The Mason Spirit

Angie Goff

Capital Beltway traffic may be at a near-constant standstill, but Angie Goff, BA Communication ’01, is in motion at all times. Goff, traffic anchor, entertainment correspondent, lifestyle blogger, and morning show fill-in anchor for WUSA-9, joined the Washington, D.C., CBS affiliate in 2007 after working as a news anchor and reporter in Iowa and South Carolina, respectively.

When not covering the latest fender bender, Goff keeps her engine purring by updating her blog at wusa9.com, Oh My Goff! Her blog readers and viewers (she broadcasts live from it every morning) get insight on everything from local charities and party spots to money savers and stories making big buzz.

So what drives Goff? A lot more than traffic. One of the upbeat anchor’s passions is advocating for various causes. Having grown up in a military family, Goff actively engages in efforts that support U.S. troops. She volunteers for the Yellow Ribbon Fund, often participating in meet and greets at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. This summer, Goff helped out in the second annual Yellow Ribbon Fund Army/Navy Golf Classic, which raised more than $125,000 to support injured service members and their families.

Another issue about which Goff cares deeply is mental health. A member of the Northern Virginia Chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness, she has spent much time researching the issues. Goff, who has experienced mental health matters in her own family, feels strongly about the need for families to talk openly about these issues.

“So much stigma has been attached to mental illness…It’s something where we’ve come so far, but
we still have so far to go,” she says.

Yet another cause Goff has championed has been the fight against breast cancer, a cause that recently
hit close to home. Her fellow sorority sister and Mason graduate, Jennifer Kwiatek, BA Communication ’04, was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly two years ago at age 26. Kwiatek’s diagnosis was sobering for Goff.

“It made the threat of breast cancer real in my life. It made me realize that this can really affect people my age,” says Goff. “The most important thing to know is to get checked—even if you’re a man…Put it on the calendar, write it down, because if you don’t write it down, you’re not going to do it.”

This past Spring, Goff joined forces with fellow “newsbabes” to raise money and awareness for Susan
G. Komen for the Cure. The event brought together 10 newswomen of different stations, ages, and backgrounds for one night to make a difference, and thus, the Newsbabes Bash for Breast Cancer was born. The May social raised more than $4,000 at the door.

“I think when you get quality people who really believe in a cause, people are going to sign on,” says Goff. “We had people donating door prizes left and right. We had Komen volunteers who showed up to help out, survivors who showed up randomly and said, ‘What can I do?’ It was amazing to see it in action.”

Somehow even with her packed schedule, Goff finds the time to come to the Fairfax Campus regularly to serve as an alumna advisor to her fellow Alpha Omicron Pi sorority sisters. She also is active in the Asian American community. When asked about the value of volunteering, Goff says if you have the time, do it.

“I encourage people to find something they believe in, whether it’s running a 10K or supporting a cause. The feeling from giving makes you a richer person.”

—Devon Madison