Once a Chap, always a Chap!

Tatum Guinn in the KOSA-TV/CBS7 newsroom at Music City Mall

By Rebecca Bell
Dean of Community Relations and Special Events

“During my first journalism class at Midland College, I realized that I love telling stories about how everyday events affect people,” said KOSA CBS7 reporter Tatum Guinn.

“I really came ‘into my own’ at MC,” she explained.  “I graduated from Midland Christian School in 2008, and there were only 93 people in my graduating class.  The thought of going to a big school was intimidating, to say the least.  Plus, I had the opportunity to attend MC on the Legacy Scholarship.  The minute I walked on the MC campus, I loved it!”

It wasn’t long before Guinn joined the staff of El Paisano, MC’s student newspaper, and tried out for and successfully made the cheerleading squad.

Guinn laughed when she said, “I found that I like the adrenaline rush of getting in front of a crowd—just like I now enjoy being in front of the camera.”

The 22-year-old Midland native first began working at CBS7 in May 2011 as a student intern in order to fulfill college credit requirements for her communications degree at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB).  The news department immediately took notice of her superior news writing abilities.  So, in August, when the station wanted to initiate a 4:30 p.m. newscast, Guinn was offered the position as producer.  She teamed with long-time news anchor Mike Barker to develop a unique approach to an early evening news program.  It wasn’t long before Guinn was ready for another challenge, and so CBS7 promoted her to reporter.

She said that she feels very fortunate to be able to begin her professional career in the Permian Basin.  During her last semester at MC, Guinn had made up her mind to transfer to Texas State University in San Marcos and tryout for cheerleader.  However, a week before tryouts in early May, she broke her foot.

Guinn said, “At the time I was devastated—not because I couldn’t try out for cheerleader, but because of all things to break, it had to be my foot.   I’m all about shoes.  When I graduated from MC, I had to walk across the stage with crutches wearing a bedazzled boot on one foot and a Converse sneaker on the other!”

After completing MC on the Legacy Scholarship, she received the Abell-Hanger Foundation Education Continuance Scholarship, which is awarded to MC graduates and pays up to $6,250 per semester for upper-level college courses.

“As it turned out, that broken foot was a blessing in disguise,” said Guinn.  “I was able to stay at home and land this fantastic job at KOSA!  And thanks to great opportunities provided by Midland College and the Midland community, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree totally debt-free!”

She continued, “My motto is to find something you’re good at and do it — my experiences at MC taught me that.  I still consider myself a Chap, and I always will be!”