21 Under 21 Series: Maya Tapanga Carter

Hometown: Rowland, NC

Major: Psychology

A member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Maya continues her involvement with her community through the Carolina Indian Circle, as well as serving as a co-photo editor for The Daily Tar Heel. Planning to pursue a career in photojournalism and digital storytelling, Maya has previously interned at a major media conglomerate in Cape Town, South Africa.

Recently accepted into the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media’s Master’s Program in Visual Communications, Maya will continue to strive for her goal of molding young minds in order to motivate young women of color to pursue their photojournalism aspirations.

“One of my proudest accomplishments at Carolina is simply being here. I am a first-generation college student and a member of the Lumbee Tribe. Many of my people will never get the chance to go college at all, let alone attend a university like UNC. Existing in this space that was built for the antithesis of me will always be one of my proudest achievements overall.”