User:Amandadickson

Amanda Brownlie Dickson(born April 16, 1964) is a radio announcer, author and motivational speaker. She co-hosts Utah's #1 rated morning show, "Utah's Morning News with Grant and Amanda," on KSL Newsradio. She and her partner Grant Nielsen have been together for 16 years. Amanda also hosts the award winning program "A Woman's View," heard Sunday mornings on KSL. Before joining the morning show in 1993, Amanda was a law student who started at KSL radio as a weekend talk show host, interviewing local newsmakers and personalities. In 1995, Amanda left KSL to practice law. She returned to KSL less than three years later.

Life and career Dickson was born in Danville, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Harriet L. Dickson, a homemaker, and David C. Dickson, Jr., a lawyer. Dickson attended public schools in Pennsylvania until her swimming success took her to Pine Crest Preparatory School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From there, Dickson transferred to Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. She graduated from Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg, Pa. She attended Brigham Young University in 1981 before transferring to the University of Utah. She graduated with a B.A. in English in 1985. She went on to law school at the University of Utah, attending for two years before dropping out and pursuing a career in radio. She returned to earn her Juris Doctorate in 1994.

Radio

Dickson started as a disc jockey at KLVV in Salt Lake City in 1987. She co-hosted a morning show with Gaylon Palmer, and also read morning news on the sister station, KTALK. Dickson moved to KSL in 1990, taking the position of weekend talk show host. She began as the morning show co-host in 1993, a position she has held with her co-host, Grant Nielsen, since that time (with the absence of two years when Dickson left the station to practice law.)

Other work

Dickson practiced law with the law firm of Clyde, Snow and Swenson from January 1995 until August 1997, when she returned to KSL. Dickson was also a newspaper columnist on several occasions. She began at The Event newspaper, where she wrote a bi-weekly column from 1988 to 1990. She moved to The Private Eye in 1990 and wrote there until 1992. In 1992, she began writing a sports column for the Salt Lake Tribune, which she did for a year.

Dickson was the WNBA stadium announcer for the Utah Starzz for the six seasons the team was based in Salt Lake City. She also did the PA announcing for the University of Utah Women's Gymnastics Team (the "Red Rocks") for 10 years. She has also taught Mass Communication Law and Intro to Mass Media at the U of U.

Dickson is a motivational speaker, addressing groups of all sizes and backgrounds around the state of Utah. She occasionally travels outside of the state to speak, especially to women's groups. She sits on the board of the National Kidney Foundation of Utah and the National Advisory Board for Hale Centre Theatre.

Dickson wrote her first book, Wake Up to a Happier Life, which was published in 2007. Her second book, Change it Up, was published in October of 2009.

Personal life

Amanda is married to Aaron C. Wilhelm of Decatur, Illinois. She is the step-mother of three children, Laurel, Ashley and Cameron. She is the mother of two boys, Ethan and Aiden. She and her children live in West Jordan, Utah. Two of her children have disabilities. Laurel has Down Syndrome and Aiden has Noonan's Syndrome. Dickson has become an active participant in Utah Special Olympics with her daughter, Laurel.