Aniya Faulcon is The Spark Host/Producer for WITF. She has a passion for shining a light on unique people, experiences, and perspectives within the community.
Previously she worked as the People and Social Trends Reporter/Video Anchor for LancasterOnline | LNPNews. During her time there, she created video packages, provided Facebook Live coverage at community events, and wrote data-driven stories with census data and feature stories on local leaders, non-profit organizations, events, and people with unique talents and experiences within Lancaster County.
Aniya also worked at WMAR ABC 2 News as a Sales Assistant and at the AFRO American Newspapers as an Executive Assistant and Media correspondent. Aniya interned at WEAA Gospel Grace 88.9 and worked at her alma mater’s radio station, WWPJ at Point Park University, where she gained skills and a passion for radio.
Aniya grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and attended the Baltimore School for the arts for high school with a concentration in acting. She continued to hone her skills and passion for storytelling and later graduated from Point Park University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and Broadcast Reporting. Aniya is eager to continue her journey with storytelling in her role with WITF, as she aims to shed a light on real people and real stories within Pennsylvania in a variety of mediums.
Mandi Smith
Mandi Smith on Mt. Kilimanjaro
Airdate: April 11th, 2023
According to the American Transplant Foundation, over 104,000 people in the United States are currently on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant.
One person can save eight lives and enhance 75 others through organ, eye and tissue donation, according to Donate Life California.
Mandi Smith, Annville resident and kidney donor, is one of those life savers, who took her donation miles further by traveling halfway around the world and up one of the world’s tallest mountains, Mt. Kilimanjaro, to encourage others to consider organ donation and dispel the common misconception that organ donation has lasting limiting effects on a donor’s active lifestyle.
Smith and her transplant surgeon at UPMC, Dr. Vijay Menon, joined us on The Spark Tuesdayto share her story and the importance of organ donation.