Every weekday from 4:30-7:00 a.m., Ashley Smith (SCA ’13) serves as co-anchor of 13News Now “Daybreak” for WVEC-TV, Tegna’s ABC affiliate in Norfolk, Virginia. She joined the broadcast as a traffic reporter in 2013 — the same year she graduated from Regent. After growing up in Hampton Roads, Smith earned her bachelor’s from Old Dominion University (’10). A year later, she applied to Regent’s School of Communication & the Arts with the goal of pursuing a journalism career.
Co-anchor, 13News Now “Daybreak”
Norfolk, Virginia
“The warmth, encouragement and genuine interest in my journey, before I was even accepted, convinced me that I needed to become a part of the Regent family,” Smith remembers. “The education was invaluable; I gained the skills I needed to be successful in my career in an environment that fostered my beliefs and values.”
A former Miss United States, Smith was nominated for a regional Emmy Award in 2017. Her other responsibilities at WVEC include contributing stories to 13News Now’s Making a Mark franchise, which highlights inspirational moments and people in Hampton Roads. She’s also the host of Coastal Connections, a monthly community events program.
“I truly believe God called me to be a journalist,” Smith explains. “Perhaps one of the most important lessons that I learned from Regent is to tell stories as best as I can through the lens of God.”
In addition to serving as president of Hampton Roads Black Media Professionals, Inc., Smith is the minister of music at New Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Chesapeake. She says it’s important for her and other alumni to live out Regent’s motto of Christian Leadership to Change the World as representatives of the body of Christ.
“We symbolize the work and power of God in our respective fields,” Smith insists. “We have to strive for success in all we do to command attention and ultimately win more souls for Him. And in that way, we can and will change the world.”
Please join the entire Regent University community in praying for Alumni World Changer Ashley Smith.
