fˈɑːloʊɪŋ hɜː ɡɹˌædʒuːˈeɪʃən fɹʌmðə ɹˈeɪdɪˌoʊ ænd tˈɛlᵻvˌɪʒən ˈɑːɹts pɹˈoʊɡɹæm æt ɹˈaɪɚsən pˌɑːlɪtˈɛknɪkəl ˈɪnstɪtˌuːt nˈaʊ tɚɹˈɑːntoʊ mˌɛtɹəpˈɑːlɪtən jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti, sˈʌlɪvən fˈɜːst pɚsˈuːd ɐ kɚɹˈɪɹ ɪn dʒˈɜːnəlˌɪzəm wɪð ɐ dʒˈɑːb ɪn nˈuːz ɹˈeɪdɪˌoʊ bᵻfˌoːɹ tˈeɪkɪŋ ɐ dʒˈɑːb æt pɹəvˈɪnʃəl pˈʌblɪk bɹˈɔːdkæstɚ tˌiːvˈiː ɑːntˈæɹɪˌoʊ tˌiːvˌiːˈoʊ.
Following her graduation from the radio and television arts program at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University) in 1990, Sullivan first pursued a career in journalism with a job in news radio before taking a job at provincial public broadcaster TVOntario (TVO).