Polach began a career as a teacher at her alma mater Maria High after graduation from St. Procopius.

But the lure of journalism that Polach credits to her father's avid newspaper reading and appetite for politics caused her to change careers.

As a journalism grad student she took an internship at WCVB-TV and was eventually hired by the station.

She took on assignments as a news producer, executive producer, director of special projects, planning editor during her 29 years with the American Broadcasting Company affiliate station in Boston.

Polach produced WCVB-TV's annual live coverage of the Boston Marathon for more than two decades[2] and in her various capacities won several awards including Emmy Awards for coverage of 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.