Eboni Gatlin Griffin’s Kokomo roots run deep. The house she was raised in was home to her mother’s family and grandmother’s family before that. Griffin jokes that she’s related to half the town of Kokomo, a situation that created a support system still in place today.

Growing up the youngest of four children in a household that focused on current events, Griffin says that “the news” was always on in their home. Little did she know she would eventually be producing news segments on one of the most popular and longest running TV shows of our day. She remembers watching Andrea Morehead and Cheryl Parker, prominent Indianapolis newscasters who provided her with strong Black female role models. As she grew older, the Kokomo Area Career Center at Kokomo High School offered opportunities to pursue her interest in broadcasting. There, advisor Alice McKellar taught her students what it took to put on a newscast, even entering (and winning!) competitions throughout the state. Griffin had a huge leg up when she arrived at Indiana University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

By her senior year at KHS, Griffin was very involved of all aspects of high school. Even when she discovered that she was pregnant, she kept going full steam ahead. The stigma of being a pregnant teen could make life difficult, but she says for every critic, there were at least 10 people holding her up and supporting her dreams. As she graduated with the KHS Class of 2002, teachers, counselors, family, friends all pushed her to continue her path to college and beyond. It wasn’t easy. At IU, Griffin worked her way through school, holding down jobs, attending classes, and caring for her daughter. While there, she was able to secure an internship at Fox News in New York City, which really opened her eyes to the possibilities of broadcasting. The internship turned into a job.

Griffin honed her skills for three years at Fox and then 11 years at CNN in Atlanta. In 2020, she was approached by Good Morning America to become senior broadcast producer for host Robin Roberts. In that role, Griffin leads a team that finds stories, sets up shoots, does research, arranges interviews, and creates every part of what eventually becomes a great piece of TV news.

Griffin credits her Midwestern upbringing for her ability to see all aspects of a story and to have a natural curiosity for what makes good news. She has been blessed with opportunities to interact with well-known inspirational people in what she calls “pinch me” moments, producing interviews with Michelle Obama, Brittney Griner, Christina Applegate, and Liza Minelli to name a few. She is quick to point out that not all stories are “fun and rainbows,” but it’s their responsibility (and privilege) to report on the things that matter – good or bad.

What advice does she have for today’s Kokomo High School students? Get involved! Enjoy your experiences and savor those pivotal moments in your life. This is sound advice from someone who has worked incredibly hard to achieve her goals and then some.