Education

Charlesworth graduated from Princeton High School in Princeton, New Jersey. She then attended Duke University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy. She was later granted a full scholarship by the German government to study economics at the University of Freiburg.

Career

Charlesworth began her career as a reporter for WCTI in New Bern, North Carolina, later moving to WMGM in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She worked as an anchor/reporter at NBC 17 in Raleigh, North Carolina before joining ABC News as a reporter and WABC-TV as an anchor/reporter in 1998. She also hosts the WABC-TV programs "Broadway Backstage" and "Above and Beyond." She first gained national attention for her reporting in New York City on 9/11/01. She covered the mass exodus from the city that afternoon.

While she has reported on everything from the Oscars to Israel's occupied territories, Charlesworth  is best known for her reports on her own battle with skin cancer. At age 30, she learned that she had the disease by accident, while interviewing New York City dermatologist Bruce Katz, M.D. for a story about power liposuction. Dr. Katz noticed a small, unusual depression on Charlesworth's face, and, off-camera, suggested that she remove her makeup so he could examine her skin. Upon closer inspection, he determined that she had signs of basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, and recommended that she have a biopsy. The cancer diagnosis was confirmed a few days later. Dr. Katz suspected that the cause of the cancer was sun damage. Charlesworth admitted that when she was a child and teenager, she spent much time in the sun without proper protection. By the time she started wearing sunscreen in her mid-20s, the damage was already done.

Charlesworth had the cancer successfully removed in a 3-hour operation by Dr. Ira Davis under local anesthesia, with an incision that required 27 stitches to close. A technique called Mohs surgery was used to remove the cancer. The main benefit of this type of surgery is that it allows dermatologists to remove the smallest piece of tissue necessary, resulting in less scarring. She returned to work just three weeks after surgery, and several weeks later, after having laser surgery, the scar from the operation had almost completely disappeared.

The surgery was filmed, and portions of it were later broadcast on Good Morning America and WABC-TV as part of a series of reports Charlesworth did about her cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. She later wrote about her skin cancer experience in the 2002 edition of The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal and the July 2005 issue of Self Magazine. She continues to promote public awareness of skin cancer, and encourages viewers to use sunscreen and visit a dermatologist if they notice any changes in their skin.