January 21, 2025
Lauren Sánchez, born on December 19, 1969, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has established herself as a prominent figure in journalism, aviation, and philanthropy. Her diverse career and personal achievements have garnered significant attention.
Early Career and Broadcasting
Sánchez began her career as a desk assistant at KCOP-TV in Los Angeles. She later served as an anchor and reporter at KTVK-TV in Phoenix before joining the syndicated entertainment show Extra as a reporter. Her tenure at Fox Sports Net included roles as an anchor and correspondent for the sports magazine Going Deep, as well as an entertainment reporter for FSN's Best Damn Sports Show Period. In 1999, she returned to KCOP-TV to anchor UPN News 13, where her team won an Emmy Award. She also co-hosted KTTV Fox 11's Good Day LA and anchored the Fox 11 News at Ten. Sánchez was a runner-up in the nationwide hosting competition during season 2 of The View in February 2000. In 2005, she became the original host of FOX's popular dancing competition So You Think You Can Dance. After a brief hiatus to have her second child, she returned to Extra as weekend anchor and special correspondent in 2009. Sánchez continues to occasionally work on Good Day LA, Extra, and other TV shows.
Aviation Endeavors
In 2016, at the age of 40, Sánchez earned her pilot's license and founded Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned aerial film and production company. She focuses on film and television projects that utilize her skills as a licensed pilot. In 2024, she received the Elling Halvorson Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award at the Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards for her expertise as a helicopter pilot and aviation businesswoman. She anticipated flying to space in early 2024 with an all-female crew on board a New Shepard rocket, but as of 2025, that has not occurred.
Literary Achievement
In 2024, Sánchez released her first children's book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, a story about a fly named Flynn who doesn't do well in school but is curious about life and accidentally gets stuck in the cockpit of a rocket that heads into space. The story is inspired by Sánchez's life and her struggles with dyslexia. The book debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list on September 29, 2024.
Philanthropy
Sánchez serves as the vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, focusing on fighting climate change, protecting nature, and supporting low-income and homeless families, as well as early childhood education. In March 2024, she pledged to donate $60 million to create centers that would focus on biomanufacturing and climate change. In October 2024, Sánchez and Jeff Bezos pledged $60 million to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to enable the restoration and improved management of 1,600,000 acres of land across more than a dozen states. She was also honored by American nonprofit environmental organization Conservation International with its Global Visionary Award for her commitment to supporting pressing nature issues. Sánchez is part of the Bezos Courage and Civility Award, which, as of 2024, has granted $400 million to philanthropists. She also works with the Bezos Day One Fund, which helps homeless families with housing and free preschool education. Sánchez makes trips across the US-Mexico border with This is About Humanity, an organization dedicated to providing support for separated and reunified families at the border. She was honored by the organization at their annual fundraising event in 2023.
Personal Life
Sánchez was born to a second-generation Mexican-American family in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was unaware she was living with dyslexia until she was in college, when a professor noticed and offered to help her get diagnosed. Sánchez's experience with dyslexia inspired her to advocate for educational systems that support all types of learning, and she has been a public supporter of the International Dyslexia Association. She has three children: Nikko, born in February 2001, with former NFL player Tony Gonzalez; Evan, born in 2006; and Ella, born in 2008, with former husband Patrick Whitesell. In May 2023, Sánchez and Jeff Bezos became engaged.
Lauren Sánchez's multifaceted career and personal milestones reflect her dedication to journalism, aviation, philanthropy, and family.
0 Comments