Author: Allison Dodson

Stacie Smith is a junior at Ascension Academy in Amarillo, Texas. She serves as Editor for her school’s Yearbook staff, Public Relations Coordinator in her Student Council, and Historian in her school Choir. During her Sophomore year of high school she created an award winning scrapbook for her Latin Club, and her photographs have won statewide Junior Classical League competitions, including receiving recognition at the national level. Stacie attended WJMC in 2018, where her experiences with Carol Guzy inspired her to pursue her passion for photojournalism. She is ecstatic about being on the Youth Advisory Board.

Tessa D’Errico

Tessa D’Errico is a junior at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. She writes for her school newspaper and is heavily involved in her school’s Show Choir, Madrigal Choir, and Chamber Choir. Outside of school activities Tessa loves writing, reading Young Adult novels, and spending time with her friends. Attending WJMC in the summer of 2018 was one of the best experiences of Tessa’s life, and she is honored to be on the Youth Advisory Board and make this years conference amazing!

Hannah Cree

HANNAH CREE

Hannah Cree is currently a senior at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, Arizona. She has a passion for current events and learning about the world. In her spare time she loves dance and fitness and enjoys cheering for her school on the Pom line. Hannah attended WJMC in July of 2018, and she is excited to be a part of the WJMC YAB to help make this program even more enriching for future students.

Daniel Shay

DANIEL SHAY

Daniel Shay attended WJMC in 2018 and had the best experience of his life. He is a very hardworking person and will do all he can to make WJMC the best experience for other students like it was for him. Daniel is from New York, where he plays deck hockey and varsity golf. He has a show on his high school’s radio station 91.9 WSHR, where he and his friends Jonathan and Marcus we cover all things New York sports.

Lanie Sanders

LANIE SANDERS

Lanie Sanders is a sophomore at Francis Howell Central in Cottleville, Missouri and is Web Editor-in-Chief of their publication. She was a part of the WJMC conference in 2018 and hopes to attend Northwestern University and become a news anchor. When not in publications, Lanie participates in theatre and speech and debate. Lanie loves to read and her favorite book is 1984 by George Orwell. She is so excited to be a part of the Youth Advisory Board and is looking forward to seeing WJMC continue to grow.

Ashley Hagar

ASHLEY HAGAR

Ashley Hagar is a senior at Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos, California. Last summer, she was part of the lime group at the 2018 WJMC conference. Through the conference, she discovered her hope to pursue a degree in communication studies focused on public relations or marketing in college. Ashley is honored to be a part of the Youth Advisory Board and to be able to make the 2019 conference just as great as last year’s!

Benjamin Slack

BENJAMIN SLACK

Benjamin is a 16 year old from Russellville, Kentucky. He is currently a junior at Russellville High School. At school, he participates in swim, tennis, Beta Club, National Honor Society, Spanish Club, Pep Club, Gifted and Talented, and the School Ambassador program. Benjamin swims year round, either with the school, Southern Kentucky Swim Club or Greenville Country Cub, depending on the season. After high school, Benjamin would like to swim in college and major in Criminal Justice or Journalism and then go into Law.

Carina Christo

Carina Christo is a junior at Medfield High School where she is a member of her school newspaper as well as her school’s literary magazine. She is president of spanish club and multicultural club and a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, culinary club and Hope for Haiti. She is a part of the varsity field hockey and track teams. In her free time she loves tutoring at 826 Boston, working on creative writing projects and studying with kids k-12 from Boston Public Schools. She has published a young adult novel called Loud Silence and is working on more stories! Currently she is writing for a newspaper started by her friends at WJMC whom she is till in touch with. It’s called the Glass Box News– check it out!!

Charles Hunter

CHARLIE HUNTER

Junior Faculty Advisor

Charlie Hunter is a rising senior at the University of Kentucky pursuing a B.A. in Integrated Strategic Communication with a minor in Theatre. Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Charlie attended WJMC as a correspondent in 2018 and returned as an intern in 2019. Since then, he has specialized in digital marketing and content creation, working with Sony Music Entertainment, the Kentucky Kernel, and various organizations within the University of Kentucky. Charlie is also an actor, avid sports fan, and aspiring educator.