1on1 with Jon Evans

Sydney Schneider said ‘no’ the first time she got the call. But when she received a second invitation to join the Jamaican women’s national soccer team known as the ‘Reggae Girlz’, Sydney accepted. Years later that decision, along with her talent and hard work, helped Sydney become part of soccer history on the world’s biggest stage: the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Some communities have recovered from the devastation of Hurricane Florence. For others, the recovery may never end. Working Narratives, a non-profit group from Wilmington, received grant funding to ensure stories are told during the healing process, and the flow of vital information reaches the often forgotten areas in rural North Carolina.  

For two years, Suzanne McCormick knew what it’s like to be ‘different’. The Peace Corps assignment taught lessons she never learned in school about humility and service to those in need.  The New Hanover High and Duke University grad has turned that passion into a career of service, leading to her new position as U.S. President for United Way Worldwide.

He walked off the plane in 1993 as a 17-year-old who did not know anyone and did not understand English. Five years after arriving in the United States from Senegal, Boubacar Aw had graduated college with honors and set off on a pro basketball career. Now two decades later, Boubacar is the teacher and the coach, giving back what he received to help today’s students achieve the same success on and off the court.  

No matter what the experts predict will happen during the 2019 hurricane season, Gannon Medwick tells viewers it only takes one storm to make a difference in their lives. WECT’s Chief Meteorologist talks about the lessons learned from the most recent tropical systems to impact the Cape Fear area, Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018, and how those lessons should help residents prepare for whatever Mother Nature sends to the North Carolina coast.

He learned from a famous father. He hung around all-stars and Hall of Famers. He earned a college scholarship and a chance at a professional baseball career. The game then became a job for Josh Bonifay. Now 20 years after playing for his “second father” at UNC Wilmington, Josh is taking on a new challenge with the Philadelphia Phillies, helping a new generation of players chase the same major league dream.

Jason Fosdick grew up loving music on the radio. It’s ironic that years later, a radio commercial would start Jason on his way toward an award-winning career in the industry. It didn’t come easy, but ultimately his idea of putting demo reels in pizza boxes paid off. “Foz” has now spent 15 years waking up Wilmington on Z107.5, and he has no plans of slowing down.

No one in John Ingram’s family had worked in law enforcement before he earned a deputy’s badge. He carries the memories of personal loss, using it to warn young people about the dangers of drinking and driving. Rising through the ranks to become sheriff of Brunswick County, John has seen new developments in the tools and technology used to solve crimes, while leading young men and women who face new challenges and threats to public safety.

Lester Holt has traveled the world covering stories for NBC News. In September 2018, the job brought him to Wilmington as Hurricane Florence lashed out at the North Carolina coast. As the storm raged on, Lester witnessed firefighters feverishly working to rescue a trapped couple and their infant daughter. The veteran reporter recalls what unfolded that day, and the touching images he still carries months later.

Wilmington-born actress Briana Venskus has landed roles on popular television shows including The Walking Dead, Grace and Frankie, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nashville. In her next role as Queen of the 2019 North Carolina Azalea Festival, Briana wants to honor the tradition of the event, while breaking new ground for the LGBT community.