MIAMI – Every night, David Muir brings the world's top stories to American homes as the anchor of ABC News' "World News Tonight." And if the story is big enough, he takes the anchor desk on the road.
"When they gave me that job at the anchor desk, I said to my bosses, 'It is really important to me that I be away from this desk as much as possible,'" Muir told Local 10 News reporter Neki Mohan.
Muir attended the Women of Tomorrow annual gala in Miami over the weekend, where he is global ambassador for the mentoring and scholarship organization.
Former news anchor Jennifer Valoopi founded the charity more than 20 years ago. She became Muir's mentor when he was a student in New York.
"I would watch this news woman from New York City, Jennifer Valoopi, and I had a term paper to write in high school and I called her up. Never thought she would take the call, but she did," Muir said.
Muir's fearless curiosity is what drives his career that led him from local news rooms to the forefront of the ABC team. He is the face of "20/20," and on any given week can be at ground zero for the big story at home or abroad.
He said covering the big story is always important but he learned in these last five years at the desk that every story in the show has an impact.
"The most important stories for me are really those people we meet at the end of the newscast in 'America Strong' or 'Made in America.' Because when you go out in to these communities all over America, you almost always realize we have more in common than we allow ourselves to believe," he said.
At just 45 years old, Muir's news career is hardly in its prime. He said he is grateful and honored to be where is and never forgets who helped him get here.
"Anytime I can come help remind people that when you reach out and answer a phone call or answer a letter, or just ask a young person how they are doing or what their dream is one day, then it actually makes a difference. It makes a difference," he said.