Meet our New Media Fellows
2014
Rob Arcand
Kaitlyn BergenRob Arcand is a sophomore at the College from Newport News, VA. A recent transfer from the College of Charleston, Rob hopes to pursue English and Music double major, concentrating in Journalism and New Media. He’s currently a DJ on the WCWM student radio station, a staff writer for Rocket Magazine, the College’s premiere fashion, photography, and art publication, and an avid music, film and art enthusiast. Playing the violin, guitar, and piano in various groups and bands around campus, he hopes to bring a fresh, musical perspective to the Institute. He hopes to merge his interests in music and writing in either the broadcasting or publishing fields.
Kaitlyn Bergen
Kaitlyn Bergen is a senior at The College. She is majoring in Literary and Cultural Studies with an emphasis on Film and Art. She hopes to delve deeper into the medium of visual story telling by pursuing her love of animation and storyboarding. When she is not in the studio, Kaitlyn is helping to plan the William and Mary Global Film Festival and is currently on the Events and Logistics Committee, engaging and reaching out to local businesses to help sponsor the event. She has worked closely with the Kimball Theatre in the past to help plan events and hopes to remain involved with the film festival community.
Megan Berry
Megan Berry is junior from Elkton, Virginia pursuing a major in Public Policy. She came to The College with the intent of studying chemistry but thankfully was redirected during her very first semester. Since then, she has discovered her fascination with both the media and nonprofit sector. On campus, Megan is heavily involved in Relay for Life and as a Brother of the Phi Sigma Pi Co-ed Honors Fraternity. She loves to read in her spare time and is currently learning the art of cooking! Megan is excited to continue her growth and begin the next chapter of her life in Washington DC through the New Media program.
Archer Brinkley
Archer Brinkley is a freshman this year at William and Mary, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She has not decided on a major or minor but knows she wants to study film. On campus she is involved with Shakespeare in the Dark, Students Helping Honduras, Salsa Club and Swing Club. Ideally, Archer would like to work in the film industry, but she isn't 100% sure where yet. She's interested in set design, costume work, cinematography and directing. Every summer she is involved with the 48 Hour Film Festival, an international film competition, and she competes with a group of her high school's alumni. During her free time she likes to bake and watch more movies than the average person.
Jackie Ciotti
Jackie Ciotti is a sophomore from the Philadelphia, PA area. She is pursuing a double major in Process Management & Consulting and Government at William and Mary. Jackie enjoys public speaking, and is interested in both health and environmental policy. She hopes to combine these interests, along with new media, in a consulting career someday. On campus, Jackie is a Tour Guide and Tribe Ambassador for the Admissions Office, as well as a Development Ambassador. She is also on the Executive Board of Club Tennis and is an active member of Kappa Delta women’s sorority. In her free time, Jackie can be found on the tennis courts, relaxing in the Sunken Gardens, or hanging out with friends. Jackie is thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the New Media Program in D.C. this summer.
Chris Cordova
Chris Cordova is a junior from Springfield, Va, who is majoring in Film and Media Studies and minoring in Marketing. He is now a member of the AMP Film committee and is currently producing a short documentary for the William and Mary Global Film Festival. Chris has had an interest in Film Studies for several years as he has always enjoyed making short films with his friends back at home. He is hoping that the New Media program will help him gain experience in the real world and guide him toward future career options. In his spare time, Chris enjoys throwing around a football and playing video games with friends.
Stephan Cotner
Stephan Cotner is a sophomore at the College who plans to major in Math, minor in Marketing and unofficially minor in Music. Stephan was born in Russia, however grew up just outside of DC, so he is already in love with the city! Last summer, Stephan took a class at the William and Mary DC office and was also an Assistant Director for the City of Fairfax Theatre Company summer camp. Stephan is involved in multiple activities on campus. He is the social chair of the a cappella group the Gentlemen of the College, a member of the William and Mary Choir, a Diversity Peer Educator, a Tribe Ambassador, and a driver for the Steer Clear program at the College. On a typical day, one might catch Stephan busting a move on his way to class or humming a catchy new tune. He is an avid supporter of human rights efforts and hopes to one day live in a world where the color of one’s skin or the person one choses to love shows no prejudice. Stephan is also a huge Broadway junkie, and recently had the chance to see Matilda and fell in love. Stephan is enthralled to partake in the New Media Institute this summer and hopes to both deepen his passion for and explore new outlets in the world of media.
Austen Dunn
Austen Dunn is a junior from King George, VA pursuing a double major in English and Studio Art with a sculpture concentration. On campus, Austen serves as Editor-in-Chief and Layout Editor of The Virginia Informer, an independent news publication for the college. She also loves music and is a member of the Homebrew Committee for Alma Mater Productions. For the Homebrew Committee, Austen takes photos for each performance, designs flyers, and films and edits promotional videos. In the future, she hopes to use media as a way to not only continue her love of the visual arts, but also to reinforce a positive community identity. In her free time, Austen loves playing with her rabbit, Harrison, stalking lifestyle blogs, and eating a lot of coffee flavored ice cream.
