Award-winning journalist Marissa Wingate joined KTVK in the summer of 2007.

Throughout her career, The Associated Press has honored Wingate with several awards, including an Investigation Award for a story in which she delved into a dangerous gang linked to terrorism, whose members were sneaking into the country through Mexico. In an exclusive interview, Border Patrol agents revealed they had intelligence that gang members had met with al-Qaida terrorists.

Wingate also won an AP award for an exclusive piece in which she exposed a high school cover-up. Students had been getting sick for years, and through her investigation, Wingate uncovered there were dangerously high levels of carbon dioxide in the school.

In an interview, school officials admitted they had known about the problem for years, but had chosen not to tell students or parents. After Wingate's story, the school district spent millions of dollars to fix the problem.

Wingate also won an Associated Press Award with her station for spot news coverage. A manhole exploded in Austin, Texas, shooting flames and debris several feet into the sky, just steps away from where Wingate and her photographer were standing. Thankful to be alive, they caught it all on tape.

Wingate started her career as an associate producer/producer in her hometown of McAllen, Texas.

While there, she put together her own demo tape in which she wrote, shot and edited the stories herself. Even though Wingate was not yet a reporter, she submitted the tape to one of the nation's top consulting firms and was named the nation's "Fresh Face of the Year." Days later Wingate was a reporter. Her first story aired across national news when a home invasion ended in a multiple murder. That piece was among the most popular stories of the day on CNN.com. Wingate has since appeared on national television numerous times.

After reporting and anchoring for a few years in South Texas, Wingate moved to a television station in Austin, Texas, where she was a reporter and fill-in-anchor.

Listeners of the top-rated radio morning program voted Wingate "News Person of the Year."

Throughout her career, Wingate has covered several major stories of the decade.

She was on the streets of New Orleans, reporting during Hurricane Katrina, and she was just outside Galveston during Hurricane Rita.

She also followed an accused terrorist to Houston, Texas, where she was the only reporter in the country able to track down a shot of the terrorist being taken into federal custody. Her story made national headlines.

Being fluent in Spanish, Wingate has also covered several stories in Mexico.

She reported live from the streets of Mexico just minutes after an explosion tore through a downtown shopping mall, leveling buildings.

One of her proudest moments, though, was when she convinced Mexican officials to allow her access into a Mexican prison where a United States missionary had been held captive for several months. He took care of sick impoverished children but was accused of bringing too much Sudafed into the country.

Because of Wingate's continuous coverage, a Mexican judge finally released the missionary, even though he was supposed to be incarcerated for several years.

Wingate also garnered an exclusive on-camera confession when a man, still in handcuffs, admitted to her that he had murdered his mother for drugs, before police rushed him away.

Wingate graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in broadcast journalism, minored in Spanish, and received a certification in sports journalism. She graduated at the top of her class with a 4.0 GPA.

While in college, she interned at various radio and television stations and was an on-air intern for a Univision TV station.

She also spent time living and studying in Spain.

Wingate is proud of an accomplishment, though, that came before college, where the local newspaper named her the "All-Area Athlete of the Year."

Wingate loves Arizona.

If you don't find her exploring the outdoors, enjoying water sports, or snow skiing, you can find her at Phoenix Children's Hospital, where she volunteers her time.

Wingate's motto is "live considerately."