Renata Schmidt holds a camera up to her eye smiling.

I believe that we can all be a bit better and a bit kinder if we can understand each other. Building connections through communication and authenticity is why I am a journalist.

I don’t know where I am from. My family moved frequently while growing up, but that was a catalyst for my passion for storytelling. I fell in love with trying to understand different people and cultures, and am about to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Global Studies, with a minor in Arabic from UNC Chapel Hill. I am passionate about women’s rights, trekking through mud with a camera, and Oberweis ice cream.