Molly Earner
Molly Earner is a sophomore at the College of William and Mary, pursuing a degree in English. Over the past summer, she interned as a software analyst and blogger for the Arlington based company, Capterra, where she gained research experience writing about the various sectors of business software. She is currently the Style Editor of the DoG Street Journal, a monthly student-run magazine, where she enjoys collaborating with other writers to put together fun and engaging reading material. She is also a member of the Communications team for Catholic Campus Ministries, helping bring visibility to various CCM events. To unwind (and take out some aggression), Molly plays midfield on William and Mary’s Club Soccer team. One of her greatest passions on campus is her involvement in the student-run production company, Shakespeare in the Dark. Molly currently serves on the Shakespeare in the Dark executive board as head of Public Relations. Through this company she is going to be co-directing an updated version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth this winter, setting the play in 1920s Chicago, mafia-wars and femme fatales et al. She loves all types of story telling, from theatrical production to fiction writing. In fact, she is considering pursuing a minor in Creative Writing, with a concentration in poverty (Just a joke! …hopefully). In her free time she enjoys watching old movies, marathoning Netflix shows, drinking chai lattes, and listening to David Bowie. Molly is open to many different possibilities regarding her professional career, with the hope that she can further develop and put into practice her love of communicating ideas to an audience on many different platforms.
Xiaoyu Hao
I’m a sophomore from Beijing, China, preparing to declare a double major in Marketing and Art History. On campus, I’m the media chair in WM Bboy Club with my interest in dancing and photographing. In addition to my academic pursuits, I acclaimed myself and still am trying to be as an art-based photographer while working on a long-term photography project of my own relating to different areas of study and the society, a graphic designer with great passion in performance art. I want to be a life traveler, to learn about the unique differences and the connections between people and regions. That's also one of the reasons of me traveling to Kenya alone for photography and interviews with locals for the past summer in 2013.
Katie Kellenberger
Katie Kellenberger is a sophomore from Charlottesville, Virginia and double majoring in Government and Sociology. Having transferred to from Christopher Newport University in the fall, this is her first semester here at the college. During the school year Katie is an intern writer and staff photographer for the Flat Hat. Katie is also an active member of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega and a sister of Pi Beta Phi. During her free time Katie loves being with her friends, family and sisters, watching a copious amount of Netflix, talking about political theories (which she is minorly obsessed with), and singing. She is interested in the impact the media has on society, particularly politics, and hopes to one day merge her interests in government, sociology, and the media through creating her own non-partisan televised news source. Katie is extremely excited to be a part of the D.C. Summer Institute and to explore all of the opportunities it provides.
Sydney MaHan
Sydney MaHan is currently a sophomore pursuing a double major in Government and Film/Media studies. She hopes to combine her interests in government and media by pursuing a career in news as a Chief White House Correspondent. Originally, from Chantilly, VA Sydney is involved in writing and volunteering on campus. As a freshman, she was a Sharpe Community Scholar and continuing with her volunteerism has become a new member of the service fraternity at William and Mary, Alpha Phi Omega. A mentor for the Pearl of Great Price mentoring program, Sydney volunteers her time helping at risk girls in the local middle school on Fridays. In terms of writing, Sydney currently has the position of Student Writer for the Virginia Sea Grant, in which she writes bios for their newsletter SeaMail. She is also a Staff Writer for the college newspaper the Flat Hat. In her spare time, Sydney likes to read, listen to music, watch movies, and spend time with family and friends.
Francesca McConnell
Francesca McConnell is a college sophomore from Alexandria, Virginia. She intends to major in Literary and Cultural Studies, and Sociology here at the College. Most recently she has worked at La Corporación Cultural de Las Condes in Santiago, Chile and is ultimately interested in working in communications or media production.
Feicen Zhou
Feicen Zhou is a junior from China at the College majoring in International Relations and Art. She is a member of Alpha Phi Omega and the Chinese Student Association on campus. During the past few summers, she interned at an animation studio, was a TA for economics and was a marketing coordinator for a Chinese exchange program. And she also worked as a graphic designer for Flat Hat in her freshman year. She studied abroad in France the past summer, and traveled in Europe with her painting equipment and a sketchbook. She prefers devoting a couple hours painting or sketching than spending a few seconds to take a photo when she encounters an intriguing view while traveling. She appreciates beauty not only with her eyes but also with heart and soul. Art has been a root of passion in her life ever since she could recognize its existence, and she aims to gain experience in all aspects of art field. WM DC New Media program offers her the opportunity to explore art through multimedia. She is looking forward to study and work in the US capital this coming summer!
