Kathleen Caulderwood

Current Job/Position

Producer at ABC News

Graduated

2011

Program

B.Hum

What was your experience like in the program and how has your degree helped your career?

This is a little cheesy, but I applied to the Bachelor of Humanities program because I aspired to be the next Indiana Jones, jet-setting around the globe, meeting fascinating people, unearthing ancient treasures, and embarking on epic adventures.

While I may not own a fedora or any priceless relics (yet!), I did manage to get out of the library and embark on my own journey as a journalist and documentary filmmaker, largely thanks to my experiences at Carleton.

As students, we were taught to be skeptical, ask tough questions, process vast amounts of information, and appreciate beauty in the world. This skillset has been the best sidekick in my career as a reporter, producer, and cameraperson at outlets like VICE News, the Guardian, the Village Voice, and ABC News.

The little things come in handy as well. For example, I never expected to be using knowledge gained from those early-morning art history classes on a daily basis in my life, but I often find myself drawing on principles of color and composition when filming scenes or setting up interview shots—whether I’m tagging along with a militia group in Nigeria, gliding through the Louisiana swamps on a crawfish boat, or capturing NASA engineers as they complete their latest project on Mars. When I’m working on investigative projects, I sometimes spend weeks combing through boxes of obscure, tedious, and convoluted government documents, but that’s not such a big deal for anyone who has navigated through Hegel. Even my exchange year in India inspired multiple story ideas that I later returned to film in Kashmir.

I realize now that emulating a real-life Henry Jones Jr. might not be the best idea, given all the shadiness in the world of antiquities. But I’m still traveling internationally, meeting intriguing characters, and, in a way, doing quite a bit of digging.

In short, I believe that in deciding to pursue a Bachelor of Humanities at Carleton, I chose wisely.