Stefany Valderrama Profile

By Makayla Varner

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. – Stefany Valderrama, a 2014 Georgia Southern University graduate, had the intention of graduating with a degree in pre-med and becoming a pediatrician, a completely different field of study compared to the one she entered into upon her graduation.

Like many other students, Valderrama didn’t keep her first major. Instead, she changed it to something she felt she always had a connection to: Print journalism.

After failing her pre-med biology classes, she knew she needed to change her path, something she wasn’t entirely too confident about nor had any idea what she might go into. She considered going into nursing, but after her mother suggested journalism due to Valderrama’s love for writing, she decided to set her sights on that instead.

Valderrama recalled how she would walk around her neighborhood, snapping photos and hosting pretend interviews with her neighbors throughout her childhood. She claimed this was an early sign that she would end up in journalism.

She hasn’t regretted this decision since.

Valderrama got her first internship during her senior year in college at the Statesboro Magazine, which was partnered with the Statesboro Herald then. Here, Valderrama had the opportunity to write a couple of articles and paid features for the magazine, which editors heavily edited. She also learned about the advertising side of magazine work.

Due to the partnership between the Statesboro Herald and the Statesboro Magazine, Valderrama also had the opportunity to use their studio, where she could take some of her written stories and present them on camera.

Once she graduated in December 2014, Valderrama scored her first job at WJBF, an ABC affiliate located Augusta, Georgia. She attributed this opportunity to Kathy Wideman, a former Georgia Southern Graduate working as the director at the time and whose support played a key role in Valderrama’s growth as an anchor and reporter.

Valderrama initially started in a part-time position, similar to internship, with a schedule of three days a week and five hours per shift. She expressed that she was thankful for this slow transition because, at the time, she could only handle one package a week.

Valderrama often stayed after her shift had ended to learn more about her coworkers' roles and seek guidance—she was constantly striving to learn more, and this effort paid off within a couple of months of beginning her job at WJBF.

From left to right: Stefany Valderrama, Victoria De Cardenas, Sam Kerrigan, Jennifer Collins, Matt Lincoln, and Lauren Olesky. This photo is at CBS12 and was taken during February of this year.

“She wanted to leave work every day having learned something new that day,” said Wideman. “That was always her goal.”

By May 2015, Valderrama was hired full-time due to her dedication, passion and strong work ethic.

Valderrama was highly team-oriented and would take the initiative to mentor new interns or reporters. Wideman would even assign interns to spend the day with her in the hope that they might learn something from her.

Valderrama’s hard work paid off as she soon found herself in a bureau position in Aiken, Georgia, a leadership role that required her to be aware of all major events across three different counties. Wideman praised Valderrama’s strong news judgement skills and how responsible she was when she held this position.

By April 2018, Valderrama had transitioned to WSPA, a news station located in North Carolina that covered Greenville, SC, Spartanburg, SC, Asheville, NC, and some parts of Georgia. She started off as a fill-in anchor and reporter and wrote many impactful stories during her time there.

One of the most influential and impactful stories that Valderrama covered while at WSPA is “Bone Marrow for Maci.” This story focused on a mother’s search for a bone marrow donor for her 13-month-old daughter, Maci, who was suffering from a rare form of cancer.

Valderrama’s story hit home for many residents in the area, resulting in 1,332 test swabs and 2-3 perfect matches. Thanks to Valderrama’s story, Maci’s mother was able to get her daughter the medical treatment she needed.

“You know, I didn't do much,” Valderrama said. “I just told a story, and then people took action and gave someone the opportunity to live longer.”

She was ready to pursue a full-time position and with the help of her agent, she was able to get a job offer from a news station located in Dallas, Texas. She used this as leverage to obtain her current position in West Palm Beach, Florida in 2020.

Here, she met Max Schepman, her chief photographer, and Nick Tarrant, her former executive producer. Valderrama has worked closely with both of them for years and, having endured thick-and-thin together, has formed a strong professional bond with these two. 

Schepman, who was present when Valderrama first started working at CBS12, highlighted her deep devotion for story-telling and her constant striving to exceed expectations.

Tarrant, who joined CBS12 after Valderrama, echoed Schepman’s observations, emphasizing how deeply she cares for her community and storytelling and how she consistently gives 100%.

Valderrama went above and beyond for one such story: her coverage of her COVID-19 vaccine journey.. During the early stages of the pandemic, Valderrama noticed the hesitancy surrounding the new vaccine and took it upon herself to document her journey as one of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine test subjects.

“It meant a lot to me to like volunteer myself and document my journey in hopes that at least one person would, you know, feel more comfortable using these vaccines that, in hindsight, saved so many lives,” said Valderrama.

Just when Valderrama felt like her stories weren’t reaching anyone, she received a message from someone in the United Kingdom. This person, who lived in an entirely different country, had decided to take the vaccine after following Valderrama’s journey.

One of many moments that left Valderrama with a deep sense of fulfillment as she left her shift for the day—a feeling that fuels her passion and motivates her to keep telling stories every day.

Since then, Valderrama has been with CBS12 and has truly enjoyed every second of it. She’s made valuable new connections, covered and written incredible stories, and has fallen in love with the area she now calls home.