Journalist Averi Caldwell’s childhood dream was to become a novelist. Interestingly, that led her to a career in journalism.
“In the eighth grade, I read this fantasy novel, and the author instantly became my favorite of all time,” Caldwell said of her favorite childhood author Rainbow Rowell. “And I stalked her, of course– I found out she was a journalist, and then she was an author. And I was like, ‘What is this journalism world?’ So I learned that I like writing and I just kind of wanted to follow in her footsteps.”
Growing up in Griffin, Georgia, Caldwell developed her love for reading and her interest in journalism. When it came time for her to go off to college, she chose to attend UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
“The community of journalists here genuinely want to help each other out and just be a network,” she said.
Caldwell graduated from UGA with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with minors in English and Spanish. She has held positions at UGA’s online newspaper Columns, as well as The Red & Black, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and InfUSion Magazine. As she began to work as a journalist, she realized that she was able to make a difference, especially using her knowledge of Spanish.
“I was the only one in the office at the time that spoke Spanish and I kept bringing up that we have people in the community who speak Spanish,”she said.
Caldwell acts as an advocate for Spanish-speaking citizens as a journalist, but she also empathizes with all people.
“It might be naive, but I don’t think people are bad,” she said. “I think all people are good and circumstances in life push people to be mean or make bad decisions. So, I just think that living with that mindset and working with that mindset and knowing that even if someone’s a little snippy on social media, or if they don’t like a question I’ve asked, they’re just a person maybe having a bad day.”
This mindset has helped Caldwell build a successful journalism career, overcoming her natural introverted character.
“I just like talking to people,” she said “I am a little shy, but in one-on-one conversations I love interviewing people. So, I think maybe that drew me to journalism and makes me a better journalist.”
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