Maria Leaf spent about two years in the WGY newsroom in the early 2000s. Coming in from Syracuse, her initial interview with Chuck Custer was on a snowy Saturday; the day space shuttle Columbia disintegrated in the atmosphere upon re-entry. Despite the confusion of the day, she got the job, which eventually sent her on to many major markets, including Washington D.C. where she still works as a News Anchor. Maria says she wishes she didn't have stars in her eyes and could have stayed at WGY longer.