UC Merced hires former Fresno on-air news personality. Here’s what she’ll be doing

ABC30 is losing another on-air personality.

And this reporter is planning to get completely out of television media.

Alyssa Flores Johansen announced on social media Friday night that she is leaving ABC30 after nearly three years at the popular Fresno station.

In turn, Flores Johansen said she will make a career change and get out of TV news to become a public information officer with UC Merced.

“After eight years, my time in TV news has come to an end,” Flores wrote on social media. “This job has been my childhood dream come true and has touched my heart in ways I never imagined.”

Flores Johansen worked primarily as a reporter but also anchored on occasion and some times worked in weather.

She is the second on-air personality to leave ABC30 this week.

Meteorologist Madeline Evans announced her pending departure Monday before working her final shift Friday. Her Navy pilot husband, who’s worked at Lemoore Naval Air Station, received military orders that required them to relocate.

Flores Johansen, a Southern California native, worked in Bakersfield and in Helena, Montana, prior to coming to Fresno.

While she didn’t have a massive social media following like some of her co-workers and others TV personalities, Flores Johansen seemed to take pride in handling her job with a more serious journalistic approach and having viewers focus more on her story.

Flores Johansen especially had a knack for getting those who she interviewed to open up and provide candid comments.

She credited one of her aunts and an uncle for influencing her TV journalism career.

“They showed me,” Flores Johansen said, “how to do this job with integrity and compassion.”

While it wasn’t exactly clear why Flores Johansen decided to leave and get out of TV news altogether, she said it wasn’t easy.

“The decision to move on from local news was heavy and emotional,” Flores Johansen said. “I’ll always be thankful to have been part of the ABC30 newsroom that has such a meaningful impact on Central California.”

Flores Johansen said she plans to continue to tell stories about the Central Valley at her new job at UC Merced.