UAM Student's Dream Job a Part of CBS' The Early Show

Editor-in-Chief
 

Courtesy of Stephanie Harton

Dream Job - University of Arkansas-Monticello student Stephanie Harton poses with Dave Price, weather anchor for CBS' The Early Show, at the KTHV studio in Little Rock Oct. 22. The Early Show selected Harton to be featured on one its dream job segments. The segment aired Friday, Nov. 5 on CBS/KTHV Channel 11.

   MONTICELLO - A sophomore accounting major from Monticello says she always wanted to do the weather on the radio. She recently got the chance to experience her dream job by entering a contest.

   Stephanie Harton said she scrolled through the website for the CBS Early Show and saw the contest asking “What’s Your Dream Job?” She wrote a short essay about herself and wanting to do the weather.

   Harton works as the weigh manager at Potlatch Corporation, a lumber mill in Warren. With her CB in hand and an on-air name of “Dusty Harton,” she gives weather reports to truck drivers and other members of the mill.

   “I have been told that I sound like a DJ on the radio,” she said. “So I wanted to go to a radio station and do the weather.”

   Harton said she received a call about two months later notifying her she was one of ten being considered for the contest. A couple weeks later, she found out she had been selected.

Living the Dream

   On Oct. 22, she went to Little Rock to tour the National Weather Service.

   Dave Price, weather anchor for The Early Show, met Harton at the National Weather Service, where she then went to give the weather report on 94.1 The Point and KTHV Channel 11.

   Mike Kennedy, program director at 94.1 The Point, said he thought he had more nerves than Harton and was really surprised by her skills, especially having no broadcast experience.

   “It’s rare for somebody to walk through the door and sound that good,” he said.

   Harton and Price made their way to the KTHV studio where she gave another weather report.

   Though footage on The Early Show did not cover the visit to KTHV, the station’s weather anchor and media journalist, Meredith Mitchell, praised Harton’s skills.

   “While she was here, she did a great job in front of the green screen,” Mitchell said. “Stephanie was a delight to have in the studio and I was impressed by her knowledge of meteorology and how comfortable she came across on camera … a hard thing to do when you’re first starting out.”

   Mitchell said because Harton expressed her desire to do the weather on the radio show, the segment on The Early Show focused on her time at 94.1 The Point.

   In the segment, Harton told CBS, “I would have never imagined in a million years I would have gotten to do this, so this is special. I may not ever get to do any of this again, but today was worth it. It was fun!”

   Harton got the chance to do it again as she returned to the radio station Friday, Nov. 5 to give an additional weather report.

   Kennedy said if a weather position opened up at the station, Harton may have a shot at it.

   “You never know,” he said. “She’s got the gift for radio.” 

Editor's Note: The word "change" was changed to "chance" in the sentence "Harton got the chance to do it again..."

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