Rilwan Balogun joined the Spectrum News team in the Piedmont Triad in October 2016. Prior to moving to the Triad, Rilwan worked as a multi-media journalist at WILX in Lansing, Michigan.
Rilwan was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, and graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a bachelor's degree in journalism. It was in Knoxville where he started his career as a intern with WBIR before then traveling to New York as a news intern with the "TODAY Show."
When he's not chasing down a story, Rilwan enjoys running, supporting on his Vols and binge-watching TV/movies as a self-proclaimed critic.
Rilwan is thrilled to be working in North Carolina and looks forward to exploring the state.
Here are five other things you might not know about Rilwan:
- You might ask, what kind of name is Rilwan Balogun? Well, it's Yoruba. I am Nigerian. I was born there and moved to the States when I was 2 years old. I don't really remember too much. Also, Rilwan means, "The one we've been waiting for." Yeah, that's a lot to bestow on a kid.
- I have gone sky diving! When you can get me off of Netflix, I love exploring and can sometimes be an adrenaline junkie.
- I am have a personal mission of visiting every state by 2020. I've traveled abroad but there are states in my own backyard I've never been to! So far, I have been to 16 states. So I still have a long ways to go.
- I have horrible eyesight. I am both nearsighted and farsighted. If I'm not wearing my contacts or glasses, the world is a blur.
- I wanted to go on "Fear Factor," that show where contestants did ridiculous things or even ate bugs. But I decided against it when I wouldn't try sushi. I have yet to ever have it.
Email: Rilwan.Balogun@charter.com
Twitter: @TheRilReport