As a Korean American girl growing up in Seoul, South Korea, Sonya Crawford attended SIS for 12 years. Her education in Korea was interrupted for just one year when she left for Michigan. Harboring a strong passion for journalism, Crawford joined the high school newspaper, eventually taking the position of Editor in Chief. At the same time, Crawford began an unlikely career as a young professional journalist with a local Korean TV station.

Crawford covered the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul at the age of 17. The only woman of over 20 reporters from KBS and a fluent speaker of English, Korean, and Spanish, the young journalist was able to bring something different to the table from her Korean coworkers. Insight into foreign cultures and the ability to speak several languages enabled Crawford to communicate easily with both the public and athletes from all over the world. Similarly, Crawford’s multinational identity helped her throughout the coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.

With experience as a student and a young professional journalist, Crawford made successful strides in her career. She transitioned from print media and in 1993 became a reporter and assistant producer at Public Radio International. She transitioned again five years later, taking a job as a reporter and substitute anchor at KNBC, and continued the tradition of Olympic coverage at the Salt Lake City Winter Games in 2002. After her stint in Los Angeles, Crawford accepted a job as a Washington-based correspondent at ABC News, solidifying her role as a respected broadcast journalist. Eventually, family and faith led Crawford to Minneapolis to raise her two sons.

In a Skype interview conducted by Tiger Times in February, Crawford spoke truthfully about the transition to full-time mother. She described it as challenging especially because she had risen to a level of respect and authority as a 14-year veteran reporter. However, Crawford, being a bubbly and determined woman, was able to adjust to the change successfully. She now maintains a healthy balance between being a dedicated mother and a journalist at heart by actively sharing her opinions on various issues online.

Recently, Crawford stepped back into the journalism ring by posting a video on her Facebook page, advocating for people to pronounce Pyeongchang, the hosting county of the 2018 Winter Olympics, correctly. Receiving over 10,000 views and 300 likes, her video went viral on the Internet, bringing necessary attention to the issue. The former reporter continues to dedicate her time and vigor to journalism even though she is no longer a broadcast journalist. From aspiring student to professional reporter to responsible mother, Crawford has achieved everything she endeavored.