Brooke Baldwin

Throughout the 2016 presidential election, I listened. At debates and rallies, I heard their voices clearly and felt compelled to do something more. Thousands and thousands of women spoke with confidence and conviction.

I've covered tornadoes and other natural disasters. I wasn't on the ground for Katrina. But as our helicopter descended toward Mexico Beach, I just saw an entire town gone. Leveled, with the exception of a condo still standing here and there.

As for my mom, her biggest gift to me was teaching me I can and I must use my voice. I owe her a debt of gratitude.

When I'm covering a story, it's not just about gathering facts, but it's gathering the human element as well.

It's important to stay a human, to be a journalist, to be a human covering the stories and trying as best as I can to put myself in their shoes, to be respectful, to just listen.

It matters that we have balance and facts and push people when they need to be pushed so that we can give the accurate, fair, balanced piece to the viewer, and then it's up to the viewer to be the judge.

At age 12, it was obvious. I had to go to Space Camp.

The first time I ever saw James in a tux, I told him, 'Oh, my: wherever and whenever we get married, you have to wear one of these again!'

Having covered the crazy campaign of 2016 and seeing a lot of young women showing up, I just had this ah-ha moment. I went to my bosses and said, 'Guys, I want to make women my priority.'

I think viewers know CNN delivers time and time again on the most important stories.

Just ask my boss - any time a major story breaks, I'm banging on his door to send me.

I run into viewers all the time who have no idea I've moved to N.Y.C. I think, for many of them, a studio is a studio is a studio.