Mara MacDonald

Reporter

Sitting in the WDIV lobby, waiting for my job interview, I was the most nervous I'd been in my entire life. I'd been considering a network job when the call came from Local 4. This was home. I was born here and grew up here and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, coming home to work on the #1 station is exciting and nerve wracking at the same time.

When they inevitably asked why they should hire me, I gave them 2 reasons: my family is here and I'd rather be dipped in a vat of hot oil than embarrass them and what happens here matters to me, it's not just another story.

That was 2004 and after my first week, Devin Scillian looked at me and said "it's like you've always been here". 

I graduated from the Detroit Country Day School--Go Yellowjackets! And went on to get my degree in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs from Miami University in Oxford, OH. I then started working my way up the ladder in TV with stops at WLNS in Lansing, WRIC in Richmond, VA and WITI in Milwaukee, WI. I won a slew of awards along the way.

People ask me about my first name all the time. Mara is a Latvian name. She's a goddess in Latvian mythology. Not a surprising pick since my dad is an immigrant from Latvia. If you ever see us out and about and hear an unfamiliar language, we're speaking Latvian. I'm on facebook, and @maramacdonald on twitter where in between tweets on the news of the day you may just spy a couple in Latvian.

MARA'S FAVORITE 4
Favorite vacation spot in Michigan: Bay Harbor
Favorite book: Can't narrow it down to one but love everything from To Kill A Mockingbird to Game Of Thrones
Favorite movie: Anything 007
Favorite Song: Pearl Jam's cover of The Who classic Reign O'er Me
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