Wikipedia Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
Shirin Rajee is a broadcast journalist working for KOVR, CBS13, where she anchors the weekend news at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Personal Life : Parents, Family and Education
- Shirin’s parents, Mike Rajaee (father) and Heidi Ravai (mother) were both from Iran. Shirin’s dad came to the U.S. to study at the California State University (CSU). On the other hand, her mother had graduated from the National University of Iran.
- Shirin was raised in Los Angeles together with her brother Sean with whom she is very close. She now resides in Sacramento.
- Sean is currently a resident Orthopedic Surgeon living in Los Angeles. On his wedding day in 2014, he performed a choreographed Beyonce dance.
- Since April 2019, Rajaee is engaged to Fox 40 anchor Joe Khalil. The two had first met when they were working on reporting assignments in 2015. Khalil proposed to Shirin in front of the State Capitol.
- Shirin graduated from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), class of ‘04 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication. Later on, she proceeded to advance her studies through the University of California Journalism extension program.
Career, Job, Salary and Net Worth :
- When she was still in college, Shirin got a chance to intern at NBC in Burbank.
- Her full-time career in news started in 2008, where she worked for CNN’s Bureau in LA as an associate producer & assignment editor.
- While working for CNN and Headline News, Shirin helped to produce shows like Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell, Showbiz Tonight and Larry King Live.
- She was also an anchor for an entertainment show that aired on PBC in Calabasas, California.
- In 2011, she joined News Channel 3, where she worked as an anchor for the Midday News alongside Joe Buttitta. Before joining KOVR, she was working in Santa Barbara for ABC’s affiliate KEYT.
- She has also worked for KKFX’s Central Coast News in Santa Maria, where she was the morning news anchor and reporter.
Awards, Highlights and Achievements :
- Rajaee is an award winner of the “Golden Mike Award” for Best News Reporting.
- In March 2015, Shirin won the Dancing with the Stars competition that was held in Santa Barbara. She scored high on account of her Cha-Cha performance.
- Shirin has covered a wide array of stories, some of the popular ones being the Isla Vista mass shootings that happened in the year 2004, the Presidential elections & the Santa Barbara Oil Spill, amongst others.
Interests and Volunteer Work :
- When she is not working, Shirin loves to spend time with family and friends as well as to travel to explore new places.
- She speaks Farsi smoothly and knows a little Spanish, just enough to make a conversation.
- She is a foodie & enjoys trying out new restaurants. Shirin also loves music, especially live music.
- Passionate about giving back to the community, she has contributed to The Dream Foundation, Teddy Bear Cancer Found, The Iranian American Women’s Leadership Foundation & the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. She has been a master of ceremony to most of the organizations.
- She is also a member of a non-profit organization called Corazon De Vida. The purpose of this organization is to offer support to children in orphanages in Mexico.