Riley Elliott keeps people in the know by covering the big stories in her community.
Not only is Elliott good at getting the scoop on stories, but the young journalist also has another role that’s making a difference across the state.
She’s a youth correspondent for Davidson Local.
Her platform, “The Scoop,” keeps people informed and entertained on what’s happening around Davidson County.
“I go around the community, and I interview people from a youth’s perspective and put a little fun twist to it but also get the overall message out,” Elliott said.
Elliott has served has a youth correspondent since July of 2021 and especially appreciates when fans younger than she is come up to her in public.
“I just love having people reach out to me and thank me for what I’m doing. That’s truly what makes the long nights, the hard hours worth it,” she said.
What’s just as impressive is the many other things the 15-year-old Central Davidson High School sophomore balances during the week.
Elliott is involved in multiple sports throughout the year and is currently on the school’s women’s basketball team.
“It’s a lot more than she even gives herself credit for. There’s been times where she’s changed clothes in the car. She’ll leave basketball practice, literally hang her head out the window to dry her hair to go to a Scoop interview or to go to a speaking engagement, and people don’t see that side,” Riley’s mother Shannon Elliott said.
She also represents North Carolina on the D.A.R.E Youth Advocacy Board.
Elliott travels across the state sharing potentially life-saving information as part of the program’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E). Her talks include spreading awareness about vaping and other health-related issues.
“But also, D.A.R.E’s about bullying and a lot of people forget about that and mental health,” she said.
Elliott is using the opportunities she’s getting now in media and public speaking to prepare for her long-term goal of being a sports broadcaster.
In the meantime, she’s not losing sight of her main goal.
“Making an impact in this community.”
You can see Elliott’s work through “The Scoop” Facebook page or on Davidson Local’s website.
