Author: Allison Dodson

Ali is a junior at Syracuse High School in Syracuse, Kansas. She is involved in varsity volleyball, track, Scholars Bowl, Library Leadership Group, Student Council as the president, National Honor Society as the vice president, an editor at the school’s CSPA and NSPA award-winning yearbook, and has won many photography and ceramic awards. She wants to pursue a photojournalism major in Washington, D.C. and travel the world. Her favorite memory of WJMC was meeting her lifelong friends from across the country and being a step closer to becoming a successful New York Giants photographer or political journalist.

Kate Harwood is currently a senior at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia. At Stone Bridge, Kate is involved in her school’s Student Council Association, Choir Department, Theatre Department, National Honors Society, and Tri-M Honors Society and is the Features Editor of The Bulldog Tribune (school newspaper). After high school, Kate hopes to pursue a degree in communications, journalism, or public policy. WJMC 2017 was an unforgettable experience and taught Kate to trust her instinct, the importance of making connections, to constantly be developing her craft, and her new-found love of journalism. WJMC helped Kate discover her career aspirations and what it means to be a true journalist. Her favorite part of the Conference was experiencing D.C. through a journalist’s point of view. She is excited and honored to serve on the WJMC 2018 Advisory Board and can’t wait to help shape WJMC 2018!

Taj is aspiring filmmaker and screenwriter currently working on a few short films and music videos. He plans to attend film school in Los Angeles next year and major in Film & TV Production and minor in Journalism. He then plans on getting a master’s degree in Screenwriting.  Taj is also a social media admin; he runs a comic book/superhero media account on Instagram under the name “@kingofmetahumans” and has around 61,000 followers. Taj plans on expanding his page in the upcoming months to more platforms of social media including: YouTube, Twitter, podcasts, and a blog. He is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Youth Advisory Board!

Grace Engelman is a senior in high school in Monterey, Kentucky. She is the media chair of the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition’s Political Working Group, focusing on legislative work concerning environmental justice. Grace plans to major in political science.

Bailey VanderVeen is a senior at Wando High School in Charleston, SC. She is a photographer and writer for her student-produced yearbook staff and runs a self-managed blog. She attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference in D. C. the summer of 2017 where she met extraordinary students, speakers, and staff. She hopes to attend collage as a mass communications major and plans to use her degree to connect with people around the globe and learn their stories. When she isn’t watching Star Wars, reading comic books, or singing her heart out to Disney songs, Bailey enjoys meeting new people, making connections, and laughing more than she probably should. She is also incredibly excited to get to know anyone who has the privilege of being a part of this WJMC community because it has transformed her life.

Clare Mulroy is a senior from Sandwich, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. In addition to a love of journalism that inspired her internship at a local newspaper, Clare performs with her school’s competitive show choir and participates in both theater and competitive dance. She also volunteers her time at a local school for students with special needs through an adaptive dance program. Clare is passionate about human rights and gender roles, and she credits WJMC for her aspiration to become a human interest journalist. She hopes that the conference has just as monumental of an impact on those attending in future sessions as it did on her.

Annie Banks is currently a senior at Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Illinois. She has worked on South’s yearbook, Vespa, for all four years and has taken editorial positions in the past. She currently serves as the Marketing Editor. Besides editing for Vespa, Annie writes for two online publications as an entertainment journalist and advertises for a comic book company. She is thrilled to return to WJMC, to which she accredits her success.

Emily Philippovic is a junior at Saint Thomas Episcopal in Houston, Texas. She attended WJMC in 2017 and couldn’t be more inspired. The conference helped her find her path in the field of journalism as a photojournalist. During the school year, Emily works on her school’s yearbook and the art and literary magazine. She is so excited to work with her fellow correspondents on the youth advisory board and help plan the 2018 Washington Journalism and Media Conference.

Natalie Cushman is a senior at Atherton High School in Louisville, Kentucky. She plays soccer and is the editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper. She is deeply interested in human rights and social justice. She plans to double-major in film and cultural studies and aspires to become a documentary filmmaker.