Hena Doba: The Girl from Queens, the Anchor Desk & the Reckoning

She is a national journalist, a network news anchor, a storyteller, a TED speaker — and someone whose latest chapter is rooted in honesty, resilience, and self-reflection. In this episode of Mostly Together, I sit down with Hena Doba, anchor at NewsNation. Hena was born and raised in Queens as the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, growing up in a low-income neighborhood where no one on television looked like her. Her family imagined one path for her — but her heart kept pulling her toward journalism. What began with a camcorder after 9/11 became the start of a career in storytelling — one that would take Hena from local newsrooms to WFSB in Connecticut, CBS News, Cheddar, and now NewsNation. This conversation lives in the space between public success and private truth. It's about what Hena is learning to own now — the girl from Jackson Heights, the survival skills that shaped her, and the TED Talk that helped her see her childhood, her ambition, and herself in a new way. In this conversation, we talk about: Growing up Pakistani American in Queens Finding her voice after 9/11 Her Connecticut chapter and years at WFSB Building a national career in news The difference between resilience and survival mode Her recent TED Talk, Reckoning Learning to own the parts of your story you once kept hidden Explore Mostly Together — new episodes every Wednesday: 🌐https://www.mostlytogetherpod.com/ 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mostlytogetherpod 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostly-together/id1871317737 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Q2TPERHFNgnapvuOQJqSx Connect with Nicole: 📲 Instagram & Facebook: @nicolenalepatv 📲 Podcast IG & FB: @mostlytogetherpod Connect with Hena: 📲 Follow Hena on Instagram: @henadoba