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Hoda Kotb talks Olympics, gymnastics with KARE’s Morgan Wolfe
The TODAY Show anchor and NBC Olympic correspondent spoke about her excitement for Paris and navigating work-life balance as a mom.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — An old saying warns you to “never meet your heroes” because how you envision them might not correlate with reality.
But for me, that didn’t apply to Hoda Kotb at the U.S. Olympic Team Gymnastics Trials last weekend.
The warm, big smile and bubbly personality that greets America in the morning on NBC’s TODAY Show With Hoda & Jenna is exactly what you will experience in person.
The NBC veteran journalist has earned the right to parachute into a city to cover an event and only focus on her assignment. But that’s not Hoda. When asked if she would be available for a sit-down interview with me, her team happily agreed to find time in her packed schedule.
As I made way to our interview, I met her in the hallway.
“It’s so nice to meet you!” Hoda said as she hugged me.
She asked me about my career; where I was from, and told me about a time in her life when she once applied to a job in Minneapolis and didn’t get it. Concluding the conversation by complimenting the legacy and work of KARE 11.
Once we walked into the suite where we were shooting the interview, she exclaimed, “I can’t believe we have a three-camera shoot. Who are you people?!” Which brought a big smile to our photographer’s face.
When asked about her excitement for the Paris Olympics, Hoda said she is ready for a “redo” of Tokyo.
“Toyko was such a weird Olympics. It was unusual. It was masked. No family was there. It was just such a different Olympics, and I am so anxious for this to come back, and especially for these gymnasts,” Hoda said.
She began covering the Olympics onsite in Torino in 2006. She joked, “I think Roker has covered more!”
But when you have a passion for gymnastics like Hoda, covering the Olympics is an easy assignment to commit to.
“I just hugged Simone, Suni and Jordan. I feel like I have known them since forever,” Hoda said. “Simone was 19 when she won the gold in Rio and she’s 27 now. I feel like I have watched them grow up and mature and there is something special about them still being together right here right now.”
“When was the last time you actually got to be an eyewitness to someone’s life changing? It’s like one minute, ‘Who is that person?!’ The next minute they are a household name. You get to watch it in real-time. The country comes together, these kids’ lives are changed. It’s celebration city.” Hoda said.
For media covering the Olympics, it’s comparable to running a marathon every day for nearly a month. It’s a feat that journalists are lucky to cover once in their lifetime, but it comes with time changes, a rigorous schedule with events and interviews, live shots — and little sleep.
I asked Hoda, as a mom of two young girls: How does she balance her career and motherhood?
“I think ‘be here now’ works for me, and I try to teach my kids that, too. When I am at work, I am 100 at work. When I step in the door, I am a 100 at home,” Hoda said, admitting that balance still feels tricky to her.
Journalists get a front-row seat to the tragedies and triumphs of humanity. With that, mental health oftentimes is impacted, so I asked Hoda how she maintains her mental health.
“I think every single thing you put in your brain and your spirit become part of you. News to me is kind of that way, too. If you ingest morning, noon and night, it’s too much to carry. So, I am very careful about what I allow in. During my work hours, I let it all in because I want to know everything. When that time is done when I am at home, I am not constantly checking because my being can’t take it.”
Hoda climbed her way to the top of the industry with humble beginnings a small market in Greenville, Mississippi. From there, she went to work in smaller markets in Illinois and Florida before getting an anchor job in New Orleans. She began working at Dateline in 1998.
After more than 25 years of experience in life and in the industry, I asked Hoda what she would tell her younger self:
“I think I would say blessings come when it’s their time. Don’t worry. Everyone’s blessings come when they are supposed to come, and all of mine came after 50. I think I would have reminded her that work is important, but life is more so. And enjoy all of it. Be happy; you’re a fighter.”
A Swiftie like me, Hoda is known for wearing friendship bracelets made popular again by Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour. In honor of this year’s games, I made her several Olympic-themed bracelets.
“Are you serious?!” she said before giving me another hug.
I encourage you to go meet your heroes. Sometimes they’re better than you can imagine.
