Miami Proud: Born with total blindness, FIU student has vision to inspire others
Florela Francois says her eyes have never worked but it doesn't mean she lacks vision. Now, she hopes her story will inspire others with similar condition.
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Tania Francois returned to CBS News Miami in November 2022 an Executive Producer, Impacting Communities (EPIC), where she helps tell stories that represent South Florida's diverse cultural communities and amplify underrepresented voices.
Her commitment to impactful journalism was recognized in December 2024 when she won an Emmy Award in the Daily News Report category. That same year, Tania traveled to Haiti with Missionary Flights International to cover relief efforts in Cap Haitian and Pignon during a time of severe instability, with all airports and seaports shut down. It's for this story she won the Emmy.
A seasoned multimedia journalist, Tania has extensive experience in television, digital news reporting, and public relations. She believes that every story-whether good or bad-holds a valuable lesson.
Tania's career has taken her to various markets across the Southeast U.S., including Beckley, West Virginia, Shreveport, Louisiana, and Little Rock, Arkansas. She later returned to South Florida to work at WPEC-TV, the CBS affiliate in West Palm Beach, where she served as an assignment editor and hosted social media news briefs. Tania's first tenure at CBS News Miami, from 2016 to 2018, was as an assignment editor, marking the beginning of her deep connection with the station.
A proud Haitian-American, Tania is the first person in her family to be born in the U.S., right in Miami at Jackson Memorial Hospital. She is fluent in Creole and enjoys exploring South Florida's vibrant Caribbean food scene.
Tania is deeply committed to her community and is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). She graduated from Miami Central Senior High in the top 5% of her class and earned a degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Broadcast Journalism from Bethune-Cookman University. While in college, Tania reported for the Daytona Times, covering presidential visits and community issues.
Her journalistic achievements also include an NABJ Salute to Excellence Award in 2007 for her coverage of the Jena 6. In 2017, she was nominated for her role in covering the Fort Lauderdale Airport shooting. In her free time, Tania enjoys volunteering, reading, and spending quality time with her family, including her niece, Esther, and her Maltipoo, Beckley.
Florela Francois says her eyes have never worked but it doesn't mean she lacks vision. Now, she hopes her story will inspire others with similar condition.
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