Sacramento has been my home for nearly a decade. I was born and raised in the Bay Area but love living here because I’m part of my community; I have virtually no commute and I love the small town feel in a larger city.
My broadcast career has taken me all over the country from the Southwest to New England. And I’ve been fortunate to work on morning and evening shows in the Sacramento market. But I consider hard news my first love, so anchoring the 5:30, 6 and 10p.m. newscasts has been a dream job.
One of toughest stories I’ve covered is the 9/11 attacks. I was sent to Ground Zero to report on the relief and recovery efforts. What I saw changed me as a reporter and American. It taught me to have more compassion personally and professionally.
My personal life is defined in large part by my husband and two kids. They are my greatest teachers. We volunteer as a family cleaning parks, at our church and sometimes at Sacramento’s Mustard Seed School.
I have also served on the Community Outreach Committee for My Sister’s House, Sacramento’s only domestic violence shelter for Asian Pacific Islander Women. I was given the Hero of Hope award for my work in 2006. Giving back is a big part of who we are as a family.
I’m also a bucket list person. I love to run and recently put the Nike Women’s Marathon on that list.
Other things to check off: learn to speak Tagalog, take piano lessons again and visit a new place every year.
Something I’m particularly proud of is the children’s book I wrote in 2007 about two whales that wandered up the Sacramento River. Delta and Dawn’s journey was one of the more positive news stories I’ve covered. It was a story about a mother’s love for her child that I wanted to share with other families. www.deltadawnbook.com
I love to chat with viewers. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter(@Stefanie_Cruz), Google+, Foursquare, Instagram, Linkedin and Pinterest. Let’s talk!
