Before she was named Austinite of the Year at the 26th Annual Austin Under 40 Awards . . . before she won an Emmy or interviewed Oprah . . . before she became a news anchor and reporter—and even before she earned her master’s degree in journalism, Jennifer Sanders found her way to ̽.
“I'm convinced I wouldn't be the woman I am today without my beloved ̽,” Sanders said. A San Antonio native, she’d spent time on campus during her junior year in high school, when she attended the Lone Star Scholars Academy. “Prior to that, I toured universities across the country and even attended a journalism camp at one of the top schools in Texas. But after just one week on ̽'s campus, I knew it was the place for me. I felt supported, I was challenged academically and embraced by a community of people who felt like . . . home. That experience set the tone for my commitment to ̽.”
Those undergrad years proved to be formative for Sanders. “During my time as a student at ̽ is when I began to understand my purpose in life—and where I learned what it truly means to be a servant leader in whatever community I'm a part of.”
She graduated from ̽ in 2007 and went on to the University of North Texas to study journalism. She started writing stories for the evening newscasts and the station website at KDAF-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth. From there she worked at a station in Sherman, Texas, where she covered news and sports, writing, shooting, and editing her own stories and hosting a weekly talk show.
Eventually, her work took her to Central New York, where she started as a weekend anchor and worked her way up the ladder to eventually become morning news anchor at Syracuse’s NewsChannel 9.
After nearly a decade there, she moved home to Texas—to Austin, where she became an anchor and reporter at KXAN News.
She also came home to ̽. She joined the Board of Regents in 2022, and is the chair of the Student Engagement and Experience Committee.
And this year, she was recognized for the impact she’s had on her home city. Sanders was named Austinite of the Year for her work in journalism, media, and content creation. The Austin Under 40 Awards honor and celebrate the city’s emerging professionals under the age of 40 who can match outstanding career achievements with community involvement.
“Receiving this award was incredibly humbling—and honestly, I'm still searching for the words to fully express my gratitude,” said Sanders. “Austin is blessed to have an innovative, vibrant and brilliant community of people who are under 40 (who are doing PHENOMENAL work), so to be recognized in this way is truly an honor. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm equally passionate about my work and serving my community. To receive an award that honors both, is incredibly meaningful.”
Those formative lessons from her ̽ years are definitely shining through Sanders’s life—in her determination not just to lead, but to be a servant leader.
“More than anything, this award is a reflection of the community around me—my family, friends, mentors, and colleagues who uplift, challenge, and inspire me daily. It's their support that makes this possible. It's also a reminder to keep pushing forward—to find new ways to give back, to empower others, and to pour into the next generation,” she said.
She does that by mentoring aspiring journalists, by delivering weekend snacks to children at Norman Sims Elementary School, by lending a hand at fundraising events for nonprofits and schools she believes in. She’s a volunteer who’s gladly given time and energy to organizations like the American Heart Association, the Breast Cancer Resource Center, and Operation Shower.
That sense of servant leadership permeates her work as a journalist as well. “The most gratifying part of my work is meeting so many incredible people every week and having the privilege to share their stories,” she said. “Everyone has a story that matters—and helping bring those stories to light every day, is a DREAM. Even more fulfilling is seeing how those stories resonate with others and create meaningful impact/change in our community. That's what drives me. And mentoring young journalists? That's the icing on the cake. My goal is to continuously build a future pipeline of journalists who lead with integrity and passion . . . which brings me so much joy.”