Her heels click clack on the wet pavement as she pulls open the shiny, glass double doors. Her fitted black skirt, blue button-up blouse and sleek black heels comprise her professional attire. A typical day begins at 2:30 in the afternoon. She turns on her Mac laptop computer and is greeted by nearly 1,000 press release e-mails. While sipping her Dutch Bros Coffee, she contemplates the newscast for the 10:00 o’clock news. Natasha Chughtai has landed her dream job as a news anchor for Eugene’s KVAL evening news.

Natasha Chughtai joined the KVAL news team in April of 2007 as an anchor and reporter. Chughtai claims to have an extremely rewarding profession. She came to Eugene from Anchorage, Alaska, where she worked for two years for NBC. At NBC, Chughtai worked as a weekend anchor and an education beat reporter. Chughtai never planned on becoming a news anchor because her educational background was in psychology.

Chughtai went to college in Minnesota, where she was a psychology major. After earning her degree in psychology, she planned on pursuing a profession in that field. Chughtai never received a degree in journalism, but was still able to pursue her career goals as a news anchor.

The morning of September 11, 2001 changed Chughtai’s career and personal goals forever. Chughtai was appalled by how the media were portraying Muslims in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Chughtai, a member of the Muslim community, knew she had to do something about this. “I remember watching the news outraged,” she explains. “It was so unfair and I knew I had to do something about it.”

Chughtai says that she is one of three Muslim news anchors in the country. She feels that this has been a huge obstacle for her. However, her main goal is to clear up any misconceptions about Muslims. “If I can open up just one person’s eyes, then I have done my job,” she says.

Chughtai worked three days per week as a news anchor for NBC in Alaska. There, she was able to do stories about Muslims and the Islam religion. She made herself available for interviews and allowed listeners to call and ask questions. Her goal was to fight any stereotypes that existed about Muslims and Islam. Eventually, Chugtai’s work led her to KVAL in Eugene.

Eugene’s KVAL  is located on top of an enormous hill on Blanton Road. Dozens of sky-scraping antennas extend from the roof of the building. Several gray news vans are parked out front, ready to be dispatched to the latest story. The KVAL building is surrounded by lush greenery and overlooks nearly the entire city of Eugene.

At KVAL, Chughtai starts her day at work with a nightly meeting with her news director and night reporter. Together, they decide on which stories to use for the evening news. Chughtai begins to pull stories from the five and six o’clock news from various stations, such as CNN, FOX and CBS. “It is kind of fun,” explains Chughtai. “You get to choose the stories you want.”

Chughtai’s career path didn’t start out in journalism. She started her career in psychology, but later decided to become a news anchor. Changing career paths so abruptly was not easy for Chughtai, but her motivation eventually led to job opportunities.  Chughtai was turned away from many news station internships because her educational background was in psychology and not journalism. This frustrated Chughtai, but she persisted until she found what she was looking for.

After looking desperately for internships in news studios, one studio in Duluth, Minnesota, gave her a chance. Chughtai moved two hours away from her home and got paid six dollars-per-hour to run the teleprompter in the news room. “I fell in love with being in the news room,” she says. “This is what I have to do.”

When a news anchor position finally opened up, despite her lack of experience, Chughtai begged for the position. After being turned away several times, she finally got her chance. Following her first job as a news anchor, Chughtai’s hard work lead her to numerous job opportunities. One job in particular brought her to NBC in Alaska and eventually to KVAL in Eugene.

At 6:30 p.m. it is time for Chughtai to record two promos and do a run-through for the night. She confidently recites three news stories and nods several times as she refers to her notes.      After a solid run-through, Chughtai goes through final preparations involving hair, makeup and 20 minutes to just breathe. According to Chughtai: “The most rewarding part of my work is putting together a story and actually delivering it. You spend all day working on this product. and it feels good when it’s done.” Not only does Chughtai enjoy her work in the newsroom, but she has also had many memorable experience outside of the newsroom.

One unforgettable experience that Chughtai is extremely fond of was her visit to the

Bering Sea. While working in Alaska, she did a story on the village of Savoonga, where the village people communicated in a whistling language. “It was just unexplainable,” she says. “Everyone in the village was so welcoming and warm hearted.”  Chughtai’s outstanding work as a reporter and news anchor rewarded her with several awards and recognitions.

            Chughtai has come a long way since her first job in Duluth. She has received several awards for her reporting. She won “Best Single Story” from the Alaska Press Club for her work on methamphetamine orphans. she also received an award for her work in the village of Savoonga on the Bering Sea.

Finally, at 10:00 p.m. Chughtai feels more than prepared to deliver her finished work to the citizens of Eugene. Her glistening white teeth and warm, approachable smile are accentuated by the overhead spotlights in the dim newsroom. She delivers a 35 minute newscast that she has worked on for many hours. When Chughtai finishes her broadcast for the night she  feels an amazing sense of accomplishment.

Chughtai never dreamed of becoming an anchor until a national tragedy inspired her to find her career in the news room. Her advice to anyone pursuing a journalism related profession is: “Never give up. You never know the opportunities that could be waiting for you.”