Cynthia Frage

Cynthia Frage turns stories into action.

 

From childhood stories to political journalism reports, Cynthia Frage has always found her voice through writing.

 

As a kid, she started writing fairy tales. Outside of these fictional stories, she saw struggles in her community in South Florida. Frage’s parents immigrated from Haiti. During her childhood, her mother was the only United States citizen, while her father struggled to become a permanent resident. Like her own mixed-status immigrant family, she saw similar struggles among families and friends from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and all the way from Africa and Caribbean countries, traveling far away from their hometowns.

 

“Living around them and having that community and knowing that I had that same situation growing up at home, it led me into advocacy.” She said.

 

At the same time, Frage struggled with being an introvert who rarely spoke up. Still, she had one skill she could always rely on: writing. 

 

“I always wrote stories and told stories, even if they were made up or were stories about other people in my community.”

 

Frage believes writing made her who she is today.

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In high school, Frage joined a journalism academy, a magnet program for students interested in journalism and media, to sharpen her skills. She no longer had to make up stories; she could use writing as a tool for advocacy.

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“I can actually learn how to do the advocacy work while being a writer,” she said.

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Her writing began to focus on immigration, freedom of speech, and school shootings. During her first year, the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, brought school safety particularly close to home.

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Frage wrote about a student walkout after she felt her school was not adequately addressing students’ concerns about safety following the shooting. The story prompted her school to hold a meeting in the auditorium, where students could gather to discuss their safety and how they felt about what had happened.

The experience showed her how journalism could turn stories into action.

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After high school, Frage attended Florida A&M University, where she produced for FAMU TV20 and wrote for The FAMUAN. Today, she works as a television producer and content creator at WALB News 10, serving communities across Southwest Georgia.

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But building her career in Georgia meant moving about 10 hours away from her family in South Florida. Adjusting to the distance and overcoming homesickness became challenges she had to navigate while pursuing her goals.

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Through Running Start, Frage found a community that helped her grow personally and professionally. After participating in the HBCU Women’s Summit in 2024 and the Next Step program in 2025, she became more comfortable with public speaking, networking, and sharing her experiences.

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One conversation about introverted women particularly resonated with her.

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“I realized that, yes, you can be introverted, but you also can be the leader of your life, and you can also be an inspiration to other people,” she said.

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Running Start also connected Frage with mentors who helped her recognize her potential. Vasundhara Kamath encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone. At the same time, Tracie Potts, a political commentator and former WALB employee, helped her navigate her career and adjustment to life in Georgia.

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Potts understood the challenges of leaving Florida to pursue professional opportunities and became a source of personal and professional support.

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“Journalists always stick together and journalists always love other journalists,” Frage said.

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At WALB, Frage sees the impact of her work even when viewers don’t know her name. As a producer, she helps develop stories that inform communities and bring attention to local issues.

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“Everybody knows the name of the anchors and the faces of the reporters, but nobody knows who's behind the scenes,” she said. “The viewers don't know Cynthia, who's producing the show or who put the show together, but they know their story is being told.”

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That commitment to amplifying others’ voices also inspired Frage to participate in Running Start’s Alum Storytelling Project. After meeting women from diverse backgrounds at the HBCU Women’s Summit, she recognized the need for more stories that highlight women of color.

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She hopes young women who read these stories will see themselves represented and feel encouraged to pursue opportunities they might otherwise overlook.

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For Frage, the lesson has been learning not to let self-doubt stand in the way of her ambitions.

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“If it’s your dream, if it’s your goal, if you want to get there, you just have to do it. There’s no way around it.” Frage said.

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Written by Running Start Fellow Chloe Mo, Edited by Running Start Fellow Cynthia Frage