Mariana van Zeller
| Mariana van Zeller | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Mariana van Zeller May 7, 1976 Cascais, Portugal |
| Education | Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism (MA) and Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa (BA) |
| Occupation | Correspondent journalist |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Notable credit(s) |
National Geographic Fusion Vanguard |
| Spouse(s) | Darren Foster |
| Website | Personal web site |
Mariana van Zeller (born May 7, 1976 in Cascais, Portugal) is a Peabody Award winning Portuguese journalist and correspondent for National Geographic Channel. She is also chief correspondent for Fusion. She is a former correspondent for the Vanguard documentary series on the former Current TV.
Van Zeller studied International Relations at the Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa. When she graduated she spent two years working at SIC, which was at that time the first and largest Portuguese private television network. First, she began working in the travel and international departments of the main networks channel, and later she joined SIC Notícias, which is the networks news channel.
She applied for a Masters degree to Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism three times: her first application was rejected, and her second was wait-listed. After her third application in 2001, van Zeller flew to New York City and knocked on the dean's door, explaining her dream of becoming a journalist in the United States. The dean was impressed and allowed her to enroll.
One month after van Zeller moved to New York City, the September 11 attacks took place. She was contacted that morning by a producer from SIC Notícias, where she had previously interned. She was directed to meet a news crew atop the CBS Building in Midtown Manhattan, where she would go live in three hours. Before going on air, she was told: "Prepare yourself. The whole of Portugal is watching you."
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