What are you up to now?

I’m an Emmy Award–winning journalist and correspondent for CBS News in New York City. Since joining the network in 2019, I’ve covered many of the country’s most significant stories, with my work appearing on CBS Mornings, CBS Weekend News, CBS News Streaming, CBS New York, the BBC, and affiliates nationwide.

I’ve worked as both an anchor and reporter in markets large and small, from Topeka, Kansas and Billings, Montana to Tucson, Minneapolis, and my hometown of Indianapolis, before landing in New York. Early in my career, I was among the first reporters on the scene when Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in Tucson. In Indianapolis, I earned a regional Emmy Award at NBC affiliate WTHR, and in Minneapolis I helped launch a new primetime newscast as an evening anchor.

The job is demanding. The days are long, often starting in the middle of the night, and the pressure is constant. But it’s also deeply meaningful. I’ve had a front-row seat to history, covering both tragedy and triumph and speaking with people in some of the most important moments of their lives.

What grounds me is something I learned during my days at North Central: nothing meaningful is done alone. Every story depends on a team of people working together to bring it to life.

In true Panther style, I care deeply about my community. Outside of work, I’m involved with organizations like the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and Hudson River Park.

I’m a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where I studied journalism and international studies. I live in Manhattan with my husband, Arik, and our three young children, Maxwell, Bella and Hersh. 

How did North Central Shape who you are today?

I believe my time at North Central helped me discover and deepen my passions. From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a journalist. Mr. Gayda’s journalism classes and my time as co-editor of The Northerner solidified that goal and set me on right path.

At the same time, I was co-captain of the Pantherettes. I originally tried out because I loved to dance, but it ended up giving me so much more than that. Our team was made up of people who may not have crossed paths otherwise—different interests, different friend groups, different backgrounds. But we quickly realized we’d become best friends, and when it was time to perform, everything just clicked

Mrs. Haggard was a mentor to all of us, choreographing, encouraging, and believing in us. For several years, we were the only team to compete with a male dancer. We stood out and we were proud of it.

Years later, I came back to visit and saw Mrs. Haggard. By then, I’d been working in broadcast journalism for a while. She said something that made me pause: “You’ve been combining your passions all along.”

I hadn’t really thought of it that way. Then she explained – “You love to dance. You love to perform. But you also love telling stories and writing. Becoming a broadcast journalist was written in your Panther stars.”

She was right.

WHAT IS your favorite memory from North Central?

It’s hard to sum up my time at North Central in one moment, but if I had to, it would be giving the commencement speech to the Class of 2005 at the Pepsi Coliseum.

At North Central, students audition for that role, which makes it especially meaningful. I was lucky enough to be chosen and I was excited, because I had a lot I wanted to say.

My speech, “Do You Feel Lucky?”, was about how fortunate we were to be there. In some ways, I joked I was actually less “lucky” than my classmates since I lived outside the district and had to apply. Thankfully, I got in and it ended up shaping everything.

I was drawn in by the academics and International Baccalaureate Program, but what stayed with me was the community. The mix of backgrounds and perspectives changed how I see the world, and it’s something I carry with me to this day.

Connect with Naomi

LinkedIn: @naomi-ruchim-forum-networking

Instagram: @naomipescovitz

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