A Bowling Green State University (BGSU) alumna, Amy Steigerwald is now an anchor for WBNS-TV in Columbus, one of the highest ranking news stations in Ohio, and was recently award BGSU’s Early Career Award. She said she cultivated her skills at BGSU and graduated in 2018. After graduation, Steigerwald found a place at WTOL 11 in Toledo and five years later, she found herself in Columbus.
Steigerwald said she was a girl at BGSU with a dream, one she said she’s had for a long time.
“I’ve wanted to do broadcasting for as long as I can remember. We had to do a couple of speeches for eighth grade, and everyone else was practicing a lot, and I didn’t really practice,” Steigerwald said. “One of the judges at the speech competition was a reporter, and ever since then, I’ve thought that that would be something I want to do. I visited a bunch of news stations throughout middle school and high school, and I always thought it was cool, and I just never changed my mind.”
She was highly involved with BG24, BG Falcon Media’s television news station. She said she chose BGSU because she knew she could immediately get involved.
“I ended up choosing BGSU because I liked the smaller feel it had. I also liked that I could get involved and be on air on the campus news station my first year because I knew that’s what I wanted to do. They had that opportunity with BG24,” Steigerwald said
In her four years at BGSU, she was able to make herself a constant face for BG24, consistently appearing on the air with her short blond hair, bright outfits and even brighter smile.
Steigerwald’s brightness continued off screen as well. Her best friend, Laura Kaucic, said she has a really positive impact and everyone needs someone like her.
“Amy is the life of the party. She always has a positive outlook on life, and she is always my voice of reason,” Kaucic said. “Amy does not care what people think about her, which I love. Overall, her presence made such a positive impact on my life and I always say everyone needs a person like Amy in their life.”
Kaucic said she remembers how they met and that she and her friends immediately wanted to be friends with Steigerwald.
“I just remember her being so fun, pretty and outgoing and I was like, ‘Wow, I want to be her friend,'” Kaucic said. “She lived in Offenhauer at the time, and all my friends in McDonald and I wanted her to move into our dorm because she was so much fun. We made that happen, and she lived across the hall from me.”
Amy’s outward appearance and personality also speaks volumes about her character. Kaucic said she is very confident and knows how to bring the best out of others.
“Amy’s biggest strengths are her confidence; she really doesn’t let things phase her. She always doesn’t care what people think, she is going to do what she wants and [she does] not care if people are judging her or anything like that,” Kaucic said. “Amy is the friend who will always have your back and will be there whenever you need her. She is a true friend no matter how much time has passed…she knows how to bring out the best parts of people.”
A BGSU journalism professor, Dr. James Foust, worked with her a lot during her time at BGSU and said that she was always very mature and driven.
“Amy was always a person who seemed very poised and seemed like she had her life together. I think she had goals, really knew what she wanted to do and was always very mature for a college student,” Foust said.
At the time of Steigerwald’s arrival at BGSU, the BG24 team was running into issues with equipment that made it so they couldn’t necessarily go on the air. Foust said that Steigerwald is to thank for ensuring that the situation changed for the better.
“She really fought to make sure we got our stuff together so that we could actually do broadcast shows. I remember that she had meetings with me, she had meetings with the Director of the school, and she was just always very mature, very driven,” Foust said.
“She really knew what she wanted and she worked really hard.”
The kind of passion and drive Steigerwald had then continued with her throughout her time at BGSU and beyond. Foust said that qualities Steigerwald possesses pushed her to where she is today.
“I think what she’s doing now fits the person she was when she was here. I think she always knew she wanted to be on television,” Foust said. “She was more or less born to do this.”
