You can watch Melanie Sanders every weeknight at 6, 7, and 11 on NBC 17 news. Melanie arrived in Raleigh in March 2003 from New Orleans, where she worked for NBC affiliate WDSU-TV in New Orleans.

Her television career has had a Southern theme. Her first job was for the CBS affiliate in the Dothan Alabama/Panama City Florida market. Within a year, she was anchoring and reporting. She was able to get her feet wet with that job -- quite literally -- with her extensive coverage of Panama City's 1994 hurricane and flood. Her career then took her through Mobile, Ala.

Since arriving at NBC17, Melanie has made her mark in the community. She has reported live from Camp Lejeune during President Bush's visit. She covered the Carolina Hurricanes successful Stanley Cup Championship Finals in Raleigh, as well as, in Edmonton Canada.

"Television journalism is a wonderful career. It gives you the unique opportunity to meet new people and learn about new things every day. You then have the awesome responsibility to pass that information on to viewers -- to either educate or enlighten. I can't imagine waking up and working in any other profession," she says.

Away from work, Melanie enjoys movies and reading. She admits, however, she and her husband spend most of their time chasing after their two boys.