Profession-based experience at Northwest empowering Kuhnert to share stories

Alexis Kuhnert in Wells Hall, the home of Northwest's School of Communication and Mass Media. (Photo by Lilly Cook/Northwest Missouri State University)

When Alexis Kuhnert was looking for a university to attend, she felt a connection with the people she met during a tour of Northwest Missouri State University, and the campus felt like a place she could call “home” while she pursued her college degree.

Four years later, Kuhnert, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, graduated cum laude from Northwest this spring with a bachelor’s degree in mass media with a multimedia journalism emphasis. 

“I just fell in love with the place,” she said. “The mass media department and the hands-on equipment they have provide a great experience for not just me, but every student.”

Kuhnert graduated cum laude from Northwest this spring with a bachelor’s degree in mass media with a multimedia journalism emphasis. (Photo by Todd Weddle/Northwest Missouri State University)

Kuhnert worked as a reporter at KQTV, an ABC affiliate in St. Joseph, Missouri, while completing her bachelor’s degree at Northwest, building her résumé with professional experience. (Photo by Lilly Cook/Northwest Missouri State University)

Kuhnert, who also was involved with the Honors Program at Northwest, admits finding her niche in journalism wasn’t so easy. As a high school student, she was “all around the board.”

“I just like being able to tell stories,” she said. “I’ve always been a writer. I like short stories, poetry – anything you can think of. So just being able to continue that and be able to do that for a living – being able to write and put faces in stories – it didn’t really catch on to me to do video journalism at first. But that’s what I love to do – putting a human emotion in stories.”

A few weeks into her first year at Northwest, Kuhnert learned about KNWT, the University’s student-managed television station. She contacted the general manager about her interest and got a spot as a reporter. She occupied the anchor chair, too, and stayed with the station for two years.

Then, a former KNWT co-anchor tipped off Kuhnert about an opening at KQTV, an ABC affiliate in St. Joseph, Missouri. Kuhnert took advantage of the part-time opportunity, completing her bachelor’s degree while building her résumé with professional experience.

Kuhnert worked at KQTV during her last two years at Northwest and became skilled at maintaining a tight schedule. She also is the proud owner of her camera equipment, allowing her more freedom to tackle story assignments and grow her photography skills.

“I love my planner; that really helps,” she said. “Just trying to keep a good schedule between work and class and making sure I get all my stuff done ahead of time. It’s hard, but you learn discipline.”

Reflecting on her time at Northwest, Kuhnert said she is most proud of the connections she made – by networking and through her desire to share people’s stories. She found valuable faculty mentors who shared her passion for media and helped her pursue her goals.

As she progresses through her career, Kuhnert wants to continue developing her skills and share stories that inspire viewers. As a bilingual person who is half Cuban, she also hopes to find opportunities where she can report in English and Spanish.

“It was hard to find that community at first, but I ended up finding it, and I was good,” Kuhnert said, chuckling at the significant time she spent in Wells Hall, the home of Northwest’s School of Communication and Mass Media, and fulfilling her assignments for KQ2. “I’ve really grown a lot in every aspect – personal, skills-wise in the media field, and it’s just amazing having people to guide me along the way.”