I'm Debra Alfarone, an award-winning National TV Correspondent for Gray Television and the Lead Anchor for Gray’s national digital news channel, Local News Live. My journey defies expectations, rising from a high school dropout to reporting from the most powerful addresses in the world—the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and the anchor desk at the network shaped by legends Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite.

Despite a challenging upbringing marked by abuse and neglect, I earned my GED, put myself through college, and started working on Wall Street. Not long after, I found myself in the middle of a terrorist attack on 9/11. I learned in an instant — tomorrow is not promised. The life-saving role of journalism in the days and weeks that followed left an indelible impression. Fueled by a desire to communicate and inform, I transitioned into TV journalism, starting at NY1 and eventually reporting for stations like NBC Connecticut, PIX 11 in New York City, and WUSA9, the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C.

A pivotal moment in my career came in 2018 at WUSA9 when I was passed over for a promotion. Choosing to bet on myself, I embraced the mantra, "A setback is a setup for a comeback." I launched Debra Alfarone Media, a coaching and media training company. In the five years since, I've coached hundreds of TV professionals and entrepreneurs, helping reporters jump markets and experts ace national interviews.

While coaching for global companies like American Express and BuzzFeed, I received news of winning an Edward R. Murrow award and an Emmy for my anchoring while at WUSA9. Embracing the advice I gave my coaching clients, I doggedly pursued an opportunity at CBS News, and spent three years contributing stories to CBS Evening News, CBS Mornings, and anchoring the CBS News Streaming Network.

Now, as a National Correspondent and Lead Anchor with Gray Television, I combine my talent for anchoring with my passion for telling uplifting stories with my national feature series, "The Good Side." My mission is to give a voice to those who, like my younger self, may not have had one. I’m living a life beyond my wildest dreams, and I’m proof that setbacks are not roadblocks but opportunities for even greater comebacks.

I also share life and career advice I learned going from dropout to dream life on my podcast, “Sh*t I Wish I Knew In My Twenties.” Guests have included CBS Weekend Evening News anchor Jericka Duncan and New York Times bestselling author A.J. Jacobs. It ranks between the top 5-10% of podcasts, according to ThePodcastHost.com.