Melissa Khan

Having accrued nearly one decade of professional expertise, Melissa Khan embarked on an honorable career in the news industry upon earning a Bachelor of Science in communications from the College of New Rochelle in 2014. In the earlier years of her career, she served as an intern at ESPN Radio, WABC-TV Disney and Time Warner Cable NY1 News, which led her into a freelance video editor and full-time editor roles at Time Warner Cable NY1 News. By 2015, she joined the Regional News Network in Rye, New York, gaining additional expertise as a news editor until moving onto Spectrum NY1 News as part of Charter Communications. There, from 2016 to 2021, Ms. Khan excelled as a video editor and editing supervisor.

The stagnation that Ms. Khan felt after being the first editing supervisor at a news channel led her to look for a greener pasture, which she found at the United Federation of Teachers as assistant press secretary. In her role, she has written and placed opinion pieces in New York City media, developed social media campaigns to advocate for the federation’s policies, positions and legislation, and accompanied senior union officials at news conferences and public events. Since 2021, she has enjoyed learning the role, relishing every moment of filming at schools and editing while expanding her network and utilizing the skills and advantages she gained. In 2021, Ms. Khan also achieved a Women’s Leadership Certificate from the Yale School of Management.

Ms. Khan credits her success to her upbringing and her desire to repay her parents. The sacrifices they made for their family as immigrants from Guyana and how they treated people with the utmost respect, along with their constant emphasis on the value of humility and ethical treatment of others, inspired her to become someone they would be proud of. She is equally grateful to the many mentors who have facilitated her professional journey. Looking toward the future, Ms. Khan plans to create a foundation for victims of bullying, including cyberbullying. As a victim of bullying when she was a child, she is passionate about providing a safe space for people who suffer from the same experience.