Hoda has numerous accolades from her work as a broadcast journalist, including one of the highest honors: a 2006 Peabody Award earned while working for Dateline. She also has a podcast and has written several publications. Her memoir, “Ten Years Later,” is a New York Times Bestseller.
Want more Hoda? You can watch her Monday-Friday after KARE 11 Sunrise.
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Larry Raasch volunteered at the department for 25 years.
WEST ST PAUL, Minn. — The West St. Paul Police Department has lost one of its most decorated servants.
Larry Raasch volunteered as a reserve officer for 25 years, logging more than 4,000 hours.
“He really cared about this department and this community,” said West St. Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon.
Raasch volunteered at least eight hours a week at the West St. Paul Police station. Before he started helping out there, he was a reserve for the St. Paul Police Department. In total, he’s spent more than 50 years volunteering at police departments.
“He loved this community that’s what it was, he loved the community, he loved the department, he loved the city, he loved his neighbors, he loved the business owners in town, and he just wanted to give back. That’s why he was doing what’s he doing,” Sturgeon said.
Raasch’s daughter Lisa McDermott said her father lived to serve the community. He would drive people around town if they needed a ride and would help anyone who needed it. His life has been dedicated to service. She said her father is a Vietnam Veteran. He was stationed in Munich, Germany as a medic.
Captain of the reserves Mike Whebbe said he was dedicated to serving his community. He’s worked alongside Raasch for decades.
Raasch was one of the police department’s 15 reserves. Sturgeon said they assist sworn officers and departments, attend community events, help with prisoner transport, and traffic control. Sturgeon said the reserves help the department immensely and have save them a lot of money.
“Over the course of the 25 years, it’s close to $1 million,” he said.
Sturgeon said two years, he received the President’s Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement award.
“He dedicated over 4,000 hours. I’m sure it was a lot more than that,” Sturgeon said.
He said Raasch was one of the oldest reserves, his “meticulous” nature earned him a spot helping out in the property room as a volunteer evidence tech.
“His age didn’t keep him down though. He was always available to us whenever we needed it. We were very appreciative of his dedication to this community,” he said. “He just wanted to be a part of this organization. He wanted to be a part of this city and being a reserve was one way he could be a part of this organization and this community.”
Sturgeon said he’ll miss hearing Raasch say “hi, good morning, good afternoon, how are you doing,” when he would walk into the department. He said no one will ever be able to fill his shoes.
“Larry was a character, he was a one-of-a-kind,” Sturgeon said. “We’ve all learned a lot from him, especially the reserves. I mean like I said he coached and mentored the younger reserves.”
He said it’s going to be hard without him. Sturgeon said Raasch was the embodiment of an outstanding community member, who made West St. Paul a safer and brighter place.
“He’s one of a kind that’s for sure and he’s going to be greatly missed,” Sturgeon said.
Larry Raasch volunteered at the department for 25 years.
WEST ST PAUL, Minn. — The West St. Paul Police Department has lost one of its most decorated servants.
Larry Raasch volunteered as a reserve officer for 25 years, logging more than 4,000 hours.
“He really cared about this department and this community,” said West St. Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon.
Raasch volunteered at least eight hours a week at the West St. Paul Police station. Before he started helping out there, he was a reserve for the St. Paul Police Department. In total, he’s spent more than 50 years volunteering at police departments.
“He loved this community that’s what it was, he loved the community, he loved the department, he loved the city, he loved his neighbors, he loved the business owners in town, and he just wanted to give back. That’s why he was doing what’s he doing,” Sturgeon said.
Raasch’s daughter Lisa McDermott said her father lived to serve the community. He would drive people around town if they needed a ride and would help anyone who needed it. His life has been dedicated to service. She said her father is a Vietnam Veteran. He was stationed in Munich, Germany as a medic.
Captain of the reserves Mike Whebbe said he was dedicated to serving his community. He’s worked alongside Raasch for decades.
Raasch was one of the police department’s 15 reserves. Sturgeon said they assist sworn officers and departments, attend community events, help with prisoner transport, and traffic control. Sturgeon said the reserves help the department immensely and have save them a lot of money.
“Over the course of the 25 years, it’s close to $1 million,” he said.
