About Kayla

Hometown:
Atlanta, GA

University Partner:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Degree:
B.A. in Journalism and International Studies, 2008

Grant Partner:
Bloomberg News

Senior Mentor:
Michael Nol, Editor, Consumer News

"Development—I naively thought before the program started—could be strictly personal and could occur in a vacuum. Steamboat forced me to find myself in the context of something greater—and around greater people—by learning about other disciplines, living with some of the nation's most brilliant students and compelling me to answer questions for myself that I had never even thought to ask. If I could describe the summer in one word, it would be humbling."

Scholar Background

A recipient of the Ameel J. Fisher scholarship of UNC's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Kayla graduated with a joint degree in news-editorial journalism and international studies, with a certificate from the Carolina Business News Initiative. During a semester abroad in Brussels, Belgium, Kayla covered European Union politics for The Associated Press. She continues to write freelance features for the AP and for the Wall Street Journal-lauded website, DivineCaroline.com. During her senior year, Kayla served as a teaching assistant for a foreign policy lecture series and completed a senior honors thesis in journalism.

Internship Highlight

At Bloomberg News, Kayla worked as a reporter on the consumer and retail news team in the throes of earnings season. She wrote breaking news stories from company SEC filings and press releases, producing more than 30 bylined articles and garnering 20 reporting credits, while compiling data and analytics for the Bloomberg terminal.  When Liz Claiborne passed away, Kayla interviewed Calvin Klein and Oscar de la Renta in helping to compile anecdotes from the designer's life. She also interviewed Spike Lee and Whoopi Goldberg, the first two people in line to receive the iPhone outside Apple's SoHo store. 

Where are they now?

Kayla is currently working as a reporter for the Financial Times Group in New York City, writing about mergers and acquisitions in the energy industry.