When Maddie Carr started college, she had no idea what was in store for the next two years. Hailing from Bonner Springs, Kan. Carr moved to her dorm at Emporia State in 2022. She ended up applying for a job at The Bulletin that fall, working briefly as a staff writer before leaving. In the Fall of 2023, Carr returned, this time as The Bulletin’s Opinion Editor. 

Quickly, a whirlwind of a year unfolded before Carr’s eyes. After two hard-hitting investigative pieces and multiple opinions, Carr was nominated for the Kansas Press Association’s ‘Journalist of The Year’ award. Spoiler alert: she won.

Madelyn, known as ‘Maddie’ or ‘Mat’ by most, has been in the journalism game for a while now, with her roots beginning in seventh grade with her school yearbook. 

“Middle school was more about taking pictures and getting quotes for captions–we didn’t really write stories– but high school was when I really started to write stories and document what went on during the year,” Carr said. She went on to become Editor-in-Chief of her high school yearbook during her senior year.

Transitioning to college journalism was an unplanned but natural evolution for Carr. “I don’t think I ever had an ‘aha’ moment where I was like ‘this is what I want to do.’ It was just a hobby that I fell more and more in love with and wanted to continue in college, but at the newspaper level. It all just kind of fell into place,” Carr. “I really just expected to gain more hands-on, on-the-ground experience and build my skills, definitely not to win Journalist of the Year. I didn’t think I even stood a chance in that contest.”

While Carr didn’t expect it, the writing was certainly on the wall. As the Fall 2023 semester unfolded, Carr and Bulletin Editor-in-Chief Mason Hart received information regarding a new assistant dean on campus. What followed was an investigation uncovering a longtime scandal, leading to the resignation of former visual and performing arts assistant dean, Arthur White.

“I initially wanted to go into victim advocacy, and so that story was really a way I could combine my love for journalism and my want to help survivors use their voice. Journalistically, it was a huge challenge for me and it was my first really big investigative piece,” she said. 

Carr also held the responsibility of doing right by those who had come forward, saying, “There were so many layers and so much information that I had to sift through and make digestible for readers while also making sure I was doing Danna, Puck, and Taryn justice.” 

Finding out about the award has been an emotional experience on its own for Carr. She is the first student journalist to earn Journalist of the Year and is one of the youngest awardees at 20 years old. Moreover, Carr won the title among the stiff competition of the most seasoned journalists in Kansas.

“It feels so surreal. I don’t know if I’ve even fully processed it still,” Carr said. 

In a field like journalism, accomplishments must be cherished. The highs are high, the lows even lower. Burnout is inevitable, and the topics covered are not always easy to digest. Carr recognizes the power her words hold, for that’s what keeps her motivated. 

“It can be a lot sometimes and I have definitely cried. What keeps me going though is knowing that what I’m doing is important and that it matters, and people are looking to me to know what’s going on,” she said.

Looking to the future, Carr is gearing up for a transition into a new role: Editor-in-Chief of The Bulletin. Taking the reins this fall, Carr will be operating the paper on her own, a task which is both exciting and a little scary. 

“I’m so excited, definitely a little nervous, but in a good way,” she said of her upcoming role. “I can’t wait to get the ball rolling.”

As for award season, it’s not over yet. Members of The Bulletin staff will venture to Wichita State University on April 21-22 for the Kansas Collegiate Media conference, where Carr and other staff members are expected to collect more awards. The Kansas Press Association also plans to hold its awards ceremony on June 6-7, where Carr will be presented with her official ‘Journalist of the Year’ award.