Coming from a strong medical family, Middleton began her undergraduate program at IU as a pre-nursing major but, found that after a summer of representing her community in 2006 as Miss Monroe County she should harness her talent for writing and communicating and become a journalist.

"The crown didn’t affect me as much as the opportunities that were made available to me did. I took every chance I was given as Queen to discover the community I belonged to. I met people who moved me. Their stories… I also got to accompany State Representative Peggy Welch to specific events. I became fascinated with researching audiences, writing speeches and sharing my work with crowds. Specifically, I remember giving a speech at a Veteran’s Day dinner about the war-reporting of Ernie Pyle during WWII and how his work still sets a mark that is barely reached today." I remember dreaming of wanting my work to reach that stature.

Middleton welcomes opportunities to explore the many aspects of journalism but has been developing a niche in broadcast media and public communication. She has written her share of articles for the Indiana Daily Student and has more recently interned at NBC affiliate, Channel 13, WTHR, in Indianapolis.

A member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, Middleton rides in the Little 500 cycling race every spring. It’s her way of staying in shape and focusing on goals. Like the goal to survive and persevere as she graduates, leaves her hometown and enters the unstable workforce. Despite all that, she remains headstrong and is determined a to make a difference in journalism "by embracing new media and possibly re-establishing foreign news bases."

"Something like that,” she continues."It’s this internal feeling and drive, I’m going to do something big and it won’t be in a cubicle…if anything I want what I do [in journalism] to leave a mark on me, like the cinders in my skin from wrecking my bike."