Lauren Melendez

Lauren Melendez joined the 6 News team in September 2020.

She is no stranger to the Midwest, coming from WEEK-TV in Peoria, Ill., where she was the weekend anchor and investigative reporter.

Lauren is an AP award-winning journalist, earning an award for Best Investigative Report for "Call for Help," a story that uncovered several neglected protocols within the local police department.

Lauren originally grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Syracuse University in upstate New York. As a self-proclaimed "proud nerd," Lauren completed a triple-major during her undergraduate studies and also earned her Master's degree from Syracuse in broadcast and digital journalism.

During her time in Peoria, Lauren moderated political panels, hosted an award-winning live, prime-time special on race relations, emceed fundraisers, and volunteered regularly. As a biracial woman of African American and Latina heritage, she is also very passionate about diversity and representation as it relates to media and journalism.

A cat-lady, foodie and traveler, when Lauren is not working, she's likely hanging out with her two cats (Tommy and Santiago), discovering new Keto-friendly recipes or jet-setting somewhere new!