Isha Sesay

Isha Isatu Sesay (born 6 January 1976) is an English journalist, news presenter, and television personality, widely recognized for her extensive career at CNN and HLN. She is also a noted advocate for girls' education in Africa.Early Life and Education Isha Sesay was born in London, England, in 1976 to Temne parents from Sierra Leone. Raised in the Muslim faith, she moved with her family back to Sierra Leone at the age of seven, where she spent most of her childhood. Her mother is Dr. Kadi Sesay, a former lecturer at Fourah Bay College and a political advisor. Sesay attended the private Fourah Bay College School and St. Joseph's Secondary School in Freetown. At the age of 16 in 1992, she relocated to the UK for further study. After completing her A-levels, she was accepted into Trinity College, Cambridge, where she read English. Initially aspiring to be an actress, she decided to pursue television journalism during her time in university.Career Progression and Notable Works After graduating from Cambridge, Sesay began her television career as a researcher for the BBC talk show *Kilroy*, initially as an unpaid intern. She later joined Sky Sports News, spending over three years as an anchor on *Good Morning Sports Fans*. She also worked for ITN and BBC before joining CNN. Sesay joined CNN in 2005 and became one of the network's most prominent international correspondents and anchors. Her major roles at the network included hosting the weekday news program *International Desk* starting in 2009, anchoring *BackStory*, and presenting the *360 Bulletin* on *Anderson Cooper 360°*. In 2012, she also took on the role of co-anchor for *Evening Express* on HLN.Major Achievements and Current Status Sesay left CNN in 2018 to focus on other personal projects, including a book and a girls' education initiative. Her notable written work is the book *Beneath the Tamarind Tree — A Story of Courage, Family, and the Lost Schoolgirls of Boko Haram*, published in 2019 by Harper. The book details the story of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted in Nigeria. She is heavily involved in W.E. Can Lead, a project dedicated to supporting education for African girls. Her work has focused on high-profile international news coverage and humanitarian advocacy. As of 2023, she became a mother to a daughter.