Samantha Carnes ‘23 Reflects on Her Newsworthy Queens Experience 

Samantha Carnes ‘23 came to Queens with hopes of becoming a journalist. Little did she know that she would leave campus as a published reporter. The multimedia storytelling major has honed her skills at Queens with a concentration in journalism and minor in psychology. Currently, she is preparing for a robust future in communications thanks to her time as in the Queens Knight School of Communication. 

Originally from Apex, N.C., Carnes chose Queens because of her career aspirations. 

“I chose Queens because I fell in love with their multimedia storytelling program that combined two things I love: news writing and video production,” she explained. 

During her college career, Carnes built her professional resume as a student journalist with the Queens News Service, a student-run service that supplies news content to multiple organizations in the Queen City. She also took part in two student organizations on campus, the Queens Chronicle and the Project Airwaves Club. 

“Queens has helped me achieve so many goals of mine that I never thought were possible for me in college, like my articles being published online several times and being on the front page of a newspaper,” said Carnes. “Through my multimedia storytelling classes and Queens News Service internship, I’ve acquired skills that help me feel more prepared and confident as an emerging journalist.” 

Her favorite thing about Queens has been the intentional mentorship she has received from faculty members within her department. 

“Professor Bob Page in the Knight School has been extremely influential throughout my journey here at Queens,” said Carnes. “He’s helped shape me into the journalist I am today. He’s offered continual guidance through my internship by teaching me key journalism skills, such as the guidelines for news writing, how to decide what stories are worth telling, and how to shoot valuable photography.” 

Queens connected Carnes to prominent news organizations, like the Charlotte Observer, while also creating pathways for her to connect to a diverse population, vibrant culture, and thriving businesses in the city of Charlotte 

Now that she has completed her studies on campus, Carnes plans to remain in Charlotte to continue working and freelance reporting at local newspapers. Currently, she is applying to journalism fellowships for fall 2024 along the east coast.