JALEN STEPHENS
Advance Team Member
Jalen Stephens is a sophomore at George Mason University majoring in business concentrating in marketing minoring in international business. Jalen is heavily involved on campus from working at the financial aid office, being a Mason Ambassador, and being involved in Greek Life at Mason. He is looking forward to working with the WJMC team and expanding his professional background.
SYEDA ANAS
Junior Faculty Advisor
Syeda Anas is originally from Madison New Jersey and is currently pursing a degree in undergraduate Law at Suffolk University in Boston. She was a part of WJMC in 2021, and the memories she made are so special, she couldn’t resist applying to be a junior faculty advisor to experience the magic of this program again- from the other side this time! Syeda is so excited to meet the new members of WJMC, along with seeing familiar faces of returning peers! Aside from being a barista and a student in Boston, Syeda loves to dedicate her time as an avid consumer of journalism and all things Washington DC She is extremely passionate about WJMC and all that it offers! Syeda can’t wait to see you at the conference!
MARC GOLDSTEIN
Junior Faculty Advisor
Marc Goldstein is a WJMC alumni from 2021. He gained so much from his time at the conference including some amazing networking opportunities, professional skills, and some awesome friends and memories. As a Junior Faculty Advisor, he hopes to facilitate some of the same formative memories from WJMC for this year’s correspondents. Marc currently attends Ohio University and is a journalism major. He has a passion for sports journalism and aspires to work
at a major newspaper after graduation.
PAUL URBAN
Advance Team Member
Paul Urban is a junior at Virginia Tech and studies Business with concentrations in Cybersecurity and Entrepreneurship. He is from Fairfax Station and is excited to work at George Mason this summer! Paul served as a lifeguard and worked at Cava while in high school. Besides school and work, Paul enjoys traveling and spending time with this family. He is excited to experience the summer programs and get to know the students and staff.
JESSICA D'ANIELLO
Junior Faculty Advisor
Jessica DAniello is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in journalism with a television/radio minor at Hofstra University in Long Island. At Hofstra, Jessica writes for Her Campus magazine and video edits for the school’s television HEAT network. Outside of her work in journalism, she enjoys going to the beach, reading, painting or making jewelry. Jessica can’t wait to meet everyone and spend time back at the place that inspired her to study journalism!Â
RANDI RICHARDSON
Reporter, NBCNews.com and TODAY.com
Randi Richardson is a proud Michigan supremacist who currently lives in Brooklyn. She’s a reporter at nbcnews.com and TODAY.com covering race and culture, and she’s an alumna of Brown University. She attended WJMC in 2012 and it changed her career trajectory. She’s covered the pandemic, the Capitol insurrection, the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, higher education, award shows and more. She’s interviewed secretaries of state, congresspeople, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross and other stars. She loves all things Jesus, joy and justice and wishes she could teleport. Her dream is to defy humidity so her natural hair can actually survive one spring day. Her instagram is @randirichnbc.
HOLLY BOURQUIN
Faculty Advisor
Holly teaches and advises the student newspaper at Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, Florida. In addition to teaching journalism for more than 10 years, she also teaches IB Film and has taught English at the high school, dual enrollment, and college levels. She is the advisor for her school’s Quill & Scroll International Honor Society chapter and oversees student print, web, and podcast media. She has over 20 years of writing, editing, and publishing experience and has overseen the publication of an international magazine and served on the Florida Magazine Association board of directors. She holds a master’s in English with a concentration in technical and professional communication from East Carolina University. Holly is passionate about delivering media instruction to students that is hands-on and mirrors real-world industry practices. Outside of the classroom, she works as a freelance writer, editor, and consultant. She loves to spend time with her family, travel, read, and cook.
HOLLY BOURQUIN
Faculty Advisor
Holly teaches and advises the student newspaper at Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, Florida. In addition to teaching journalism for more than 10 years, she also teaches IB Film and has taught English at the high school, dual enrollment, and college levels. She is the advisor for her school’s Quill & Scroll International Honor Society chapter and oversees student print, web, and podcast media. She has over 20 years of writing, editing, and publishing experience and has overseen the publication of an international magazine and served on the Florida Magazine Association board of directors. She holds a master’s in English with a concentration in technical and professional communication from East Carolina University. Holly is passionate about delivering media instruction to students that is hands-on and mirrors real-world industry practices. Outside of the classroom, she works as a freelance writer, editor, and consultant. She loves to spend time with her family, travel, read, and cook.
NISHA CHITTAL
Managing Editor, Vox.com
Nisha Chittal is the Managing Editor at Vox.com, where she leads editorial planning and strategy across text, audio, and video, and oversees the audience, off-platform, and style & standards teams.
Previously, she has led editorial and audience teams at several media organizations including MSNBC, NBC News, and Travel Channel. In 2016, she was named to Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30” in Media. In 2018, she was selected to participate in ONA’s Women’s Leadership Accelerator.
She also occasionally writes about food and culture for Vox, and has previously written for NBCNews.com, MSNBC.com, Elle, Racked, Jezebel, Poynter, and other publications. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
She also writes a bi-weekly newsletter curating good things to read and good things to cook every other week.
REID COLLINS
Junior Faculty Advisor
Reid Collins, a rising senior at George Mason is originally from Marion, Virginia. He is excited to be back at Mason and with the WJMC again! As a Mason student, he is majoring in Government and International Politics. He also works for the Office of Admissions as a Mason Ambassador and Admissions Outreach Fellow. Reid is excited to work with WJMC again this summer!Â
KAYLA LAMBERT
Junior Faculty Advisor
Kayla Lambert is a second year student at Western Michigan University, double majoring in English (Literature and Language) and Political Science. Kayla is a part of the Lee Honors College, and is a staff-reporter for WMU’s student newspaper, the Western Herald. She deeply enjoys the work she does for the staff, which includes her working with her passion for writing and other people interested in journalism. In addition, she is an intern for the WMU College of Arts and Sciences Marketing and Communications department. Kayla owns and runs a small photography business outside of school. She loves reading, writing, trying new coffee drinks, spending time with her pets, and obviously, photography! Kayla looks forward to being a Junior Faculty Advisor this upcoming summer!
