gratitude.
Throughout the 2016 presidential election, I listened. At debates and rallies, I heard their voices clearly and felt compelled to do something more. Thousands and thousands of women spoke with confidence and conviction.
It has always been important for women to empower other women.
What's been fascinating about shooting my series 'American Woman' is the ubiquity of a woman's experience - and no matter who you are: a rockstar, film director, mom - we all are celebrating this movement of female empowerment, but we also realize we have a long way to go.
I'd definitely have some butterflies if the day ever came when I'd get to sit down with Oprah.
My 2016 was basically spent covering Donald Trump and falling madly in love with James Fletcher.
I invite a variety people on my show with wide-ranging opinions - sometimes even my jaw hits the floor, too - but I let them speak. Whether it's left, right, or center, I want to expose my viewers to other perspectives. Agree with them or not, the nation needs to listen.
