1. Youth and education

2. Career
     Post college    Sky    CNN    International Desk    BackStory    CNN NewsCenter    Leaving CNN    W.E. Can Lead    Activities since 2018  

3. Personal life

4. External links

5. References

Youth and education

Born in London, England in 1976 to Temne parents from Sierra Leone, Sesay returned with them at the age of seven to their homeland. Raised in their Muslim faith, she lived in Sierra Leone for most of her childhood. She is one of three children, with an older sister and a younger brother. Her mother is Dr Kadi Sesay, a former lecturer at Fourah Bay College. Dr. Sesay in 1992 was appointed as an advisor to the government of Valentine Strasser. Her father worked as a legal advisor to the SLPMB (Sierra Leone Produce Marketing Board); he died in 1988.

Sesay studied at the private Fourah Bay College School in Freetown. At the age of 16, in 1992 she moved to the UK for further study and college. After completing her A-levels, she was accepted into Trinity College, Cambridge, where she read English. She worked as a waitress in a bar while studying.^[1] She decided to become a television journalist, having previously aspired to become an actress. During her final year, she began writing to media groups seeking work.

Career

Post college

After graduating, Sesay began her television career as a researcher for the BBC talk show Kilroy, initially as an unpaid intern. She later was hired as a full-time paid employee. In 1998 she moved to Glasgow to work for BBC Scotland, and, after a period behind the camera, got her first job as a TV announcer on BBC Choice.^[2] She went on to present a variety of programmes for the BBC, CNN and TWI, before joining Sky in March 2002.^[3]

Sky

At Sky, Sesay spent over three years as an anchor on Good Morning Sports Fans for Sky Sports News.^[4] She considers the high points of this period to be meeting former boxer Michael Watson,^[5] interviewing Ellen MacArthur, and travelling with members of the Arsenal football team following an exhibition match at Reebok Stadium in support of Nwankwo Kanu's heart foundation.^[3] She later moved to ITN, where she anchored the ITV Morning News programme, and was also a newsreader on breakfast programme GMTV.^[4]

CNN

In November 2005, Sesay became a news anchor and correspondent at CNN International, based at the network's global headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. She travelled to Nigeria in April 2007 to cover that country's presidential election, where she conducted one-on-one interviews with both outgoing president Olusegun Obasanjo, and the newly elected president Umaru Yar'Adua. Later that year, she was in South Africa to cover the launch of the Global Elders.^[4]

International Desk

In 2009, Sesay became the host of the first edition of the weekday news program International Desk.

BackStory

In 2011, she swapped roles with Michael Holmes, and was assigned as the presenter of BackStory.

CNN NewsCenter

On 16 April 2012, BackStory was changed to a weekend-only show. Sesay was assigned as the anchor of a new show, CNN NewsCenter.

In addition to her duties as anchor on CNN International, Sesay contributes to Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN as presenter of the 360 Bulletin, a position she has held since 17 January 2011. The following year, she also took up the role of presenter on Evening Express on HLN.^[6] She is currently based in Los Angeles, United States.^[7]

Leaving CNN

On 2 August 2018 Isha Sesay announced that she was leaving CNN after 13 years. She cited the media's focus on United States President Donald Trump as a reason for her decision.^[8][9] Sesay announced that she will be writing a book about the abduction of Chibok girls, and that she plans to continue her engagement with African issues.^[8][1]

W.E. Can Lead

In 2014 Sesay launched W.E. Can Lead (Women Everywhere Can Lead), an educational, humanitarian 501(c)3, non-profit organization.^[1][11] It was created to support African girls in receiving educational support to become future leaders. In August 2018, the program was mostly working with Nigerian girls, but it is open for girls from everywhere in Africa.^[12][13]

It is a two-tiered program comprising a base and a specialisation phase. After one year in which the girls learn basic skills like financial literacy, critical thinking and good health practices as well how to build self-esteem and self-awareness, they can apply to take part in the Young Leader development program. Those who do not gain a place may attend annual empowerment camps and an inspirational speakers series.^[14] The attendees receive financial support to cover tuition, uniforms and other supplies.^[10] In August 2018 there were more than 600 girls from ages 12 to 18 participating in the program.^[1]

In January 2017 actor Idris Elba auctioned a date with him to raise money for W.E. Can Lead.^[15]

Activities since 2018

Sesay, alongside the Senegalese journalist Aboubacry Ba, was the emcee of the Aiteo CAF Awards 2018, celebrated at the Centre international de conférences Abdou Diouf (CICAD) on Tuesday, 8 January 2019 in Dakar, Senegal.^[16][17]

In July 2019 Harper Collins will publish Beneath the Tamarind Tree, Sesay's book about the abduction of Chibok girls in 2014.^[18]

Personal life

Sesay was married to Leif Coorlim, a CNN staffer.^[19] The couple is divorced.^[20]

External links

• {{IMDb name | 3954589| Isha Sesay }}
• Article in the WWS - What We See on-line magazine.
• [https://www.facebook.com/WE-Can-Lead-1814281702126899/ W.E. Can Lead] on Facebook

References

• U.S. - Rwanda relations
• US - Rwanda relations
• U.S.-Rwanda relations
• U.S.S.
• USS A-1 (SP-1370)
• USS Abadejo (SS-308)
• USS Aberdeen (1912)
• USS Accomac (LST-710/APB-49)
• USS Accomac (YTB 812)
• USS Accomac (YTB-812)
• USS Accomac (YTL-18)
• USS Active (1779)
• USS Active (1837)
• USS Active (1888)
• USS Active (1917)
• USS Adario
• USS Adario (YNT-25)
• USS Adario (YTM-743)
• Ussadate Sutthikunkarn
• USS Addie Douglass (1862)
• USS Adela (1862)
• USS ADG-11
• USS Admiral David. W. Taylor (AP-128)
• USS Admiral D. W. Taylor (AP-128)
• USS Admiral F. B. Upham (AP-129)