Journalism major Pierre Louis ’23 makes national TV debut on NBC: "Now I feel like I can dream bigger"

Fredlyn Pierre Louis ‘23 recently experienced a major highlight in his budding journalism career: He made his debut on national television. Pierre Louis presented a two-part story for NBC Early Today on June 14 about the struggles of American families who have adopted children from Haiti to get the children to their new homes in the United States. 

Pierre Louis, a journalism major who works for NBC Early Today in New York as a production assistant, has a strong personal connection to this story.  His parents came to the U.S. from Haiti when he was a child, hoping to provide their children with the opportunity for better lives.  

It’s rare for a production assistant to be on the other side of the camera reporting the news, but Pierre Louis is getting robust opportunities to hone his craft. 

“In my role, I produce entire segments of the show,” Pierre Louis said. “I write scripts, edit videos, and create graphics. In my free time, I create news packages and pitch them to my boss, and if they like them, they air on the show.”  

Since coming to NBC shortly after graduating from North Central, Pierre Louis has been doggedly investigating stories similar to his own, hoping to shed light on the difficulties of evacuating adopted children from Haiti. “As a journalist, my goal is to share stories people don't often pursue and help bring the voices of those we don't often hear from to the forefront,” he said.   

His extra efforts got him noticed, and led directly to the opportunity to present one of his stories on air, as an editor assigned the story to him. “I worked a lot with the NBC News digital team while I was a news associate, and the editor knows me well,” said Pierre Louis. “I believe I was assigned this story because I am a good fit for it and passionate about reporting on diverse stories.”  

The chance to work for NBC is the latest step in a promising, ambitious career path for Pierre Louis. Growing up in Immokalee, Fla., as a journalism enthusiast, watching the news to help him learn English and translate for his parents, he sought out a creative writing program at Brown University when he was in high school.  

With help from the Guadalupe Center Tutor Corps, which counts North Central Board of Trustees Chair Mike Naset as a member, Pierre Louis attended the program at Brown and then moved on to North Central thanks in large part to scholarships. 

While studying at North Central, Pierre Louis interned at both Fox 32 Chicago and NBC 5 Chicago, learning how to write and produce news stories and igniting his passion to make the news his career. During his senior year, he won the prestigious Ethel Payne Fellowship from the National Association of Black Journalists. 

When discussing his future after winning the Payne Fellowship, Pierre Louis used classic terms to define his objectives. “I plan to return to a large market like Chicago eventually,” he said. “Journalism is essential for my future plans, because I picture Fredlyn Pierre Louis as a newsman when I think of myself.” 

Only 18 months later, he has already come a long way in his plans, including finding himself in an even larger market in New York. Pierre Louis has refined his goals—he hopes to work as an embedded correspondent and eventually get his own network TV show. He is not, however, taking anything for granted, as he still has much more he wants to accomplish. 

“I believe the biggest luck comes from opportunity and preparation,” Pierre Louis said. “I feel like I won the lottery. Now, I feel like I can dream bigger.”