From UNI campus videography to cable news
From UNI campus videography to cable news
When Samantha Kaster first came to UNI as a student in 2011, she’d never touched a camera. Now as a senior studio operator, she can say she works on programming for one of the top names in cable news. Within just a few months of earning her degree in communication studies: electronic media in 2015, Kaster moved to Atlanta to work for CNN and has been there ever since, climbing the ranks from a technical operations assistant to the advanced talent team.
In the last nine years, she’s assisted with coverage of Presidential elections, a pandemic and a Super Bowl. She was the only female camera operator in the room at the June Presidential debate. She also covered the Republican National Convention and will once again be aiding with election night coverage in November. Kaster controls cameras and produces graphics for CNN in Washington D.C. while she remains in a control room in Atlanta. She is even one of the CNN staff members in charge of learning how to operate their new virtual reality studio, which will be launching soon.
“The people there at UNI are some of the best people in the world, and I wholeheartedly believe that if anybody got to have the experience of going there, they would feel the same way,” said Kaster. “I don't think I would have gotten to where I am today without the friends that I made while I was there, and the people I got to meet who fostered relationships with me, including professors and student advisors.”
The people there at UNI are some of the best people in the world, and I wholeheartedly believe that if anybody got to have the experience of going there, they would feel the same way.
Throughout her CNN journey, she’s gotten to meet celebrities like Henry Winkler, cast members from “Orange is the New Black,” the Property Brothers and Tim Tebow.
“It's still very weird to me that this is my job, and this is what I do for a living,” said Kaster. “It doesn't seem real. When people ask what I do for a living, I get to tell them I make people look really good on TV. I get to go and experience all this fun stuff. I get to hang out with some of my best friends all the time. It’s great!”
Kaster, a native of Algonquin, Illinois, set her sights on visiting UNI after the men’s basketball team beat Kansas in the Sweet 16 during March Madness in 2010. During her visit, she fell in love with the community.
At UNI, Kaster acquired experience with camera equipment through a variety of student organizations. She worked on video projects for Dance Marathon and CATS (Connecting Alumni to Students). She also completed an internship with Around the Corner Productions through Assistant Adjunct Professor Eric Braley.
“He's kind of that main person I'm still in contact with today,” Kaster said of Braley. “He really helped make me see that there is more to do in the media world like what I ended up going into. He pushed me to find the specific things that I really liked about working in media, be it filming, producing, being on camera or behind the camera.”
UNI pushed Kaster to strengthen her communication skills to forge relationships with fellow students as well as faculty and staff members. She’s carried those communication skills with her at CNN and believes it’s a major reason why she has risen to the level she has.
Because UNI gave her so much, Kaster doesn’t hesitate to give back to the university when she can. She’s mentored digital media students who see her success as a goal. She encourages students to do what she did at UNI and make as many connections as possible.
“The connections might not be in the way that you think they’ll be, but definitely make the connections with your people there,” said Kaster. “Make them with your professors and make them with other students, because you never know where those people are going to lead you down the road.”
