HAVE A STORY IDEA IN GRANDVILLE, HUDSONVILLE, OR JENISON? EMAIL GISELLE!
Hi, West Michigan! My name is Giselle Valentin and I'm the neighborhood reporter for Grandville, Hudsonville and Jenison.
My love for journalism actually started with a Chicago Bulls game. I was drawn in on how the announcers made you feel like you were right there in the action, feel included, entertained and connected. From that moment, I knew I wanted to do the same through storytelling.
I graduated from the University of Indianapolis with a degree in Communication and a minor in Spanish (¡Yo hablo un poco, pero entiendo mucho!). During college, I wore a lot of hats — sports editor The Reflector, plus digital media manager, news director and on-air personality for the 88.7 WICR FM. I covered plenty of games doing play-by-play, color commentary, and sideline reporting. But the news bug found me too, and that’s when I became part of UIndy TV.
Before moving to Grand Rapids, I worked as a morning multimedia journalist at ABC57 News in South Bend, Indiana. (Go Irish! Sorry, Michigan fans!) I covered everything from breaking news, feature pieces to hosting Friday night football. I even had the chance to interview celebrities like Akon, Vivica A. Fox, and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels from Run-DMC.
Now, I’m here in Michigan with one big goal: to be a voice for the voiceless and a reflection of the communities we serve. I want everyone to feel seen, heard, and represented in the stories I tell.
When I’m not reporting, you’ll usually find me exploring the food scene, cheering on my Chicago sports teams, or spending time with my family, friends, and my dog.
If you’ve got a story idea in Grandville, Hudsonville, or Jenison, I’d love to hear from you! You can always reach me at Giselle.Valentin@FOX17online.com.
