Maria Shriver was born Maria Owings Shriver on November 6. 1955, in Chicago. She is the second child of the politician Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver. She is also the niece of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
She is a journalist who received a Peabody Award and co-anchored the NBC Emmy winning coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics. She also won two Emmy Awards as executive producer of "The Alzheimer's Project". This special also earned her an Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Award for developing a television show with a conscience.
Maria Shriver earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in American Studies from Gerogetown University in 1977. She wanted to focus on writing with her book, "Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out into the Real World". She discovered her passion for broadcast journalism while working on her father's vice presidential campaign and sitting with the press corps. She moved on to co-anchor the CBS Morning News with Forest Sawyer. She also began contributing to other news shows such as Dateline NBC.
With her marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger, she became the First Lady of California in 2003, when he was elected governor. Maria Shriver is a strong advocate for Special Olympics and sits on their Interantional Board. Her book title's include: What's Wrong with Timmy?, What's Happening to Grandpa?, And One More Thing Before You Go . . ., and I've Been Thinking. . . Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life, and I've Been Thinking... - The Journal.
030