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Makayla Richardson is a senior at Northern Arizona University majoring in journalism with a minor in public relations and has been a prominent face at NAZ 365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±­ -- a student-led source for local news in northern Arizona.

She has been in broadcast journalism for three and a half years, working in the core of the School of Communications -- the Media Innovation Center (MIC). For two years she has held the news director position at NAZ 365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±­, getting first-hand experience leading a newsroom while on and off the camera.

If someone were to ask Richardson why she is interested in journalism, her witty answer would be her tendency to be nosy. The real answer is more sentimental than that.

Richardson’s mother introduced her to journalism for the first time through their love for watching the 2000s television show “Gilmore Girls.� Lorelai Gilmore’s daughter, Rory, has dreams of becoming a journalist and attends Yale University to pursue her career.

When Richardson was younger, she didn’t really know what journalism was; she just knew Rory did it and writing for a newspaper looked cool.

Growing up on the central coast of California, Richardson has always been ambitious when it came to her future. She said growing up close to different amusement parks showed her the various career paths she could take.

After a visit to SeaWorld, Richardson went home in pursuit of a career in marine biology. Soon after watching the documentary “Blackfish,� she decided that maybe wasn’t the best fit for her.

The disappointment Richardson felt after watching the film led her to write a synopsis about it, her version of an opinion story at the time. In that moment, she had an epiphany about what journalism was. She realized journalism was being able to inform people about real stories happening in the world, and that aspect drew her in the most. From then on, Richardson went through middle and high school with a dream of pursuing journalism when she reached NAU.

“I think the part of [journalism] that I like is being able to connect with people and tell them stories that are true,� Richardson said. “I love finding out that the human experience is such a universal thing and every single person is living a life just as complicated as you.�

Richardson said she enjoys learning about the significant moments in people's lives and wants to be able to share those experiences with everyone and give the people in her stories a voice.

Richardson’s first experience in the MIC was during an open house the School of Communications was hosting for students. There she saw a combination of NAZ 365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±­, KJack and The Lumberjack -- all student-led clubs -- and she was fascinated by the hustle and bustle of all the students working.

NAZ 365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±­ was recording one of its shows the day of the open house, and Richardson said everything from the stage to the sound system made a lasting impression on her.

“I was just so in awe of everything,� Richardson said. “I couldn’t process that I could be in those seats as an 18-year-old. It solidified everything in me that I wanted to be a journalist.�

However, when Richardson was first starting out as an anchor, she struggled to feel confident with her camera presence and had a difficult time shopping for business casual clothing.

(Don’t ask her how finding her first pair of khakis went; it’s a touchy subject.)

Stage fright wasn’t enough to stop Richardson from sticking it out, and eventually, her confidence as a reporter and person transformed. She said she has been able to become someone who isn’t afraid of anything.

Now as a news director getting ready to graduate, she hopes to inspire the people who will take her place to continue reaching for powerful stories and follow their passions.

“I like encouraging them to do what they want,� Richardson said. “I like encouraging them to tell the truth and to go on air and kind of face their fears head-on, because I was so scared when I started out.�

Being in the news director position for two years and being able to cover a range of stories in Flagstaff was something Richardson didn’t know was possible for her.

Richardson has talked to political figures like Kari Lake and Sen. Mark Kelly. She has covered two political campaigns and is known to be on the scene of a breaking story giving audiences live updates.

In April a year ago, Richardson was reporting on an Instagram livestream about the NAU students participating in a pro-Palestine encampment on campus. She has also covered Super Bowl LVII and Super Bowl LVIII, getting her hand in field reporting.

At the 2025 Broadcast Education Association awards ceremony, NAZ 365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±­ took home four awards. Three of them had Richardson’s name on the front, including one for her excellence in student news coverage.

Out of 2,285 submissions, Richardson was the recipient in the Student Television News Reporter category.

While Richardson enjoys being in front of the camera as an anchor, getting to be behind the scenes leading and inspiring an entire production team as a news director felt like the right step.

“Being the news director has opened my eyes to what I want to do after I graduate,� Richardson said. “I love being a reporter. I love telling stories, but what really makes me want to be a journalist is being able to help other people and get a station in order.�

She is looking forward to graduating and seeing what her team does without her. She hopes they make it better then how she left it, a motto she follows because of her father.

Richardson’s exceptional student reporting and persistence in leadership has secured her a job as a multimedia reporter for Channel 6 KSBY television station in San Luis Obispo, California, where she will continue working as a broadcast journalist.