Baylor alumna retiring after 40 years in San Antonio journalism

After 40 years as one of the faces of San Antonio’s KSAT, Jessie Degollado (BA ’72) is stepping out of the spotlight.

Degollado was one of a host of KSAT veterans to retire July 1, ending an era in San Antonio. Whether reporting on issues affecting San Antonio, South Texas or both sides of the Rio Grande, Degollado used her journalistic nose, her knowledge of Hispanic culture and language, and just plain hard work to keep the people of San Antonio informed for four decades.

The veteran journalist got her start as a young girl in Laredo, where she and her family watched KSAT. Her first taste of journalism came as a Baylor Lariat writer in the late 1960s, covering Vietnam demonstrations, the fight for women’s rights, and other campus happenings.

After graduation, she moved on to jobs in radio and TV in South Texas before landing at KSAT in 1984. Since then, she has been a fixture at the ABC station, inspiring a generation of future journalists (especially young Latinas). Earlier this year, she received a lifetime achievement award from San Antonio’s Cesar E. Chavez Legacy and Educational Foundation.

Upon retirement, what will she miss most?

“The people, the people of San Antonio, who I have met at their best and at their worst times,” says the veteran journalist. “I’m going to miss them because I’ve met so many of you. I love you, San Antonio, I truly do.”

Sic ’em, Jessie Degollado!