Name Sara Shookman
Age / How old / Birthday / Date of Birth / DOB October 10, 1986. As of 2025, she is around 39 years old.
Wedding & Marriage / Husband / Dating / Partner / Boyfriend Married. Check the full bio for relationship details.
Wikipedia Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
- Sara Shookman is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning TV journalist from Ohio, formerly working at WKYC Channel 3. She is recognized for her investigative reporting, national and international coverage, and commitment to storytelling.
- Currently, Shookman is the Founder & Firebrand of Storyglow Studio, a creative content firm she established in January 2023. She also works as a fill-in anchor for Spectrum News 1 Ohio.
- Talented and hardworking, Shookman received Emmy Awards in 2013 and 2014 for her journalism and continues to be recognized for her professional excellence.
Personal Life : Parents, Family and Education
- Sara was born on October 10, 1986, to Becky (mother) and Scott Shookman (father). She has a sister named Kimberly Shookman.
- She was Valedictorian of her high school class and president of the school’s science club. She graduated from Manchester High School in Ohio and earned a degree in Journalism from Ohio University, where she interned at WYKC.
- In 2017, Sara married Angelo DiFranco, a project manager for Harley Davidson Dealer Systems. The couple first met as casual acquaintances at Ohio University and reconnected in 2015. Angelo made his interest known during a mutual friend’s wedding speech, describing Sara as “blonde, very pretty, and an anchor on the 11 o’clock news.” Their first official date was at Bourbon Street Barrel Room in Tremont. They were married on September 2, 2017, at the historic U.S. Coast Guard station on Whiskey Island, a waterfront venue without electricity or plumbing, requiring coordination with Cleveland’s Department of Public Works.
- They have two children: Isla Elizabeth Scott DiFranco (born May 23, 2020) and Luca Angelo James DiFranco (born June 8, 2022), who weighed 8 lbs 4 oz and measured 20.75 inches at birth. Sara describes Luca as their “buddy boy” who has developed his own personality in the toddler years. Her social media posts show him as a “little meatball” who has “rounded out our family in the best way possible.”
- In September 2025, Sara posted about returning from a family vacation, noting that “the first day back to work after vacation is always tough” while sharing family photos.
Family Health Troubles :
- In May 2021, Sara’s mother-in-law, Carol DiFranco, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer (carcinosarcoma) and began chemotherapy. Sara described this as “starting a new chapter” for the family.
- Sara’s father, Scott Shookman, was diagnosed with appendiceal cancer in September 2013, the same week she got keys to her foreclosed Lakewood home. He supervised her home renovation project when he felt well enough. Scott passed away in February 2015 at age 58.
- Sara participates annually in VeloSano to raise funds for cancer research, motivated by her father’s death from cancer. This cause remains deeply personal to her.
TV Career : Job & Professional Timeline
- Sara began her post-graduate career at WOUB in Athens, Ohio, before moving to Knoxville, Tennessee, where she worked at WVLT as both a reporter and news anchor. She was recognized as one of Tennessee’s best television reporters by the Tennessee Associated Press.
- She joined WKYC Channel 3 as an anchor and journalist, covering local, national, and international news bulletins. She received praise for her professionalism, expert journalism, and strong communication skills, with director Brennan Donnellan dubbing her the “anchor of the future.”
- One of Sara’s career highlights was covering the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, in 2014. She was the sole local reporter covering the games and reporting to multiple outlets, including USA Today.
- She extensively covered the Ariel Castro case, contributing to WKYC earning an Emmy Award for Best Newscast in 2013, and again in 2014, including her work on the team.
- In 2015–2016, Sara hosted a podcast with Channel 3 producer Danielle Sills, focusing on culture and news around Cleveland.
- Currently, Sara manages her business, StoryGlow Studio, providing content strategy, video creation, and copywriting for clients such as MedWish International, Women in Manufacturing, Cleveland Institute of Art, and Sixth City Marketing. She also presented “Creating Compelling Videos” to the Association of Fundraising Professionals Northeast Ohio chapter in June 2024, earning 1.5 CFRE continuing education points for attendees. StoryGlow Studio won recognition at the 2024 American Advertising Federation Akron ADDY Awards.
- Since founding StoryGlow, Sara continues to work as a fill-in anchor for Spectrum News 1 Ohio, balancing her broadcast career with her business and mentorship activities.
- Sara has received multiple Emmy Awards (2013, 2014) and Murrow Awards for her journalism.
Career, Income, Net worth and Salary :
- As per Salary(dot)com, the average median salary of a Cleveland News Anchor is $62,902 per year. The salary range is between $50,449 and $82,951 annually. ZipRecruiter gives the average salary for this profile as $60,859/year, while the PayScale website mentions $60,000 annually for the same position.
- Drawing from this data, we get a rough estimate of Sara Shookman’s salary. Considering her work experience, her annual income can be estimated to be higher than the average figures mentioned above.
Fun Facts, Height and Trivia :
- More than just a journalist, Sara is also a writer and is more than capable of shooting her own footage if the situation calls for it. She is also not shy to communicate with viewers via her social media platforms and uses them as a platform to engage and get people talking about news in and around the city and the world.
- She serves on the NATAS (National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter Board of Governors for 2024–2025.
- Since September 2020, Sara has been an Advisory Board Member and Senior Mentor/Ambassador at TalentBlvd, helping broadcasting talent improve careers and on-air presence.
- She has emceed the Alzheimer’s Association “A Love Not Forgotten” Gala in 2019 and 2021.
- She stated on her Twitter (now called X) profile that she is very happy when she spends time enjoying some local food or in the downward dog position, a nod to her love of local cuisine, nature, and Yoga.
- The Cleveland Magazine recognized Shookman as one of the most interesting people in Cleveland, Ohio, in their January 2014 edition.
Sara Shookman Illness / Health Update :
- Sara Shookman Illness / Sick : Sara has no major illness or sickness to date and seems to be in good health.
Will you marry me for like a year?
Sorry to hear Sara will not be back on the 6pm news. I really enjoy her reporting and I really have not been able to warm up to Laura Caso!
Vallery Harpers name in the series’s was Rhoda not Ronda