Even as a child growing up in Prentiss County, C.J. was fascinated with news.  Film school was one of his options when beginning his college years, but an early job with WTVA in 2004 in the Operations department hooked him on journalism.  While operating cameras and handling audio for newscasts, he still wanted to pursue a job as a reporter.

C.J. returned to Mississippi State University and earned his degree in Communications.  While there, he honed his journalistic skills as a staff writer, online editor, and news editor for the university's student newspaper, the Reflector.

After graduating, he interned at the fast-paced FOX News Channel in New York City, but eventually found his way home to WTVA in 2008 as a reporter.  C.J. says, "I'm proud to be able to work for the station I grew up watching, and to work alongside those people I used to emulate."

Since the start of his journalism career, C.J. has covered such memorable events as Hurricane Katrina and the resignation of MSU president Robert "Doc" Foglesong.

C.J. is a huge Mississippi State fan, of course, but says he tolerates Louisiana State University because "I used to live there."  He also roots for the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees.

Keep up with C.J. on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cjlemaster.