Alyssa Rae Taglia is a proud Connecticut native who can be seen every weekday morning on WTNH News 8’s Good Morning Connecticut as our traffic reporter and co-anchor for Good Morning Connecticut at 10 a.m.
In early 2020, when the world was rattled by the coronavirus pandemic, Alyssa established Wednesday’s Warrior — a weekly segment highlighting the good work of everyday warriors in local communities.
An early graduate of Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pa., and former Miss Connecticut 2016, Alyssa represented her home state in the 2017 Miss America Pageant, live on ABC. Immediately following her year of service, she enrolled in New York Film Academy’s Broadcast Journalism certificate program on a full scholarship.
Alyssa makes it a top priority to give back and volunteer her time to charitable organizations. At age 12, Alyssa founded Smiles for Seniors. It is a volunteer-driven program created to enrich the lives of the elderly, specifically those in long-term care facilities.
Above all, Alyssa puts family first. She loves to spend quality time with her family, fiancé, friends, and Frenchton pups, Remmy and Nico.
Find Alyssa on Facebook and Twitter at @alyssaraetaglia.
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8 Things You Didn’t Know About Alyssa Taglia
What’s your favorite memory/story from working in TV news?
Within my first couple of months of reporting, I interviewed and shared a true love story about a remarkable couple named Andrew and Donna. Their story inspired me, and clearly, many others because CNN saw my piece, loved it, and decided to come to Connecticut to cover their story as well!
What inspired you to work in news?
Throughout my reign as Miss Connecticut 2016, I had the privilege of serving the people of Connecticut. In just one yea,r I was able to meet thousands of people who each had a personal and unique story to share. I didn’t want that to stop. Working for News 8 has allowed me the opportunity to stay involved in our state, meet people and share their stories, all while keeping them connected to local, state, and national news.
What is your favorite restaurant in New Haven?
This is a tough question for me to answer because New Haven has so many great restaurants! If I had to pick just one, I would choose Goodfellas because their meatball salad is just fantastic!
Who is your favorite musician/band and/or best concert you have ever been to?
Music is therapeutic to me, and I love listening to Sam Smith, The Fray, and John Mayer. They’re undoubtedly my favorite bands/ artists, and I will never miss a John Mayer concert when he comes to town!
What’s the best dish you can make?
Cookies are my specialty! Many may not call cookies a dish, but when you can eat an entire dish of them, does that count? Christmas time is so special to me because it’s a tradition for my mom and I to make dozens of different kinds of cookies together!
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to many different places, but one place I have yet to travel to but would love to visit is Greece.
What’s something you don’t know about me?
Since a very young age, I have been infatuated with learning about the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She is my idol and fashion icon!
What are your hobbies / hidden talents?
The arts have always been very important to me. I grew up as a competitive dancer and continued my dance education throughout college. Today, I still love to contribute to society as an artist and performer whenever I can. Oh, I can also recite the full alphabet backward!
