Jovita died late Thursday night, seven months after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Jovita had been with Channel 2 Action News since 1998. She is survived by her mother, her two wonderful children and stepdaughter, who she called the most important accomplishments of her life.
Back in April doctors discovered two masses on Jovita’s brain. After surgery, they diagnosed her with glioblastoma, the most common type of brain cancer. Glioblastoma is not hereditary and has nothing to do with a patient’s diet or lifestyle, unlike smoking, which can cause lung cancer.
At this time, there is no cure for glioblastoma, only treatments to slow it down.
Jovita had a long and impressive career in the news business. Before coming to WSB-TV, she spent time on the air at WMC-TV in Memphis and KFSM in Fayetteville and Fort Smith, Arkansas. She came to WSB-TV in 1998 and moved to the main anchor desk in 2012.
Jovita loved news from an early age. She received her Master’s of Science Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City. She also had a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont. She started her career in news with an internship at the New York Times, but was always intrigued by broadcasting.
Jovita was a native New Yorker who proudly called Atlanta home. She donated countless hours to civic associations and non-profit organizations across metro Atlanta. She mentored students and sat on several boards of directors.
In 2017, The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Southeast Chapter honored Jovita with one of its most prestigious career awards, the induction into the Silver Circle. Jovita was a member of the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists. She was a member of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2007, and a member of Outstanding Atlanta’s Class of 2004. She was featured on the 2007 list of 40 Under 40 by Georgia Trend Magazine, and was selected as one of Jezebel magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful.
Jovita received several Emmy Awards during her years at WSB-TV.
Her awards and accolades are endless, but for those of us here at Channel 2, her heart and her spirit are what our newsroom was built around. Please join us in saying a prayer for her beautiful children and her mother.
If you would like to honor Jovita’s memory, you can do so with a donation to Our House Atlanta or The National Brain Tumor Society, two organizations that are very important to her.
