I’m Brooke Griffin, a four-time Emmy-nominated reporter for KIRO 7. Join me on KIRO 7 Morning News from 4:30-7am and at noon. Tune in as I give you the morning’s biggest updates and stories! 7 Questions With Brooke: Where did you grow up? -North Carolina! I was born in Raleigh and later moved to Hickory, which is north of Charlotte. Much of my family still lives there now. Why did you become a journalist? I think the easiest way to explain this is to say that I love hearing people’s personal stories and I am a bit addicted to chaos. Journalism is different every day! We never know who we will talk to, where we will go, or what we will cover each day. Being able to get people’s stories out there is one of the most powerful things you can do, and I am honored to be the person who gets to do that. What cities have you worked in during your journalism career? -A little bit of everywhere! I have worked in Huntington West Virginia, Charleston South Carolina, Tulsa Oklahoma, Hartford Connecticut, and now Seattle. What’s the most memorable story you’ve ever covered? -While working in Connecticut, I was sent to Lewiston Maine just hours after a mass shooting took place in October 2023. 18 people were killed, others were injured, and a 48-hour manhunt for the suspect followed. I have covered other mass shootings before, but this one was by far the largest. Speaking with the victim’s family and friends in the hours and days after the shooting is something I will never forget. Seeing and hearing them learn the news that their loved one had been killed is one of the most difficult times of my career. I think about those community members often, that entire town was reshaped by the tragedy. What are you most proud of in your career in news? -My willingness to pack up and move to so many different faraway places! I have absolutely loved getting to experience cultures, foods, and landscapes that are new to me, such as here in Seattle and even Oklahoma. I have made so many lifelong friends over the years in each state and I love going back to visit each when I can! What’s something people don’t know about you? -Have you ever played the “license plate game” on road trips? You know, find a car from every state and mark it off the map? Well, as someone who grew up in a family that would always drive instead of fly, I have played this so many times that I can now see a license plate from afar and know exactly what state it is just based on the colors. This is an incredibly useless talent unless on a road trip, but I dominate that game! What do you like to do when you’re not working? Eat! I LOVE trying new places to eat, so please feel free to message me with any recommendations, I want to try all of them. You can also find me hiking, training for a half marathon, reading, figure skating, hanging out with my corgi named Peaches, or doing just about anything outdoors.