UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On a Sunday morning in June, Rachid and Kylie Haoues were enjoying some rare downtime together in their apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey. While lounging on the couch, they started to receive emails about a shooting in Orlando, and the death toll was skyrocketing. After some calls and planning, the two hopped into separate Ubers and went to work.
Jobs at competing national news outlets in New York City have given the young married couple their share of long, unpredictable hours. Rachid, a 2009 Penn State journalism graduate, is a producer for CBSN, a 24/7 digital network run by CBS News. Kylie, who earned her degree in journalism from Penn State in 2010, is a production manager for NBC’s “Today” show.
Things in common? They share a love for a fast-paced lifestyle and a passion for journalism.
Kylie and Rachid have been involved in some of the biggest news stories over the past year. Kylie was on-site for the Republican and Democratic conventions in July. In the spring, Rachid traveled to Belgium to cover the terror attack in Brussels for CBSN, which included a 10-minute documentary he produced on the events.
“We both know what it takes to succeed in this profession,” Kylie said. “It would be difficult if the other person didn’t get or understand what the other does.”
Appropriately, they officially met while covering a news story on an unseasonably warm winter’s day at Tussey Mountain, a ski resort 8 miles outside of State College. The warm weather had delayed the resort’s opening and Kylie and Rachid, both students, were on the scene for their “Centre County Report” broadcasting course.
“I remember thinking, ‘Hey, that girl is really pretty,’” Rachid said. They chatted for a bit and became friends.
Rachid graduated a semester ahead of Kylie. After graduation, he stuck around State College producing content for the Big Ten Network. It wasn’t until WINK-TV, a local news station in Fort Myers, Florida, called that he decided to make a big move. But he wasn’t leaving without asking Kylie out.
“We basically started in a long-distance relationship,” Rachid said. “I had a two-year contract (in Florida). I was going to do that, Kylie would graduate, and then hopefully we could pick a place together.”
Kylie graduated a year later and, after a stint as a spokesperson for Oscar Mayer, landed a job in New York City with NBCUniversal. Rachid was still in Florida.
“That first job was so much fun and a very special place. I had great mentors and I got to do a little bit of everything,” Rachid said, adding with a laugh, “But Kylie was in New York. I had to get there.”
Rachid completed his contract in Fort Myers and returned north to begin — quite literally, he said — going door to door to find a job. After some diligent work, he was hired in April 2012 by WPIX, a local TV news station in New York.
The following autumn, Kylie and Rachid were as settled as probably ever before. They both had jobs. They were both enjoying city life. They were ready to take another big step.
“Everything was great. I had a job in New York. We were living in the Upper East Side of the city. I proposed … and we got engaged,” Rachid said.
Before Happy Valley
Years before that momentous day at the foot of Tussey Mountain, Kylie and Rachid both had an intense interest in broadcast journalism.
While attending high school in Wexford, Pennsylvania, Kylie volunteered to do the morning announcements every day. “Basketball is canceled today,” she said in her on-air voice.
“We eventually upgraded to doing the announcements on TV. We got to tell some stories and talk to people. That’s when a teacher suggested I should look into journalism.”
When Rachid was 8 years old, his family moved to the United States from Algeria. He bounced around different hometowns before attending high school in Southbury, Connecticut. There, he participated in the school’s broadcasting club, which performed play-by-play for basketball and baseball games.
“I was also a bit of a history buff,” he said. “It was my history teacher who said I may want to look into journalism.”
When graduation approached, each found the College of Communications at Penn State. When the two arrived on campus — like when they got the emails about the Orlando shooting — they got right to work.
Penn State and beyond
“At Penn State, you have so many resources, classes, clubs, really nice equipment,” Rachid said. “It’s all right there when you arrive on campus, which isn’t the case for every school.”
Mentor, friend and former professor Thor Wasbotten had Kylie and Rachid in two courses, including “Centre County Report.” He said the couple’s competitive, driven nature was there from day one.
“They always wanted to tell the better story,” he said. “In CCR, they were truly great leaders and were always pushing each other to do better. Who was going to dominate? Who was going to win the next award?”
Wasbotten, who was assistant dean of student media at Penn State from 2004 to 2012, could not say enough about Kylie and Rachid, with whom he maintains regular contact. He said he was not surprised the young couple achieved professional success so quickly.
Rachid and Kylie said if it wasn’t for professors like Wasbotten and the resources at Penn State, they would unlikely be as prepared for the “real world” and would still be playing catch up in their careers.
Kylie, who was also a cheerleader at Penn State, attributes her early success to the experience she received in courses like “Centre County Report” and several internships. She said she was committed to picking up as many skills as possible from the first day she arrived on campus.
“It’s a testament to Bob Martin (assistant dean of internships and career placement), who really hammered home that experience can matter a lot,” she said. “I learned to get internships, no matter how small. Just intern and find opportunities as frequently as possible.”
Now working as professionals, Kylie added that the Penn State network was key to the couple’s postgraduate accomplishments. “I have found that Penn State alumni really want to help you,” she said. “It can be awkward sending that first note, but you can’t get help unless you ask.”
The next big step
Working at competing news stations can be a challenge, but Kylie and Rachid keep it professional. In the mornings, they record “Today” and watch it later in the day. In the evenings, it’s all CBS News. Sometimes that competitive spirit emerges when sitting at the dinner table watching each other’s programs.
“We will say to each other, ‘Well, that camera shot was bad,’” Kylie said of the evening critiques. “You’re leading with that story? That doesn’t make sense.”
Wasbotten is confident the Haoueses will be major players in the future of journalism. No matter what the next step is for the couple, their competitiveness and diligence will enhance the industry as it evolves into the future.
“You have here one of the strongest relationships of any couple I know,” Wasbotten said. “There really is no telling how they will improve and transform the industry over their careers.”
Kylie and Rachid said they have goals and ideas for next steps, but they are enjoying their time in one of the biggest media markets in the world and are always focused on getting better.
“It’s all about positioning yourself,” Rachid said. “It can be hard, but as long as you can still see your goals and use the skills you have, you have a chance to succeed.”