Inside Edition anchor Deborah Norville was an intern at Atlanta s former CBS affiliate WAGA-TV when she got sent to cover then-President Jimmy Carter on his trip to the Georgia capital in 1979 .

Norville, a college senior who made $75 a week, had a question ready in case she had a chance to talk to Carter.

But she didnt imagine Carter would walk up to her alone among the reporters present and answer only her questions as she held the old microphone of former WAGA-TV reporter and future PBS NewsHour host Judy Woodruff .

Sam Donaldson came running up to me and said, What did the president say, little girl? ... I was just blown away, Norville said in an interview with HuffPost.

And the only thing I was thinking while I was interviewing the president was, Im going to get a job, because whos not going to hire a college kid whos got a live interview with the president of the United States.

Norville, who described the moment as the beginning of her career, looked back on her time in TV news as her show Inside Edition marks its 35th season on the air.

The news program, which featured David Frost and former Fox News host Bill OReilly as anchors in its infant years, has primarily been a TV home for Norville.

Norville is the longest-serving anchor female or otherwise on national TV, and her program is the longest running of its kind.

The anchor said she owes her longevity in the industry in part to gratitude, which she described as the gas in her tank.

It didnt come naturally to me. Ive worked at it, but working at that and becoming a more grateful person has made me a better journalist, has made me a better anchor, and has no doubt been important to the upward trajectory of my career, Norville said.