Motivational author and speaker Zig Ziglar famously said, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” If that’s true, spring 2025 graduate Kaitlyn Walsh is destined to reach the stars. Her perspective on her Florida A&M University School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (FAMU SJGC) experience is the personification of “an attitude of gratitude.”
Walsh completed her degree in May as a co-op student, earning a bachelor’s in media and communication studies from Florida State University with a journalism minor from FAMU SJGC.
While many recent grads spend their first weeks as alumni anxiously contemplating the future, Walsh spent hers reflecting on her blessings. With thank-you cards in hand, her final hours in Tallahassee were spent visiting FAMU SJGC professors and staff to express her appreciation. She credits them with “pouring into her” the wisdom, kindness and professionalism she needed to navigate rigorous coursework at both universities while actively participating in internships, student media and campus organizations.
“I took every piece of feedback I received from them and implemented it into my work,” she said, recalling moments when professors mentored and encouraged her through nerves, mistakes or uncertainty. “Everyone I met at FAMU took time to help me improve my craft or offered advice and constructive criticism to help me succeed and grow.”
Walsh approached her goal of becoming a multimedia journalist with determination, seizing every opportunity to learn all aspects of the field.
“I’m happy to be a Rattler. I’m happy to be a Nole. I love both universities, and FAMU has felt like home to me,” she said. “Being around such talented and successful people at FAMU really helped and motivated me. It was an amazing experience.”
At FAMU SJGC, she was an award-winning anchor and multimedia journalist (MMJ) for FAMU TV-20 and sjgcmedia.com. She was recently honored at the Florida News Awards as part of the FAMU TV-20 “Race to 24” team covering election night, which was named a finalist in the political reporting category. At FSU, she contributed as a staff writer for FSView & Florida Flambeau and Her Campus. She also served as an editorial assistant at Tallahassee Woman Magazine, interned at WJXT in Jacksonville, and worked as an information and writing assistant at The Florida Channel.
Her tenacity helped her juggle multiple roles across both campuses while maintaining her status as an honor student on the dean’s list and staying involved in the local community.
Walsh said she learned to be a go-getter early in life, inspired by her mother, an educator who worked hard and made sacrifices for others’ success.
“I wanted to work in a field where I could directly help people,” Walsh recalled. “I knew early on that journalism would allow me to connect and communicate with everyday people. My mother taught me to work hard for what you want, and no matter what life throws at you, find the best way to get it done.”
She said those values helped her persevere through not only the challenges of dual enrollment but also unexpected hardships. Walsh arrived in Tallahassee in 2022 with an associate of arts degree from Eastern Florida State College. Although others warned her that the co-op route would be demanding, requiring more credit hours and coordination, she embraced the challenge.
“I wouldn’t have changed it for the world,” she said.
But of all the roles she took on, one of the most meaningful was serving as caretaker to her grandmother. During her final undergraduate year, Walsh frequently traveled back to her hometown, Melbourne, Florida, to care for her, sometimes making weekly visits and sacrificing her weekends as her grandmother battled illness and endured frequent hospitalization. She passed away at 94, just weeks before graduation.
“I’m still mourning, and it’s a process. She lived with us for the past 15 or 16 years. She wasn’t just an extended grandma—she was like a second mom,” Walsh explained. “She developed dementia, and that made it even harder. I’m just trying to get through it the best I can. I believe she’s still with me in spirit. And that motivated me to continue.”
Losing a loved one can bring life to a halt, but Walsh said her grandmother’s passing motivated her to journey on, and it also reminded her of the importance of making sacrifices for those you love. For the next few months, Walsh, whose talent and skills are in high demand, is pausing her career launch for a special purpose.
“I think it’s good to go home for a little while and be with my family,” she said. “I want to take a moment to breathe and grieve and be there for my family, just like they’ve been there for me. But I’m going to hop right back on those applications. I know she wants to see me excel and keep moving forward. Everything will happen at the right time, but family time is the priority for now. I believe that it’s all going to be good; everything will work out in my career the way it’s supposed to.”
She plans to fully pursue her career when the timing is right. She said she’s not chasing the limelight but is passionate about telling stories from the heart of the community as an MMJ. She’s also open to a future as a national correspondent, aiming to work for a news outlet that values truth-telling and service to the public.
“To me, being the best reporter means telling the stories that matter: seeking justice, honoring people who’ve faced tragedy or crime, and making sure community voices are heard,” Walsh said. “As an MMJ, I’ll get to do that every day. I don’t want to lose touch with that purpose. I want to stay focused on informing, advocating, and giving people a platform to share their stories. I really love hard news—politics, crime, and health—because these are the stories that help keep communities informed and safe.”
When Walsh reflects on her undergraduate experience, a single word defines it: “gratitude.”
“I am thankful,” she said. “I feel like if I didn’t have the experience that I had with the faculty, staff, and students at FAMU SJGC, I would not be where I am today. They pushed me forward.”
And that is why she plans to pay forward the support she received by helping to spread the word about the co-op program. She wants more students to experience the best of both universities and benefit from the same support system she did. She even helped to produce a special report on the program’s impact at FSU while a student. Watch it below.
“I wouldn’t have changed anything about my enrollment as a co-op student,” she said. “I’m so proud of everything I’ve been able to accomplish. I feel really good about the person I’ve become through learning at both universities. I feel ready, and I’m excited for this next chapter.”
