WEST VIRGINIA WONDER WOMEN
WEIJIA JIANG 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.” NBM
SAMMI BROWN Carry Their Voice
When Sammi Brown was a strategic communications major at Shepherd University, she was also the producer of a Washington, D.C., morning radio show. She never imagined she would later carry the voice of others as delegate of West Virginia’s 65th House District, which serves the community that raised her. A native of Charles Town, Brown ran for the House of Delegates in 2016. She was elected in 2018 in what was the largest comeback in state history. As a delegate, she strives to create laws that provide racial and economic equality for all citizens of West Virginia.
Brown is the president of the Eastern Panhandle Labor Council, through which she played a supporting role in the 2018 West Virginia teachers’ strike, and she’s been recognized as a lawmaker to watch by progressive organizations such as Run for Something, VoteRunLead, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. She is proud of her work surrounding criminal justice reform, including Ban the Box, and firmly believes in the Martin Luther King, Jr., quote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” JC
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