Meet Our New Media Fellows
2013
Marissa Beale
Marissa Beale is a junior majoring in English at the College. She is interested in the publishing and broadcast industries, but also likes learning about Japanese culture and African American history, particularly free black families of the Old South. Last summer Marissa interned at the Voice of America, where she wrote scripts for radio shows, interviewed Peter Edelman as Carol Castiel’s a radio co-host, and even, yes, fetched coffee. She did a fair amount of writing and editing on a piece about Marc Lynch’s book on the Arab Spring, which a great experience! She is really excited for the DC Summer New Media Institute, and looking forward to exploring the topic in DC. Marissa does not know what she wants to do “when she grows up,” but believes God will provide. Outside class she is involved with IV and OneWay Christian Fellowships, Joyous Flow liturgical dance, and the SPAN mentoring program. She is also a WM SURE Scholar.
Jessica Edington
Jessica Edington is a sophomore from the quaint town of Gloucester, Virginia. She was never sure what she wanted to do when she grew up, but she knew she wanted to start it at William and Mary, and now she is here pursuing an undergraduate degree in English. She currently works as the News Editor of the DoG Street Journal, and enjoys hearing from students and others around campus and their opinions regarding important events. She was also a Sharpe Community Scholar her freshman year, and along with enjoying her time with her fellow Sharpies (many of whom she now lives with in the Community Scholars House) she became involved the Campus Kitchens Fun at Five and Mentoring Programs, where she acts as a mentor to local children in the low-income neighborhoods which Campus Kitchens serves. She also enjoys writing creatively, and in her spare time if she is not writing or reading something, you can find her outside, either hiking, canoeing, or horseback riding.
Gina Falcone
Gina is a sophomore from Lynchburg, Va, preparing to declare a double major in English and Literary and Cultural Studies. She arrived at the College after studying for a year in Spain, where her interest in learning about and experiencing different cultures took root. She has broadened this interest as a volunteer with the Mercy Care Foundation at their primary school in Nairobi, Kenya and a tutor in conversational English at a primary school in Seville, Spain. Gina also loves music and is a member of the AMP Homebrew committee on campus.
Rebecca Grimsley
Rebecca Grimsley is a senior from Springfield, Virginia. She is pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies at William & Mary, as well as a minor in linguistics. She spent a semester studying abroad in Seville, Spain, the spring of her sophomore year. She loves learning languages and is currently in her second year of Russian classes, and she hopes to be able to travel to Russia someday. She is also interested in Russian film, and spent last summer working on a research project about Soviet film. On campus, she enjoys participating in the Outdoors Club and the Photography Club. In her free time she likes to listen to Icelandic music and watch British TV shows.
Zoe Johnson
Zoe Johnson is a sophomore at The College of William and Mary. She plans to pursue a major in Marketing and a minor in Literary and Cultural Studies. On campus she is an outfielder for the Club Softball team, a member of Students Helping Honduras, and serves on the Public Relations committee of the College’s chapter of the NAACP. Zoe loves traveling and experiencing new cultures. She has been to England, Italy, Thailand, and Costa Rica and will travel to Honduras this spring with Students Helping Honduras to promote international education. Attending an all girls’ school from Kindergarten through 12th grade, Zoe also cares deeply about women’s rights. She is very intrigued by media outlets and hopes to specify her interests this summer. After graduation Zoe hopes to find a career that will connect both her passion for cultural studies and media. Born and raised in New York City, Zoe spends her free time exploring social media, relaxing with her friends, writing, eating and watching shows on Netflix.
Alix Kashdan
Alix Kashdan, from just outside DC in Virginia, is a psychology major and a French minor. A senior this year, she is a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and the Study Abroad Student Advisory Board, which she was inspired to join after a semester studying abroad in France. Alix is also interested in environmental issues, and participated in a Branch Out service learning trip to Appalachia where she learned about mountain top removal and its environmental impact. She hopes to one day work in the field of environmental policy. She is particularly intrigued by the psychology of environmental behavior, and is currently conducting research on this topic. Outside of school, Alix enjoys art, running, and visiting her dogs at home, and during vacations she works at a cupcake shop in DC.
