Political pundit Flavia Colgan

Flavia Colgan sits down with MLT

Political pundit and Shipley graduate Flavia Colgan made brain waves in late 2007 when she participated in a study by University of Pennsylvania neurophysicist Andrew Newberg. Bound for medical journals, it aims to show the effects of meditation and prayer on the brain. Although Colgan’s childhood was void of traditional religious routine, she began meditating and praying at a young age, and was acutely aware of “something larger than oneself.” Her ongoing exploration of faith enables her to tap into that experience and find a deeper connection to the people she meets every day.

MLT: You jumped into a testosterone-heavy industry at a young age, with the beauty and brains angle nailed. Was it hard to be taken seriously?
FC: No one deserves instant credibility. Having to pay your dues is a good thing. It made me work harder. It’s not about whether people are taking you seriously or not; your work speaks for itself.

MLT: How much of your success do you credit to being in the right place at the right time?
FC: Ben Franklin said, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” There’s always an element of luck and grace in all success. And you don’t always choose your path; sometimes it chooses you. Opportunities abound all the time. It’s important to have a vision and be prepared for that.

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MLT: Your resume boasts a lot of interesting interviews and projects, and some fairly remarkable adventures. What has the biggest piece of you in it?
FC: Without a doubt, Citizen Hunter (citizenhunter.com). It’s a tribute to the people who inspire me most in life—more than politicians, celebs or media notables—the American names you don’t know, who are constantly searching for ways to make a difference. Citizen Hunter gives concrete ways and resources to do just that.

MLT: In “Barack to the Future” (Daily News, Feb. 4), you endorsed Obama. How effective do you see him being when it comes to international affairs?
FC: After 9-11, we had tremendous goodwill around the world, which we’ve managed to squander and then some. Having a leader who did not support or sanction the war on Iraq will give him the moral credibility to win hearts and minds, and build the coalitions we so desperately need.

MLT: What projects are you currently working on?
FC: I’m very excited about joining the CBS Early Show as a correspondent, and I’m working on a documentary, Searching for God in Iraq, about the role military chaplains play in the lives of soldiers, which examines whether we can find God in the most desperate of situations.

MLT: What would you say to someone who has no faith?
FC: Until someone’s heart is open to the possibility that there is more to the universe than what we see, there’s not much you can say.

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