Student: Darian Hale

Darian Hale loves people and telling their stories.

The East Carolina University senior is majoring in communication with a concentration in journalism.

“There are stories everywhere,” Hale said. “I’ve learned to not be afraid to talk to people who are different than you. I think when you make connections with different facets of people and different cultures, you’re going to get a way cooler story. You’re going to get access to stories you might not have ever thought you’d get.”

Darian Hale enjoys conducting interviews for his website and Instagram, writing stories and poetry, reading, skateboarding and music.

He’s been writing and conducting interviews for his independent news website and Instagram account @nchappening. He’s also written for The East Carolinian and The Daily Reflector in Greenville.

A recent story on his website spotlights the Tuscarora Tribe and prominent tribal members who discuss the history and politics of seeking federal recognition for 40 years.

Hale seemed destined to go to ECU, growing up less than 30 minutes away in nearby Washington.

“I chose ECU because when I was a kid, we went to Greenville a lot and I always wanted to go to ECU,” Hale said. “I like it because I’m so close to home. I never feel out of place or out of town. I feel like this is part of my hometown.”

At Southside High School, he took a journalism class, and his teacher told him he was good at it.

“I was always talking to people, interviewing them, asking them about their lives. I fell in love with journalism because I fell in love with people’s stories. And I think that’s the biggest thing that motivated me to do all the stuff I do now because I like hearing about people’s lives, and I feel like some people’s lives don’t get put on display as much,” Hale said.

He thought it would be a great career to unlock those stories and uncover the unknown, to highlight people from all walks of life and what’s happening locally.

His approach is authentic. “I’m just a guy who wants to hear about their day. I want to make them feel comfortable. That Southern drawl helps to,” he said. “I’m very open. I just really like journalism for the people aspect.”

Hale is a first-generation student from a working-class background. Growing up with autism, he was in separate classes in school for many years and often felt judged because of it.

His favorite quote, “Be curious, not judgmental,” by Walt Whitman (and made popular recently through the TV show “Ted Lasso”) has helped guide his life, inspiring him to ask more questions.

“That quote has taken me to places I can’t even tell you. It’s helped me think about myself and about how I interact with people,” he said. “I got the chance to really understand that judgment is nonsense. As time went on, I got way more open minded. I got more interested in people.”

Hale experienced deep loss his sophomore year with the death of his older brother. His life and words of encouragement motivated Hale even more, he said. “He always told me that I ‘should go out there and get it,’” he said. “I’ve remembered the things he told me.”

Hale found comfort in reading “Man’s Search for Meaning” and “Yes to Life” by Viktor Frankl, a Nazi camp survivor and psychiatrist, who theorizes that the primary drive in life is not pleasure, but the discovery and pursuit of meaning and purpose. Frankl’s conviction is that every crisis contains opportunity and it’s always possible to “say yes to life.”

“Luckily, I’ve always had an optimistic approach,” Hale said. “I’ve always tried to be really positive and optimistic.”

He said friends and faculty in the School of Communication have been his biggest supporters.

“So many people have inspired me and helped me grow. To see people create opportunities for themselves, it’s really beautiful,” he said.

“I think in the communication building, there’s so many professors, you genuinely see that they care,” Hale said. While it’s hard to name all his mentors, advisor Brittany Wood and faculty members Mary Tucker-McLaughlin, Cindy Elmore and Brian Massey get shoutouts.

“They have pioneered me and helped me when it comes to my career. They’ve taught me how to write professionally, how to be professional, how to speak to people, how to interview and how to write really well,” he said.

In addition to his love of reading and writing, he enjoys being outside, skateboarding and the local music scene. He’s trying to learn more about content creation for his website by following local influencers like ECU alumna Kate Ker ’20, who started the “People of Greenville” social media sites.

“She’s amazing. I’ve been taking notes and watching how she does it,” he said.

This summer, Hale is taking online classes and preparing for his final semester before graduation in December. After that, he’s considering pursuing a master’s in journalism.