Shannon Powell

What's your name?
Shannon Powell

What's your position?
Reporter, covering the court system and crimes that happen in Austin.

When did you start at KXAN?
April 7, 2008

What was your most memorable story?
My first on-air story was about a woman with good intentions, but she had 101 cats. She could not afford to repair her car or home because she spent so much on her cats. Unfortunately for the cats, she did not have enough money to care for them properly and all the cats were taken away by animal control . She still sends me a Christmas card because I was nice to her and cried at the sight of her home, because I was a little scared.

How did you get started in TV?

I wanted to be a doctor. But, I discovered it is a profession that was passed on to my brother who will get his PhD in 2009. When I ran out of fields to explore, my college advisor suggested I check out an internship at the local PBS station. I never applied. I transferred, enrolled in radio/television classes and I was hooked.

My aunt was also one of the first African-American television reporters in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Where did you go to college?

I started at a small, private college in Conway, Arkansas called Hendrix College. I transferred to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock after two years at Hendrix.

What's your hometown?
Little Rock, Arkansas is where the majority of my family lives and where I grew up .

What's your favorite thing about Austin?

The people, the weather and the fact that I live closer to my family. I now live a seven hour drive from my hometown, my brother is a doctoral student here at UT and my sister moved to Austin so we could all be together!

What's your guilty pleasure?
Potato chips, chocolate cake, hot dogs and heavily sauced BBQ Ribs.

How would you like to make a difference?
I want to serve as an example. I want other African-American girls and young ladies to know that being the child of a single teen mom, who was a welfare recipient and came from a poor family does not mean you cannot become a success. It only means you have a colorful, exciting and sometimes funny history. That is what will make you strong and prepare you for a wonderfully successful future.

I hope I make a difference everyday to someone, whether it is through a smile, a kind word or a story that changes a life in a positive way.

What's your favorite band or musician?
Prince, especially since I've danced on stage with the "Purple One". No kidding!

What's your favorite movie?
"Love Jones" starring Larenz Tate and Nia Long

What's your favorite TV show?
Heroes

What's your favorite food?
Sushi

You can e-mail Shannon at Shannon.Powell@kxan.com .