Born in Siauliai, Lithuania, Ruta Ulcinaite moved to the United States with her family at the age of six. Fun fact: The ruta flower is Lithuania’s national flower!
Ruta has spent most of her life in the metro-Detroit area and graduated from Clawson High School. She then went on to graduate from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a double major in Political Science.
She credits her passion for storytelling and news to the amazing mentors and professors at MSU, where she also interned at the school newspaper The State News, WDIV in Detroit and HOMTV in Okemos. At the university she received multiple awards including an award from the Society of Professional Journalists for her in-depth reporting.
One month after graduation, she dove right into her first on-air job in Omaha, Nebraska as a reporter and fill-in anchor. While there she led the Rebound franchise and was the lead COVID-19 reporter. Her worked gained her a nomination from her managers for the Scripps Give Light Awards for being a leader in the newsroom.
She is excited to be back in Michigan where she is closer to her family and friends. Ruta speaks fluent Lithuanian and has participated in Lithuanian dance groups and other cultural events. In her free time she loves to explore new restaurants, dance to good music and travel.
Being one of the newer staff members at FOX17, she encourages the community to reach out to her with things happening in their neighborhoods, concerns and story ideas at Ruta.Ulcinaite@fox17online.com
You can also find her on social media @RutaUlcinaite
