Riding the Winds of Change: Alumna Danielle Moss ('15)
By Katie Edwards
Sometimes, things fall apart before they fall into place. No one knows that better than Danielle Moss (’15).
A track scholarship opened the door for Danielle at Jax State, and the hands-on Mass Communication program drew her into a world she fell in love with-broadcast journalism. She wanted to be a reporter and worked to find a job right out of college, but those efforts proved futile. Seeking adventure and income, Danielle chose to become a flight attendant.
“Learning how to do everything I needed to do for television and radio, I felt prepared. For broadcast, there’s no greater way to know what you need to do than to do it. Knowing how to conduct an interview and work a camera was so important to doing what I wanted to do in the future.”A few years into that career, a new passion began to ignite, which was noticeable to her roommate. “Being a flight attendant, weather really impacts your plans. I became obsessed with weather,” says Danielle. “My roommate suggested I go back to school.” Danielle applied to Mississippi State, and within the first six months of the meteorology program, she received an email stating that 900 flight attendants would be furloughed, and she would be part of the first wave of flight attendants affected by the layoffs.
“It was a hard six months,” recalls Danielle, as she described job after job that she applied for but did not receive. “I can remember talking to a manager at Panera Bread. When he realized I had a degree, he said I was overqualified.”
Things certainly were not falling into place for Danielle Moss. The young woman who started out as a track star and had set her sights on a career as a reporter had made the best out of her situation when she became a flight attendant, but now she needed a breakthrough.
And that’s exactly what she got.
Danielle already had an internship credit from Jax State, but she decided to take a chance on an internship class at MSU. She emailed the chief meteorologist at CBS in Chattanooga, TN. After just three short weeks of doing “web weather” at the CBS affiliate, Danielle was offered a Reporter/Producer spot with a promise of being able to “fill in” when the weather anchors were unavailable.
“It went from the worst six months of my life to a total breakthrough,” Danielle says. “Six months later, I was offered the Weekend Anchor position. It was a utility position, and I was doing all kinds of things, which is how I came to realize that meteorology is what I loved most.”
“It went from the worst six months of my life to a total breakthrough,” Danielle says. “Six months later, I was offered the Weekend Anchor position. It was a utility position, and I was doing all kinds of things, which is how I came to realize that meteorology is what I loved most.”Danielle spent two-and-a-half years in Chattanooga before moving to Memphis, TN. There, she joined ABC24 and CW30 where she did the evening weather for a year and a half. That’s when the Chief Meteorologist left unexpectedly, and Danielle and her fellow meteorologists on staff had to step up. “We have crazy weather in Memphis, and none of us were expecting to be without a chief, but we pulled together and made it work.” When the News Director approached Danielle about applying for Chief Meteorologist, she did just that.
Many people would have given up on their dream after not being able to find the job they wanted right out of college. Most people would have felt defeated if the job they did manage to find and enjoy was cut short. But what looked on one side like a mass of chaotic strings being pulled in different directions without any rhyme or reason was a beautiful tapestry woven together once it was turned around. It was quite a turn-around, too. Danielle Moss completed her 1st year as Memphis’ 1st Black Female Chief Meteorologist in August 2024, and she will set out on a new road on her career path in October 2024 when she begins as the new weekend meteorologist in Atlanta at 11 Alive.
“There are things you’ll get at Jax State that you can take with you for the rest of your life. It prepares you for whatever you need. Live in the moment and take it all with you as you continue to grow.”How did Jax State prepare Danielle for this future? It all started with the Mass Comm program.“Learning how to do everything I needed to do for television and radio, I felt prepared. For broadcast, there’s no greater way to know what you need to do than to do it. Knowing how to conduct an interview and work a camera was so important to doing what I wanted to do in the future.”
Today, Danielle says that her time at Jax State taught her to be the best version of herself and encourages students to lean into each moment while on campus. “There are things you’ll get at Jax State that you can take with you for the rest of your life. It prepares you for whatever you need. Live in the moment and take it all with you as you continue to grow.”