Sturgeon said two years, he received the President’s Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement award.
“He dedicated over 4,000 hours. I’m sure it was a lot more than that,” Sturgeon said.
He said Raasch was one of the oldest reserves, his “meticulous” nature earned him a spot helping out in the property room as a volunteer evidence tech.
“His age didn’t keep him down though. He was always available to us whenever we needed it. We were very appreciative of his dedication to this community,” he said. “He just wanted to be a part of this organization. He wanted to be a part of this city and being a reserve was one way he could be a part of this organization and this community.”
Sturgeon said he’ll miss hearing Raasch say “hi, good morning, good afternoon, how are you doing,” when he would walk into the department. He said no one will ever be able to fill his shoes.
“Larry was a character, he was a one-of-a-kind,” Sturgeon said. “We’ve all learned a lot from him, especially the reserves. I mean like I said he coached and mentored the younger reserves.”
He said it’s going to be hard without him. Sturgeon said Raasch was the embodiment of an outstanding community member, who made West St. Paul a safer and brighter place.
“He’s one of a kind that’s for sure and he’s going to be greatly missed,” Sturgeon said.
The three finalists are visiting the school district this week with a decision expected to be made on either Wednesday or Thursday night.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota’s second-largest school district will soon have a new superintendent.
Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) is hosting the three finalists this week.
Each day, a new candidate is visiting the district for a full day. On Monday, Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed took part in school visits, virtual sessions and a public interview.
Mhiripiri-Reed has been the superintendent of Hopkins Public Schools since 2017, serving 6,900 students and more than 1,000 staff. She started her career as a teacher at SPPS.
Dr. Brenda Cassellius also started her career as an SPPS teacher. Cassellius will be visiting the district on Tuesday.
Cassellius previously served as superintendent of Boston Public Schools, serving 50,000 students and more than 10,000 staff. She also served eight years as the Minnesota State Commissioner of Education. Cassellius is currently the CEO of the nonprofit Fresh Energy.
On Wednesday, the final candidate is Dr. Stacie Stanley. She’s currently the superintendent of Edina Public Schools, serving 8,600 students and more than 1,300 staff. Stanley previously served as an associate superintendent at Eden Prairie Schools.
You can read all three full bios, here.
In the end of February, former SPPS Superintendent Dr. Joe Gothard was selected as the next leader of the Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin. Dr. John Thein has been serving as interim superintendent during the search.
The SPPS Board of Education did a round of community engagement where they received more than 3,000 responses from the community on what they’re looking for in the next superintendent.
“It’s really not so much about what one individual board member is looking for. It’s going to be a really open and collaborative process by which all seven board members are trying to figure out how each of these candidates would approach trying to meet the concerns that were raised by the community whenever we did that engagement,” said Uriah Ward, school board vice chair.
Each finalist’s schedule this week includes visiting schools, three virtual “Meet the Candidate” sessions with staff, parents and guardians, and community partners. The day ends with a public interview at the SPPS administration building (360 S. Colborne St.) from 6-7:30 p.m.
All are welcome to attend or watch the livestream.
“We want people to remain part of the process until the very end. So please, if you are watching the sessions, if you are reading the materials, please fill out an impression form. Because we are reading them and we do take that really seriously,” Ward said.
This past summer, the school board approved more than $110 million in budget cuts for this school year. The cuts come after federal funds from the pandemic expired. While SPPS enrollment is slightly up this year, overall, in the past decade, it has shrunk.
“Whoever’s coming in is coming into what I think is a really amazing school district where we have a lot of really exciting things to offer. But it’s also a really difficult environment where districts across the country are dealing with declining enrollment, where they’re having to face what seem like an endless stream of budget cuts,” Ward said. “We want to make sure that we’re bringing someone in who is going to be able to handle what can be a difficult situation but also work with us into moving us in a positive direction where we can… hopefully continue to grow our district.”
After the final interview on Wednesday, the board will deliberate in a public meeting. If they cannot decide that night, they will continue conversations at Thursday’s regular school board meeting and announce the preferred candidate then.
The board will approve the new superintendent’s contract and start date in January.
You can learn more about the search process, here.
