Karen Davila embarked on a journey down memory lane, reflecting upon the experiences that brought her to her role as a news anchor.
During an interview with Karmina Constantino on the
KC After Hours
In the podcast, Karen disclosed that broadcasting was not her initial aspiration; instead, she aimed for a career in fashion design.
“I aspired to become a fashion designer, that much is true. Back then, my idol was Donna Karan in the 1980s, and I could really sketch designs,” she shared.
Karen decided to take a risk and apply for a full scholarship. She explained, “My aspiration was to attend Parsons School of Design in New York. After finishing high school, I applied for a complete scholarship there but got rejected. At that moment, I felt like my world had ended,” she shared.
The rejection led to a significant change in her life trajectory. Karen joined the University of the Philippines Diliman and redirected her efforts towards studying Mass Communications.
“I visited UP Diliman and found myself wondering what subject I should take. Initially, I considered Fine Arts, but my father advised me saying, ‘For pity’s sake, please; if you’re not particularly skilled at it, life will be tough.’ Since I wasn’t good at Math, I opted for Mass Communication instead. Even though in high school, I served as an editor among other roles, once I enrolled in MassComm, it was just one professor who suggested, ‘You should pursue journalism since your speaking skills are impressive.’ The idea of getting into television didn’t cross my mind until then,” she recalled.
Karen mentioned that her choice to change career paths was also affected by her family’s financial struggles back then.
At that point in my life, during my upbringing, my parents struggled with finances; my dad had even lost his job,” she shared. “As the oldest sibling, I didn’t want to add more burden to my parents, so I thought that choosing MassCom as my field of study was an opportunity for me to excel and find enjoyment. However, I wasn’t sure about what direction it might lead me towards.
She attributes her ultimate career path in television to fate. “I strongly believe in following God’s design for one’s life—what we often call destiny. Sometimes what we think is best for us might not be; you can get surprised because something even better could be planned for you, so you must let go and see where things lead,” she explained.
She also credited her success to her determination. “After being turned down for an overseas scholarship, I felt like my world had ended. For such a long time, all I did was cry endlessly, yet nothing changed. But then, I realized I possess this inner strength. When your nature is geared towards surviving, what matters most is moving forward and doing whatever needs to be done.”
Karen likewise divulged the valuable insights from her folks that molded her approach to work and overall perspective over time.
“She remembered her father telling her when she was going to college, ‘Karen, know this: The only obstacle between you and success is yourself. You can’t hold anyone else responsible. If you fail, you shouldn’t look elsewhere; instead, you should focus solely on your own part in it,’” she recounted.
Karen continued, “Secondly, my mom once said to me: ‘Karen, I have nothing valuable like jewelry, money, or land to leave for you, but if you complete your education, you can become whatever you aspire to be; however, success won’t come easy. It’s as though I understood early on that I didn’t deserve anything automatically.’ That sense of self-reliance has been with me since the start of my career at GMA 7, and later on, I transitioned into another field,” she shared.
Karen has been active in television for thirty years now.