Katie Kennedy
Katie Kennedy was born in Washington D.C. and spent her formative years in Middleburg, Virginia. She was raised in a somewhat rural community that afforded her opportunities to serve in a myriad of community activities and events. Katie graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 2010, a co-educational private school in Middleburg. She is currently a junior at the College of William and Mary, and is majoring in an interdisciplinary program of Media Studies. She designed this major as she plans to be a participant in an area of media following graduation. Katie is an active member of the women’s fraternity Kappa Kappa Gamma. She has also held leadership positions in other collegiate activities, such as Orientation Facilitator, and has served in various campus-based philanthropic causes. She remains active in the National Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Children’s National Medical Center, and has participated personally in fundraisers and promotional events. One of her favorite activities is photography, which has always been a passion of hers. She loves the idea of transforming an image of an activity into a still life shot, forever capturing the moment, frozen in time. She is also active in sports such as sailing and snowboarding. Katie comes from a family of sailing enthusiasts and has participated with her family in many cruises and regattas. She is also an active recreational snowboarder. Katie is an animal lover; it is a constant struggle to adjust to life apart from her two Labrador retrievers, Tucker and Sawyer.
Anna Kim
Anna Kim is a senior at The College of William & Mary.
Akela Lacy
Akela Lacy is a sophomore from Philadelphia, planning to declare a double major in Sociology and Public Policy. She is interested in pursuing various paths in the field of news media, including but not limited to photo-journalism. Her passions lie in exploring issues of social inequality, public health, and ocean conservancy. At the College she is a Monroe and a WM SURE Scholar, and an active sister of the Pi Beta Phi women’s fraternity. She studies Arabic and Italian, and hopes to travel abroad next semester to Siena, Italy. In past summers Akela has interned at the Women’s Media Center in New York City, and has also worked as a teaching assistant at Family Support Services in a classroom for children ages 1 to 5 on the autism spectrum. She went to an all girls school from K - 12th grade, looks up to Jon Stewart, and is an only child. She enjoys running and doing yoga, eating, and being in the sun. Check out Akela's published work from Summer 2013.
Beatrice Loayza
Beatrice Loayza is a sophomore at the College, pursuing a double major in English and Government. On campus, she is involved with the Flat Hat News team, and is a research intern for AidData, an initiative that aims to increase international aid transparency and accessibility. Last year, Beatrice traveled with the William and Mary Model United Nations team to conferences at Yale and McGill University in Montreal. In past summers, she has held internship positions at the Archives of American Art and the National Archives Defense unit. Beatrice is a Peruvian dual-citizen and proud of her heritage. With Spanish as her first language, she is currently learning French and hopes to study abroad in Paris for a semester her junior year. On her spare time, Beatrice likes to read modernist literature, watch David Lynch movies, and take nature hikes with her friends.
Kathryn McGovern
Kathryn McGovern is a sophomore at William and Mary pursuing a Business major and Film Studies minor. Her hometown is Charlottesville, Virginia, where she was a marketing, development, and front-of-house intern with the nonprofit Paramount Theater during the summer of 2012. On campus, Kathryn is a member of Circle K International, the co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, and the tap dancing group Rhythm and Taps. She also serves as the University Relations Liaison on the Public Relations Committee for the 2013 William and Mary Global Film Festival. Through her work with The Paramount and the Global Film Festival, she has developed a passion for studying how various media forms may foster innovation, engagement, and camaraderie amongst diverse demographics in a community. Kathryn dreams of becoming a Disney Parks Imagineer and in her free time enjoys playing the banjo, relaxing in Colonial Williamsburg, and watching Disney movies.
Erik Michel
Erik Michel is a junior at William and Mary pursuing a major in Film Studies and a minor in Computer Science. On campus, he is a member of the Phi Sigma Pi Honor Fraternity and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He also is a part of the Canterbury Association, the Episcopal ministries at the College, and plays trombone in the Pep Band. Currently, he is the webmaster for the W&M Global Film Festival for the 2013 festival year. He hails from Goldvein, Virginia, a town so small there isn’t even a post office. His interest in the new media began when he received his first Game Boy as a kid. Since then, he has expanded his love of art and new media through movies, television, and music, as well as an appreciation for all other art forms. When not in classes, he enjoys watching movies he has never seen, catching up on past TV shows, jamming to some good music, and playing video games, an underappreciated art form in his opinion.
