Shirley Knowles was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She attends Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and will be graduating in May 2007. She will be receiving her undergraduate degree in Journalism with a minor in Political Science. She has been a member of the Marquette Tribune since her freshman year. For the past year and a half, Shirley has focused on sports photography, especially men's basketball. She hopes to one day be a photographer for a national magazine like ESPN the Magazine or Sports Illustrated.