Philip Mena was born in the US, Texas-El Paso to his parents, where he started his career as a Journalist. His father was a worker in a supermarket while his mother was a school secretary at that time.
However, when Mena grew up, his parents returned to school to acquire their college degrees, emphasizing the importance of knowledge. Mena’s mother now works as an occupational therapist, while his father is a teacher.
According to NBC News, Mena was preoccupied with athletics as a child, not journalism. He attended the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) for one semester before dropping out due to a lack of motivation.
“Chalk it up to being 19, 20, years old and having no concentration,” he recounted.
A visit to Arizona State University with a buddy prompted him to pursue his study. Mena entered, expecting to pursue a career in sports journalism.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2008.
The 41 years of anchor soon rose through the ranks to become an anchor, reporting from all around the area on the drug war in Mexico, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the trial of CIA-trained Cuban fugitive Luis Posada Carriles.
In addition to his professional life, he is heavily invested in his personal life. In 2021, he married the love of his life. He has one stepdaughter from her and is expecting another daughter.
