Zully Ramirez, an investigative reporter for Telemundo Chicago, spoke at Oswego State about her life and career and, shared some advice for students.

The event was hosted on Tuesday, Oct. 29, in Lanigan Hall by the Oswego State Public Relations Student Society of America, a public relations club at Oswego State. 

“I really hope that tonight, you can learn something from my story. As I reflected on the steps that helped me throughout my career, three things came up, and they have been a constant throughout my life,” Ramirez said at the beginning of the event. “I like to call them the powerful three: perseverance, listening, and heart. Listen for the powerful three, as I tell you a little about who I am, and where I come from.”

She started the beginning of her journey when her family moved from Guatemala to New York City. 

“I decided to persevere right there, at the age of 11, in Spanish Harlem,” Ramirez said.

She then explained that she listened to everyone, including strangers, and advised the audience that, “When you listen to good advice, and you know what good and bad advice is, it’s easier to make better choices in life.”

Ramirez graduated from Utica College with a degree in journalism. After college, she bought her own camera with money she earned from  waitressing and used it while working as a freelance reporter. At the same time, she applied for positions as a TV news reporter. 

“For a year, I would apply, and apply and apply and no one would accept me,” Ramirez said. “One day, that big day I had been waiting for arrived, and I landed my first position as a news reporter for Univision in Boston.”

Univision is the biggest Spanish-language media company in America. However, Ramirez still faced failure. 

“My first story never got to air. My boss didn’t like it. It was my first day as a news reporter, and my story didn’t make the air,” Ramirez said. “I felt like a failure. I felt like I wanted to go back to New York City. I cried the night away.” 

After this brush with failure, she began to feel discouraged, but she kept going.

“I had two choices: continue trying until I had become a true journalist, or give up, right? So of course I picked the first one,” Ramirez said. “And I did it to prove to my boss, not only to my boss, but to myself, that I could do the job. So that’s when I put my heart into it.”

Ramirez said she picked herself back up and kept trying. That was the moment she found courage in herself, and still, she kept aiming for something higher.

“I contacted all my colleagues that were in a higher position than I was,” Ramirez said. “I asked them for advice … one of them suggested, ‘you should go to the NAHJ convention,’ which is the National Association of Hispanic Journalists … My colleague told me, ‘the vice president of Telemundo always goes to that convention.’” 

After meeting the vice president of Telemundo, Ramirez knew that was the job she wanted, and worked hard to earn it.

 “She criticized my resumé and my demo reel, and she told me that I was still young, and I still need to get more experience … I was disappointed,” Ramirez said. “I went back to Boston so I could continue my journey of preparation, and after several phone calls, and several emails for over a year … she finally hired me.”

 “We go through highs and lows. But, if you persevere, you listen to advice, and if you put your heart and soul into everything you do, perhaps you make it out there as well.”

Ramirez encouraged the audience to follow the same three words that she had followed: perseverance, listening and heart.

Joseph Stabb, an Oswego State professor of public relations, was able to contact Ramirez as he knew her personally, and the event was put together by PRSSA, who had to coordinate with several different branches of Oswego State in order to put it together.

 “What went into this event was a lot of teamwork and groundwork,” said Alexis Bowering, president of PRSSA. “[Stabb] went to college with her at Utica. So he was able to contact her that way.”

 “It turned out great,” Ramirez said after her talk. “I feel like people, who were interested in what I had to say, came. I didn’t expect a full crowd … I do think that some of them were not journalism majors, but I feel like even if you’re not a journalism major, this can also apply to other careers.”