Julia Lewis

Reporter

Professional Experience:
1993 to present: WRAL-TV. I have done everything from tape editor to assignment desk editor to reporter.

News Philosophy:
At the end of the day, news is about people. In the stories I cover, I hope to show viewers how certain things can have an impact on their lives and why they should care.

Education:
Bachelor of Arts in English, minor in Government, Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, Va.

Birthplace:
El Paso, Texas

Hobbies, Interests & Community Involvement:
Gardening, running, golf and tennis. I am addicted to ACC basketball!

Family & Pets:
Dad, a writer; mom, a teacher; sister, a lawyer; and brother, a golfer; a black cat named Dakota who loves to eat cantaloupe!

Favorite Books & Movies:
Books: "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and "The Lords of Discipline." I am a huge fan of Kaye Gibbons and Anne Rivers Siddens; movies: "Last of the Mohicans" and "Dirty Dancing"

Favorite Web Sites:
Women.com. This is a great site with lots of information on careers, fitness, gardening and health.

Likes Best About North Carolina:
The people and the towns. Growing up in the South, I have a genuine appreciation for life in small towns and the charm found in places like Red Springs and Oxford. You just can't beat it!

Most Memorable Assignments:
There are so many, but here are two:

One that will always stick with me came from one of my smallest interview subjects. His name is William Hartsfield. He has a rare disorder (only eight people have been diagnosed with it). Doctors said he would not live past 3 days old; he was 8 years old when I interviewed him. He and his mother, Janet, were so inspirational. Their family has been through so much, yet they still manage to look at the positive side of things.

The other is the time I spent in Kuwait with the 82nd Airborne Division at the beginning of the war on terror. My father was in the 82nd, so I've always had great respect for the military. That appreciation deepened, however, during my five weeks in the desert with the men and women who serve our country. To see and experience first hand what they go through on a daily basis is something I will never be able to fully express in words. I salute them all.

Both of these experiences taught me a lot about life and why I love this job so much!