Rahel G. Solomon ’10TCB

For Rahel G. Solomon ’10TCB, a General Assignment Reporter at CNBC, the blending of two global industries—business and journalism—is a seamless merger.

Ms. Solomon is a recent addition to the CNBC team, and her reporting appears on television and across CNBC’s digital platforms. A rising star in broadcast journalism with an international background and a global worldview, Ms. Solomon cites her years at St. John’s University—living and learning in “The World’s Borough” of Queens, NY—and her time studying abroad, as critical influences in the informed reporting that she regularly brings to her audience.

Born in Sudan to Ethiopian parents, Ms. Solomon’s family settled in West Philadelphia, PA, when she was three years old. It was the city—and the quiet example and hard work of her immigrant parents—that had a profound impact on her work ethic.

Upon graduation from Archbishop Prendergast High School for Girls in Drexel Hill, PA, Ms. Solomon attended St. John’s primarily for its New York City location and proximity to Wall Street—for what she initially thought was going to be a career in finance. As an undergraduate, Ms. Solomon was a reporter for The Torch, the independent student newspaper, and a member of the African Students Association and Haraya. She also experienced the Discover the World program, studying in Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Salamanca, Spain.

In addition, she participated in Global Loan Opportunities for Budding Entrepreneurs (GLOBE) in the program’s second year, serving as a member of the Finance and Risk Assessment team. Linda M. Sama, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Global Initiatives and Joseph F. Adams Professor of Management, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, recalled: “Rahel’s global mindset and business acumen made her an invaluable member of the team, which focused on potential new markets for GLOBE in the most impoverished corners of the world. Her natural compassion for those in less fortunate circumstances motivated her to work diligently on borrower loan applications, so that the program could lend a helping hand to these budding entrepreneurs—many of them women—in lifting themselves out of poverty through the dignified route of microcredit.”

During her time at St. John’s, Ms. Solomon was a resident student at both the Queens and Manhattan campuses. At the time, the Manhattan campus was located at 101 Murray Street in the Financial District. Her experience in the financial and media capital of the world steered her toward a career that would soon blend both.

After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with honors, Ms. Solomon worked and interned in public relations, and she soon landed her first newsroom job as a production assistant at NBC10 in Philadelphia. That experience launched a new career and motivated her to earn a master’s degree in 2012 from the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.

Before returning to Philadelphia in 2015 to join CBS 3, Ms. Solomon was a reporter and fill-in anchor for KCNC-TV, the CBS-owned station in Denver, CO. While there, she was named the Colorado Association of Black Journalists’ Broadcast Journalist of the Year in 2015. Prior to that, Ms. Solomon was a multimedia journalist for WSAZ-TV in Charleston, WV.

It was in her hometown of Philadelphia that Ms. Solomon’s professional career skyrocketed. She was most recently the coanchor of CBS 3 Philly Eyewitness News This Morning and Eyewitness News at Noon; she also anchored the weekend morning news. Ms. Solomon first joined CBS 3 as a general assignment reporter in September 2015.

As an on-air personality, she was a beloved part of the daily life in her hometown community. While at CBS 3, she witnessed much history in the City of Brotherly Love, including the visit of Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families in 2015, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, and the Philadelphia Eagles winning their first Super Bowl in franchise history by defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII in 2018. An ambassador of her hometown, both on and off the air, Ms. Solomon’s dynamic personality and infectious smile were a regular part of morning news in Philadelphia.

When describing her leap from local news anchor to a national network, she is nonplussed. “I just want to do my best work,” she explained. “I am grateful for every opportunity.”

Another opportunity to come her way will be realized on Friday, November 1, when Ms. Solomon serves as the first alumna Master of Ceremonies at the 22nd Annual President’s Dinner, St. John’s University’s premier fundraising event.