Sarah Rudlang

My friends… I have more personal news. After five years (12 in this crazy business), hundreds of stories and more 1 a.m. alarm clocks than any human should ever have to set — I officially signed off from Spectrum News 1 for the last time. 🎙️

Five years ago, I drove away from the snowy tundra of Fargo, North Dakota and into a North Carolina newsroom with a whole lot of heart and a dream to tell stories that mattered. What I didn't know then was how much this place — and all of you — would end up mattering to me.

So much has changed in five years here… Life as I knew it turned upside down. I broke and rebuilt myself. I started over. I fell in love. I stepped into the most unexpected and beautiful role of my life as a stepmom to the most incredible little humans.

To every single person who has watched, shared, commented and supported me along the way from MN to ND to NC — thank you. You are the reason this work has meant everything to me. Knowing the stories we told together made even a small difference in someone's life is why I got into this business in the first place. And it's something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

When I moved here, I thought I had it all figured out. But somewhere in between the breaking news, the 1 a.m. alarm clocks every weekend, and the In Focus episodes I somehow produced, wrote, edited and hosted by myself — I figured out what really matters.

And what really matters is people. Community. Presence. Time.

This chapter is closing and a beautiful new one is beginning. I'm continuing to pour into the next generation of journalists as a professor at UNC Chapel Hill, I'm stepping into a Director of Media role with my fiancé's incredible company —and FINALLY — getting more than three hours of sleep.

The storytelling never stops. It just looks a little different from here.

To my Spectrum News 1 family — it’s all love. You are some of the best of what this industry has to offer and the best of what people have to offer. I’ll be cheering on the other side of the screen.

North Carolina, this is not goodbye. Not even close. I hope you stay with me for the journey.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. 🤍