Shern-Min Chow both co-anchors KHOU 11 News at Noon weekdays and reports for KHOU 11 News during the week. She joined the station in 1996.
She began her career in journalism as a stringer for Newsweek and has worked at KTRK-TV and anchored at KPRC-TV in Houston, as well as KENS-TV in San Antonio. Chow's awards include the Houston Press Club Award for Best Series, the Texas Associated Press Award for Best Spot Newscast-Producer and an Emmy for the documentary "Hong Kong Under the Dragon."
Shern-Min speaks often to civic groups, schools, churches and other organizations. Over the years, she has made literally hundreds of community appearances. She is currently on the boards of the Asia Society and Spring Spirit Baseball. She has previously served on the boards of the YWCA, The Houston Ballet, the Chinese Community Center and The Bayou City Medical Center.
A history graduate from Yale University, Shern-Min speaks Mandarin and Shang Hai dialects of Chinese. She has also studied Spanish, French and German. Shern-Min and her husband have two sons.
Getting to know KHOU 11 News Anchor Shern-Min Chow
How long have you lived in Houston?
I have lived here full time since 1988
What is your favorite mobile app?
KHOU 11, of course and Word Warp
Where is your hometown?
Sunnyvale, CA. You know it as Silicon Valley.
Do you have any pets?
Two sons and one lizard
What is something you wouldn't leave the house without?
I end up leaving the house all the time WITHOUT something I need. My keys and cell phone are essential.
What is your favorite part of working in television news?
Learning something new and getting to share it.
If you could trade lives with someone for a day, who would that be?
President Obama: What's it like being leader of the free world?
What is your favorite movie in 2011?
Moneyball.
What are your 3 favorite films?
The Sixth Sense, Hitch, Sabrina (the original please)
What are you reading right now?
Plum Lucky (part of Stephanie Plum series)
What are your favorite books?
Spy action, mystery and comedy. (I refuse to read True Crime stuff. Get enough of that on the job.)
What are your favorite foods?
Chinese, Seafood, CHOCOLATE (caps intentional)
What kind of music do you like?
Classic Rock
Who is your favorite band?
Shakira
What is always in your refrigerator you cannot live without?
Fruit of some kind
Coffee or tea or neither?
I make a special homemade Coffee Frappuccino: fake sugar and flavored creamer and heavy on the milk. It's GOOD!
What is one thing you dream to do?
Host a food travel show. Eat my way across the globe.
What is one thing about you most people might be surprised by?
In the day, I was a pretty good plumber. I fixed running toilets, leaky faucets, etc.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
Someplace with beaches! Costa Rica.
Where was your last vacation?
New York City and Cooperstown (Baseball!)
What is your favorite soft drink?
Coke Zero. Treats are Tapioca Drinks and Aguas Frescas (orchatas y sandias got me through 2 pregnancies)
Do you have any siblings?
A younger brother: Patent Attorney. He's the one with a real job!
What else might we like to know about you?
I am the wimpiest anchor ever. I get choked up over sad stories. My co-anchors know the signs and when to come to the rescue.
What is your favorite pastime?
Vegging out...watching "Glades" "Suits" "The Good Wife"
What is your favorite car model?
Anything I don't have to drive!
Who is your hero?
We meet heroes everyday in this business. Usually, it's the everyday heroes that inspire you the most because that's something you can follow in your life.
Did anyone inspire you in your life?
Most people do. The terminally ill teenage US PFC who looked at me clear eyed and said 'Tomorrow is promised to no man." The fellow reporter whose parents adopted 10 racially diverse children, the producer who lived in a car as a child after his dad left their family, the girlfriend who is pulling her life together after her 4 year old accidentally died. It's true. EVERYBODY has a story. You just need to look for it.
