4 minute read
The GALAXY Is the Limit, No Matter What the WEATHER
By Meredith Garofalo, Award-Winning Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) and Space/Science Correspondent
As a little girl, I remember the moment I decided I wanted to help keep people safe from severe weather. I was only three years old, listening to my mom tell me her story of living through a tornado during the Super Outbreak of 1974 in suburban Cincinnati, OH. From that moment on, I felt it was my calling to be a meteorologist. While most of the other students in my class wanted to be the usual things – astronaut, pilot, doctor, chef, ballet dancer – I checked out books from the library on tornadoes and watched as many videos, TV specials, and newscasts that talked about weather as I could. Since I was already not shy being in front of the camera and loved singing in the choir, I knew that my place would be as a broadcast meteorologist on the news. I wasn’t the most popular girl in my class, and unfortunately, I was the victim of bullying and made fun of during my grade school days for being “weird and different.” But I always kept the faith and believed that someday my dreams would come true. Looking back now, there were some very tough times and a lot of challenges to overcome, but because I never, ever gave up and embraced my “weirdness,” I was successful in achieving that childhood aspiration. I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Meteorology and within my 15+ years in the TV industry, earned many accolades for my work including a regional Edward R. Murrow award.
I’m humbled knowing I’ve touched the lives of probably millions of people all across the United States, having worked at local stations in South Dakota, Ohio, Florida, California, and New York, and nationally for the all-weather network WeatherNation in Colorado, providing life-saving weather information. I’ve also had the privilege to become part of and serve the communities of so many, having the opportunity to volunteer and give back at community events, charity fundraisers, and giving talks to students and groups such as the Girl Scouts. Being on TV is a privilege; it’s something I have not taken for granted, given such a huge responsibility being a trusted source and role model everywhere I’ve been. I’ve been extremely blessed to accomplish my ultimate career goal of working in the New York City area at two different stations. Living on Long Island made me realize how that will be a place that always feels like home.
So where does the aviation/aerospace connection come into play? As we know, weather plays a huge role in both of those fields, both here on Earth and in space. I’ve always been a passionate writer, so when I was not on-air giving a weather forecast, I was putting together stories as a journalist, writing about some of the exciting things happening in aviation/aerospace. I was bitten by the “space bug” in 2017 after starting to get opportunities to cover stories on weather satellites and realized there were not enough scientists who were also journalists that could make some of the most complex topics easy to understand and interesting to the general public. Since then, I’ve dedicated my career to becoming a trusted source as a storyteller who could bring to life topics both visually and through creative writing. Some of my favorites include documenting the everyday life of an aerial photographer, explaining the important role meteorologist teams play at airports or for launches at Space Force bases, and being the only TV meteorologist in the nation to travel with the GOES-S satellite before launch. I've also covered rocket launches (where I got my nickname “Rocket Girl”), had the opportunity to tell the stories of countless leaders and companies, and documented historic events across the industry, including talking to astronauts in space!
If I had to give advice to anyone reading this article of any age, I’d leave you with this: you can and will be whatever you want to be in life. You just have to remember to never give up because even when you hit the bottom, that’s just a reminder that it’s time to rise up again. Keep the faith, let what you love and are passionate about drive you every day, stay humble and kind, and remember that the galaxy is the limit – so go leave your legacy in the stars!
