Hello, Marshall community! My name is Samantha Davis, and I joined The Independent team this week. I can already tell this is going to be fun.

I am very excited to provide news and chase down stories, but I thought I would introduce myself first. I will be providing coverage as a sports and education reporter. How did I get here? It was a journey, but I am confident in my choice of moving to this close-knit town and look forward to meeting a lot of you.

I moved to Marshall just about a week ago now, coming from the Windy City of Chicago, Ill. I spent the last two years there pursuing a master’s degree in sports journalism at DePaul University. However, I grew up about 25 minutes east of the Twin Cities in Cottage Grove, Minn. It’s nice to return home.

Throughout my time in Chicago, I reported on local high schools, DePaul and other surrounding college athletics, and even had a couple opportunities to cover professional sporting events for the Chicago Red Stars and Chicago Bears.

Specializing in writing, I’ve grown to love storytelling in all formats, like photography, social media, podcasting and television. I’m very excited to bring my experiences as a multimedia journalist here to Marshall.

Prior to graduate school, I attended North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, N.D. and got a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Outside of work, my parents and little sister still reside in Cottage Grove. We also have a golden retriever who I adore, Sage, and I’m certainly excited to see her more often too. I enjoy walking around new areas to explore, visiting coffee shops and finding spots for local live music or art to check out. I also love going to any live sporting event. My favorite sport is basketball, but I truly enjoy the atmosphere it creates across the board.

Growing up, my sister and I were very athletic. I played basketball and softball, while she was heavy in soccer, and we both still love being involved with our games.

All of that being said, I’m very happy to introduce myself, and again say that I am really looking forward to getting involved in the community and joining the Independent. There are good things ahead!

You can find me on Twitter (X) @Davis98Samantha, as well as the sports section @SWMNSports and the entire paper on Facebook at Marshall Independent.

See you around!