Alex Mills
Alex Mills is a sophomore government and psychology double major from Tipp City, Ohio. She is a new member of the service fraternity at William and Mary, Alpha Phi Omega and loves helping out at the animal shelter and at bingo nights for adults with disabilities. She spends her weekends keeping up with her favorite sports teams, the Ohio State Buckeyes and the William and Mary Tribe and exploring the back-roads of Virginia. She enjoys wandering through the old parts of campus and Colonial Williamsburg and is excited to experience the history and politics that Washington D.C. has to offer. Coming from a mostly rural area, she is ready to experience "city life" and can't wait to be able to walk through the city to go to work. She spent her last summer interning with the Friends of John Boehner campaign group in Ohio and has always been interested and an avid follower of politics. Her main interest is the use of media in political campaigns and regulations being placed on the use of media in elections. After college she hopes to work on political campaigns or for the media/PR departments of politicians. Until then she plans on enjoying her time on campus and watching as many sports games as possible.
Hannah Ostroff
Hannah Ostroff is a senior at William & Mary, majoring in English and American Studies. In addition to her academic pursuits, Hannah is very passionate about music and the performing arts. She is a four-year member and current President of the William & Mary Choir, where she enjoys singing with her musical family on campus. She is also a member of the Delta Omicron Co-Ed Music Honors Fraternity, the W&M Pep Band, and the Sinfonicron Light Opera Company. Having grown up in the small town of Dover, Delaware, Hannah is excited to explore Washington DC and its many opportunities. Hannah hopes to pursue her love for literature and culture with a career in journalism or publishing.
Michelle Pillepich
Michelle Pillepich is a junior at William and Mary from Ramsey, New Jersey. She is studying Government with a minor in Hispanic Studies. Michelle spent part of last summer studying abroad in Cadiz, Spain. In the spring she will be in Geneva, Switzerland participating in an International Studies study abroad program. On campus, Michelle is actively involved in many organizations including: Delta Gamma, Student Alumni Council, Alma Mater Productions campus programming board and she is a recent initiate of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. Michelle hopes to combine her interests in government and media by pursuing a career in the news. During breaks and leisure time she enjoys taking trips to New York City or relaxing at home whipping up recipes from her favorite cooking blogs!
Natalie Scavuzzo
Natalie Scavuzzo is a sophomore from Tysons Corner, Virginia. Transferring from Manhattan College in the fall, this is her first year at William and Mary. On campus, Natalie is an active sister of the women'a fraternity Pi Beta Phi and works as a barista at The Daily Grind. Though it's a decision that Natalie finds difficult to anticipate, she may be majoring in Literary & Cultural Studies or Hispanic Studies. Natalie is hoping that the New Media program this summer will be enlightening and serve her well as she attempt to obsessively control and plan the rest of her entire life.
Lauren Su
Lauren Su is a sophomore from Yorktown, Virginia and a Film Studies and Accounting double major. During the school year, she is the Photo Editor of the DoG Street Journal, a member of Global Medical Brigades, and an intern for the William and Mary Global Film Festival. Outside of her interest in film and photography, she loves to travel and learn about other cultures. Her greatest wish is to go on a road trip across the United States and document it in photographs. In her free time, she likes to watch bad television and drink copious amounts of tea.
Mary Kate Winebrenner
Mary Kate Winebrenner is a rising sophomore from Falls Church, Virginia. She is exploring possible majors in marketing, English, and Literary and Culture Studies. Struck with an interest in the celebrity world from a young age, Mary Kate found a way to turn this interest into a potential career when she became involved with her high school newspaper and eventually became the Editor-in-Chief of the publication. She loves theater, singing, film, and reading. At William and Mary, Mary Kate writes for Her Campus and plans to get involved with William and Mary TV and Alma Mater Productions. She also hopes to join an acapella group in the spring and become a Tribe Ambassador. She is a new member of the Chi Omega sorority and has hopes of one day relocating to the west coast to start a career in television production, focusing on entertainment, media outreach, and celebrity media.
