Hussman senior enjoys ‘organized chaos’
Juggling newsroom deadlines and a business crafting plush animals, Payton Wilkins found balance in a busy summer season.
Payton Wilkins ’25 had no trouble keeping busy this summer.
Between two internships, a job at a children’s museum and running her own crafting business, the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media student kept herself immersed in projects.
“It’s been crazy busy,” Wilkins said. “Holding down multiple positions has been a lot, but I’ve honestly really enjoyed the organized chaos.”
Much of her joy came from her work directly connecting to her passion for journalism and mass communication.
Wilkins’ internship with Triangle Media Partners — which publishes Chapel Hill Magazine — gave her the chance to put her skills into practice. She spent her days fact-checking articles and ensuring the writers followed AP style, the standard in most newsrooms. By the end of the summer, she was able to write some of her own stories, like one about local businesses that have pets on their teams.
“As someone who loves to support small businesses and is a huge animal lover, I had such a great time on that one,” Wilkins said.
At her second internship, with Wake County’s chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Wilkins helped lead social media outreach and launched a newsletter while still finding ways to incorporate her love of writing.
“One of the things I loved with NAMI was learning about their services and how people were getting involved in communities,” Wilkins said. “So,I sort of assigned myself features to write about volunteers and highlight how their mental health outreach is helping people around them.”
Before her time at Carolina, though, Wilkins had her eyes set on following in her mom’s footsteps as a teacher. A journalism class in her sophomore year of high school changed her plans.
“It was always in the back of my mind but never something I thought could be my career,” she said.
When she was accepted to Carolina, Wilkins declared journalism as her major because of her love of writing, but she half-expected to switch. Instead, she quickly found herself drawn in by what the journalism school offered.
“What’s so great about Hussman is that there are so many different avenues you can take,” Wilkins said. “I’ve gained a broader understanding of everything from writing, photography and editing.”
On top of her internships, Wilkins spent mornings working the opening shift at the Children’s Museum of Alamance County, a role that reflected her early interest in teaching and working with children.
Wilkins has also turned her love of crochet into a business. (Submitted photo)
When she wasn’t at work, Wilkins devoted time to crocheting plush animals — a hobby that has grown into her own small business, Crochet by Payton.
“I used to crochet so much that my couch would be completely filled with plush animals I had made,” Wilkins said. “That’s when I made the business decision, because I had to start making room for myself.”
As she prepares to graduate in December, Wilkins said she’s eager to bring her summer lessons back to Carolina.
“I’ve learned a lot,” Wilkins said. “I’ve gained such a broad range of skills and discovered so much about Chapel Hill through my internships. It’s exciting to be in my final semester, and I can’t wait to keep exploring and discovering new things about Carolina before I graduate.”
