Dustin Dorsey
I grew up in San Jose and loved playing and watching sports. My family bonded over cheering for the Warriors, A's, Sharks and Cowboys. I played all sports growing including swimming, football and basketball to name a few. While I didn't quite have the skills to be a professional athlete, I knew very early on that I wanted to be in the spotlight. From performing made-up routines for my family in the living room, to emceeing my school's talent show as a kindergartner, I never shied away from the stage.
It has been a blessing to be a reporter with ABC7 News since February 2019. It's incredible to see how much happens in news in such a short amount of time.
I was lucky enough to cover the Super Bowl in 2020 when the San Francisco 49ers took on the Kansas City Chiefs. I told everyone that week that my feet never hit the ground, I was simply floating from the excitement of it all.
Life changed a month later when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, however. Covering the important stories of my community never felt more urgent. I recognized then just how big of an impact we can have as journalists while telling the news that people need to know.
I had never been so challenged to do my job, but it helped me clearly understand how and why we were Building a Better Bay Area every day.
I take that mantra very seriously when doing my work whether it be covering the Presidential visits, the devastating storms of 2023 or the daily news that tops the headlines in the South Bay.
I got my first taste of broadcasting at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose. In my senior year, I took journalism to get out of having to take a third year of science. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did. I anchored the Wednesday morning broadcast and realized this is what I wanted to do the rest of my life. I perfected my craft at San Jose State University and began my professional career after my Fall graduation.
I never wanted to leave the Bay Area, this is home. But in this business, I learned if you want to be on TV, you go be on TV. I took that advice to heart and moved to the opposite side of the country to little Wilmington, NC to become a multi-media journalist for WWAY news. I was quickly thrust into the news world where I covered Hurricane Matthew, a Black Panther Party protest, a Donald Trump presidential rally and many more stories that helped me realize I'm not in college anymore. My passion has always been sports and 6 months in I was able to get promoted to the sports director at the station.
Growing up, I always wanted to emulate my broadcasting idol, Rich Eisen, and become a sports anchor. Now just a short time into my career, I was able to live out that dream.
As the sports director, I had the opportunity to cover March Madness, the NCAA baseball regional and even a PGA Tour Championship. I told the small town stories of the athletes in Southeastern North Carolina and watched many head to do great things.
It was a life-changing experience to be able to live life in a different part of the country. But after two years in the South, I was ready to come home. ABC7 allowed me to do just that.
I now get to be in my own backyard telling the stories of my South Bay Community while working alongside the same talented journalists here that I grew up watching. It has been an amazing journey so far, but I always believe the best is yet to come!
Share the stories of the Bay with me on Twitter, Facebook or by e-mail: Dustin.W.Dorsey@abc.com.
Dustin's Stories
French bulldog still missing in San Jose after suspect arrested for crime spree
A 25-year-old San Jose man has been arrested in connection with a series of alleged crimes spanning several weeks and multiple cities, but a French bulldog reported stolen during the crime spree has not been recovered, police said.
San Jose State graduate student federally charged for racist threat found on campus
A San Jose State University graduate student was arrested and federally charged after authorities say he left a racist and threatening note in a campus restroom, an incident that disrupted classes and spread fear throughout the campus community. Prosecutors allege he left the note in October containing a threat and hateful statements directed at Muslims, Asians and Jews.
Bicyclist's death renews safety concerns on mountainous San Mateo Co. roads: 'Not your racetrack'
The death of a bicyclist in a crash on State Route 35 over the weekend has renewed concerns from residents about speeding and safety on mountain roads in San Mateo County.
World's 1st fusion factory in Livermore aims to be clean energy source for commercial use
Fusion energy moved from theory to reality at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and now Livermore-based Inertia is working to scale the technology for commercial use. The company is developing technology aimed at bringing fusion energy to the power grid and helping meet future energy demands with a cleaner energy source.
South Bay goat company faces closure as new CA law triggers massive wage increase for herders
A Bay Area goat landscaping company says it could be forced out of business if changes are not made to a new state law that would significantly increase compensation costs for goat herders.
San Jose police release new video showing theft of Vietnamese memorial statue at community garden
San Jose police and city leaders are continuing their search for at least two suspects involved in the theft of part of a memorial at the Vietnamese Heritage Community Garden after a bronze statue was stolen and later recovered. Police said they recently recovered infrared surveillance footage showing the theft, which occurred early on the morning of June 21.
749-square-foot San Jose ADU condo sells for $530K; first-of-its-kind for CA
In a first-of-its-kind sale for California, a San Jose ADU condo just sold for $530,000. The 2-bedroom, 749-square-foot home is on an existing residential property, and ABC7 Eyewitness News spoke with the new homeowner, who believes the ADU offers many of the same benefits as a single-family home.
San Jose moves Mexico-England watch parties from San Pedro, quickly sells out
On Sunday, fans will be able to watch matches at either SAP Center or Discovery Meadow in downtown San Jose. The new locations will host watch parties for the Mexico-England matchup, while Discovery Meadow also will host the Brazil-Norway game.
Tracy Medline Warehouse Fire: Here are the public safety, health and employment impacts
A massive fire that destroyed a medical distribution facility in Tracy has left about 1,000 employees out of work and raised concerns about the supply of critical medical goods, as officials and companies work to limit ongoing impacts.
Red Flag Warning in East Bay has all Bay Area residents preparing for fire danger weather
On Wednesday night, PG&E announced Public Safety Power Shutoffs will happen for parts of the Bay Area. Meanwhile, a Red Flag Warning in the East Bay hills is heightening concerns about wildfire danger in Oakland, where dry vegetation, gusty winds and the close proximity of homes to wildland areas increase the risk of fast-moving fires.
