We were lucky to catch up with Mikayla Newton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mikayla , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My mom, who always encouraged me to believe I could do whatever I put my mind to, helped me by finding and printing out hundreds of reporting and anchoring job offers. It eventually led me to getting my first on-air job.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Mikayla’s journey as a journalist began back in middle school when she joined the school newspaper and found a love of writing. In high school, unusually clear-sighted, she saw a path for herself, steps she could take to make journalism her career. She interned at a local newspaper, then went on to host her own radio show.

As a student at Georgia State University, Mikayla pursued a degree in the field. She joined various media organizations and interned at CNN and Fox 5 Atlanta. When I graduated in 2019, I got a freelance gig at CNN/HLN. I was a cross-platform production assistant and associate producer. Later that year, I moved to upstate New York and started working as a weekend morning anchor/reporter.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

After I landed a job as a weekend anchor and reporter in Elmira, NY. It was here that I weathered the most challenging moments she’s yet experienced. Moving from my family and all I knew and loved in Georgia was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I had so many adjustments to make, learning how to live in this new reality. In the span of a year, I experienced culture shock, growing pains, separation anxiety… And then Covid hit. Worst of all, it was at this time that my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. However, I knew that I had to continue to believe that everything was going to be okay, because things always turn out okay.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I view the journalism industry as a creative industry. The most rewarding part of being a creative is that you get to try new things. If you feel like something isn’t working for. you, there are so many other avenues you can take to reach the same goal.  

Contact Info:

• Website: https://themikaylanewton.weebly.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikaylanewton/