Tanya Mendis

Tanya Mendis, originally from the Boston area, co-anchors the weekend news with Dave Staley. Tanya graduated from the University of Virginia in 2003 with a degree in psychology, but realized it wasn't for her.

On a whim, she applied to graduate schools for journalism. She attended Northwestern University and received a Masters in Journalism with a concentration in Broadcast in 2004.

Tanya began her broadcast career as a Capitol Hill correspondent during the 2004 Presidential Elections. She covered D.C. politics and the senatorial elections for several television and radio stations across the county.

"That was one of the most exciting times in my life!" Tanya says.

From there, it was on to Chattanooga, and NewsChannel 9 where she began her career as the bureau reporter in Dalton. Since then, she has worked almost every shift at the station, but says she has loved every minute of it.

"Everyday we get the chance to make a difference in people's lives. Not many people get that privilege and I feel blessed to be one of them."

In her free time, Tanya loves to travel, shop, and tries to go to the gym. She admits she can be an obnoxious Boston sports fan and is an avid watcher of the Red Sox, the Patriots and the Celtics. Tanya is also the proud parent of Blueberry Muffin the cat.

Twitter users can follow Tanya at www.twitter.com/tanyamendis