I'm Paola Tristan Arruda, an Emmy Award-winning multi-lingual journalist. I'm KIRO 7's newest traffic reporter! You can join me on KIRO 7 News in the Morning, 4:30 a.m. through 7 a.m. Where did you grow up? I was born in Brazil, but I grew up in Massachusetts. Why did you become a journalist? I loved to tell stories as a child, and I wrote for a Brazilian American newspaper when I was younger. Then, I had a creative writing teacher in high school that went to Emerson College. That's when I looked into their journalism program and the rest was history! What cities have you worked in during your journalism career? I started my journalism career as a production assistant at a station in Boston after graduating a semester early. My first job reporting was in Charleston, South Carolina, just a few months later. I then worked in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and I just came from Orlando in the Sunshine State! What’s the most memorable story you’ve ever covered? I think any story I covered during the height of the pandemic was memorable because it was something unlike anything I've witnessed before. What are you most proud of in your career in news? I'm proud of being able to accomplish so much in different roles and telling stories in communities I felt weren't being represented. What’s something people don’t know about you? I used to do spoken-word poetry in high school and competed with a team. We ended up winning a state-wide competition. What do you like to do when you’re not working? I love exploring new places and trying good food. I'm excited to be able to do that here in Seattle!