Rhoden grew up outside St. Louis and attended Bellarmine University for her undergraduate and graduate degrees in communication, digital media and Spanish. She previously interned for LEO and CNN Digital and was the president of the Black Student Union at Bellarmine.
Rhoden joins a team of beat reporters and will collaborate with colleagues in the Kentucky Public Radio Network and Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.
"Giselle's passion for storytelling and good news judgment was evident in our first meeting together,” said LPM news editor John Boyle. “I'm happy we were lucky enough to get her on our team shortly after. Her two predecessors in the role, Breya Jones and Sylvia Goodman, were incredible additions to the newsroom, and I have full confidence Giselle will find similar success."
Get to know Rhoden in her new role. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q: What excites you about breaking news?
A: Breaking news is fast and it never stops, and that’s simply what draws me to it. I have always loved working in a fast-paced environment because it keeps you on your toes. This part of the industry is how news outlets make their mark on their community. Savannah Guthrie from NBC said, "These are really important moments in our history, and people remember who shared that news with them."
I wholeheartedly believe that’s true. When something happens in your city, you look to the news to tell you what happened and what is happening, and the fact that I can be a part of someone’s day when they are reading the breaking headlines, it’s one of the most heartwarming experiences.
Q: You’ve lived in Louisville for a few years now. How do you describe it to people back home in St. Louis?
A: Before I describe what Louisville is, I feel like I spend more time describing to people what it’s not. Louisville is not what people think is the stereotypical city in Kentucky, full of farmland and rural living. To my friends back home in the St. Louis area, I typically tell them Louisville is not what you would expect. It’s full of people of different backgrounds and cultures. This conglomerate of folks make for an intricate scene, especially when it comes to food (which I would argue is way better here than back in St. Louis). The food scene, to me, is the best way to describe the city because you can have Somali, Greek, Ethiopian, Cuban, and Thai food all in the same weekend without driving hundreds of miles to find it. It’s what makes Louisville so unique.
Q: What are you reading that’s not for work?
A: After I graduated from Bellarmine, one of my goals was to catch up on some reading since I had spent four years reading textbooks for leisure. Now I’m really into mystery and thriller novels. I am currently reading “Looker” by Laura Sims, which is about a recent bitter divorcee that spends her time snooping on her neighbor, a famous actress with the perfect life she wishes she had. It kind of reminds me of the Netflix series “You,” which I also enjoyed watching, so this book is right up my alley.
Q: Tell us something that only a Bellarmine grad would know.
A: When the Bellarmine boys basketball team won the championship last year with it being their first time playing D1, you just had to be there for the game. I have never seen the Bellarmine community so together than in that moment, and hearing the stands erupt with cheers was a moment you can’t make up. It was such a great moment to be a part of.
Q: Do you have hidden talents?
A: I wouldn’t say it’s a hidden talent, but I am a musician. I’ve played piano for 15 years and I also play guitar, ukulele and cajon (box drum). I also sing a little bit, but I’m too nervous to do it in front of people I don’t know unless I’m singing in a big group of people (I’m also a former choir kid). I typically play now for leisure and for my friends and family, but I used to play for my church back home when I was in high school. Music is a huge part of my life that helps me feel centered and release some serotonin.
This story has been updated.