ASU grad carved her own path in journalism
Jade Carter graduated in December as a 4+1 accelerated master’s student in communication. Carter studied at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and also earned a certificate in risk communication from the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.
A Chicago native, Carter was also a student photographer for Changemaker Central @ASU in Tempe for two and a half years.
Carter took pictures of Changemaker events that were on and off campus such as the Fall Service Plunge, Devils in Disguise, Ignite, Changemaker After Dark in the Memorial Union and many others.
“I loved capturing people volunteering and working hard to better the ASU and greater Phoenix communities,” she said.
During her undergraduate career, Carter was involved with the ASU chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, and she worked as a Downtown Devil staff photographer. During graduate school, Carter impressively juggled four ASU student worker jobs along with her classes.
As she graduated, Carter spoke with ASU Student Life about her time at ASU, what advice she would give to current students and what the future looks like for her.
ASU grad Jade Carter. Photo by Evan Millstein.
Question: What was your “aha” moment, when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?
Answer: This was when I was 11 years old pretending to be a reporter in the park. I recorded myself doing a stand-up, reporting on the different animals that could be found in my neighborhood’s park. I also used to love watching “Entertainment Tonight” and watching Mary Hart report about celebrity news.
Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you, that changed your perspective?
A: That being a news producer (what I originally came in for) takes a lot of work daily and that I did not want to go into broadcast anymore but more of the digital side of journalism or communications.
Q: Why did you choose ASU?
A: My mom went to ASU, and she studied at Cronkite before they actually changed the name to Cronkite. I was an ASU Alumni Legacy Scholar.
Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?
A: I think the professor who taught me the most important lesson was Senior Associate Dean Kristin Gilger of the Cronkite School. She taught me how to be a liaison through the student worker position she hired me for.
I learned that I wanted to be a channel from which people get reliable information, and she let me do that by being a resource for Cronkite and Barrett students.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: I know it might seem like you have so much to do and everything is so stressful all of the time. Take a breath and break up your big tasks into small, attainable goals until you complete what you have to do.
Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?
A: My favorite spot on campus was The Blaze Radio studio in Cronkite. I had two specialty radio shows: “Buongiorna Italia,” a show about Italian news and culture, and “Into the Superverse,” a show about all things superhero news-related that I did with my friends.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: I am moving back to Chicago and looking for jobs in communication in the governmental sphere.
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?
A: Probably climate change. It might take more money than that, but we need to ensure that we, our children and grandchildren can still inhabit this Earth.