Hayden Wittenborn is a graduate of Appalachian State University, where she received her B.S. in Advertising. She is also a graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she pursued an M.A. in documentary-focused video journalism and visual storytelling. 

At UNC, Hayden served as a photojournalist for The Daily Tar Heel, capturing campus and community news for one of the nation's most decorated student publications. She also held an executive role within the Visual Communication club, where she managed fundraising initiatives and organized community events for aspiring journalists.

Before her graduate studies, Hayden served as the Photo Editor for The Appalachian, the award-winning student newspaper at Appalachian State University. In this role, she led a team of visual journalists and oversaw the publication's visual identity, earning multiple accolades for her editorial and field-based reporting.

Hayden’s work centers on the intersection of community resilience and environmental crisis. Her recent projects include documenting the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina and producing narratives that explore personal recovery and local strength. Her coverage of the hurricane’s impact, in tandem with her peers, earned her the Visual of the Year award from The Appalachian. She is also a recipient of the William Francis Clingman Jr. Ethics Award for her work on "Finding Bobo."