Jenna Rae Gaertner was born in Pittsburgh, raised in New York, and went to college in California. That makes her a hardcore Steelers fan, New Yorker, and beach girl all in one.

Jenna joined Spectrum News 1 as a coastal-region reporter in November 2020, and she’s enjoyed getting to know her community and the Spectrum team. In January, Jenna shifted her reporting to telling stories out of the Raleigh area.

She graduated from Pepperdine University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She interned with Spectrum News in Albany, N.Y. and with NBC in New York City. Jenna is passionate about connecting with people and considers it a privilege to tell their personal stories.

Jenna is not afraid of adventure and loves becoming completely immersed and jumping into every assignment. Journalism is more than a job for Jenna, it’s an opportunity to experience a slice of someone else’s life every day.

When she’s not out covering a story, Jenna enjoys waterfall hikes, spontaneous camping trips, beach days and hanging out with friends any chance she gets.