Jovana Lara

She was raised in Glendale after her family emigrated from Cuba when she was a small child. Although she was always interested in broadcasting, Jovana graduated from Loyola Marymount University and originally pursued a career in business. Nonetheless, several years later she decided to take a shot and pursue her dream of working in television.

Jovana's first opportunity came in Palm Springs working weekends for the ABC Affiliate KESQ. After one year of reporting, Jovana was promoted to weekend anchor for the six and eleven newscasts.

Eager to continue to hone her reporting skills, Jovana took on a second reporting job at the Orange County news channel. She continued to work both in Palm Springs and Orange County until she was hired to report by KNSD in San Diego.

Jovana's new job gave her the opportunity to travel south of the border into Tijuana, allowing her additional chances to use her fluent Spanish to help capture many of the unique challenges facing Latinos.

Her first year in San Diego, Jovana won an Emmy for a story about a small village near Tijuana washed away in the 1997 mudslides of El Nino. Two other stories were also Emmy-nominated that year and later, she won commendations form the San Diego Press club.

Jovana always hoped she would be able to return to her hometown and she fulfilled that wish when she joined ABC7 Eyewitness News in December 2000 as a reporter. Less than two years later, Jovana was promoted to her current position as co-anchor of Eyewitness News at 11am.

Since her return to Los Angeles, Jovana has won two Emmys for her role as co-host on ABC7's Sunday morning public affairs series Vista L.A.

Aside from covering local news in the field daily, last May, Jovana traveled to Guatemala for an in-depth report on the troubles plaguing illegal immigrants crossing the border into Mexico from Central America.

When she's not working, Jovana enjoys spinning, running, pilates, salsa dancing and spending as much time as possible with her husband, two step-sons, daughter and her new baby boy.