Category: Faculty Advisor

Lisa Kick Gardner spent almost 20 years in broadcast journalism, most of that in television news. As a morning and evening TV news anchor, reporter and a radio morning show host, she has been asked to speak to numerous charity and community groups, businesses and school kids of all ages. (She’s even entertained on a cruise ship!) Lisa and her husband Steve have been a part of the Charlotte Country Day community since 2010 as Young Life leaders and Lisa started teaching in 2015. She’s currently the Podcast/Journalism and Public Speaking instructor. She and Steve have two children, Grace a junior at Appalachian State and Grant is a senior who plans to attend Davidson College in the fall of 2025.

John is the Broadcast Journalism Teacher and Director of Sports Broadcasting at Fayetteville High School in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Located just steps away from the University of Arkansas, John has built FHS TV into a nationally recognized program with students winning multiple Emmy’s along with numerous state awards. John is also a board member for the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association where his program serves as the Media Officer School. Originally from Dallas, Texas, John earned his B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and Masters in Education both from the University of Arkansas.

Holly Bourquin advises the student newspaper (The Vertical) as a faculty member at Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, FL. In addition to teaching journalism for more than 10 years, she also teaches International Baccalaureate (IB) Film and has taught English at the high school, dual enrollment, and college level. She is the advisor for her school’s Quill & Scroll International Honor Society chapter and oversees student print, web, and podcast media efforts. In addition to her teaching experience, she has more than 20 years of writing, editing, and publishing experience. Previous roles have included overseeing the publication of an international magazine, serving on the Florida Magazine Association board of directors, and managing multiple forms of communications including social media, digital media, print media, and web publishing. 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. Holly loves to spend time with her family (including two oversized, spoiled dogs), travel, read, and cook. She is thrilled to be joining the Washington Journalism and Media Conference staff this year!

Camden Layton is a WJMC and George Mason University alum who now works as a Union Organizer with the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers.  He graduated from Mason with his BS in Public Administration and a Master of Public Policy, specializing in Education Policy. During his time on campus, Camden worked in the Washington Scholars Program office and held many leadership roles, including Student Body President. At his current job, he helps lead digital organizing efforts for FCFT and educates members on how to effectively use social media and their networks to move their campaigns forward. Camden is very excited to be back with WJMC for his sixth summer!

Corey earned his PhD in Science Education from the University of Florida studying issues of representation in STEM. He is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at St. Mary’s College of Maryland leading a grant through the American Physics Society that targets professional identity and self-efficacy to increase the recruitment of K12 science teachers.  His primary research interests include mentoring, developmental network analysis, and inquiry-based science education. During graduate school, he worked on an NSF-funded project to redesign the chemistry laboratory curriculum for engineering majors to increase the retention and performance of underrepresented students. Outside of his educational research interests he has also worked with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in the forest ecology lab studying canopy structures and their relation to global climate change. He has also volunteered at the Whitney Labs studying climate change and the effect of the northern expansion of mangroves into Florida. In his free time, he enjoys restoring vintage mountain bikes, tubing in the Florida springs, and swimming in the ocean with his dog Maple.

Mariah Baldwin is an educator of 9 years with experience in both public and higher education.  She is a former CNN Journalist in the Newsgathering & Live Distribution department, and is currently the lead Journalism and Media teacher at Elite Scholars Academy in Jonesboro, GA. She teaches Communications at the middle school level, and teaches Journalism I, II, and III for 9th-12th grade students. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Media, Master of Business Administration, Georgia Educator Certification and Cambridge International Certification. She also serves as Yearbook Advisor, Picture Day Coordinator, and school news lead. She has received many Communication and leadership awards from her school district and is actively engaged in her local community service programs. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, nature, cooking, and spending time with her family! One of her favorite quotes is “Your life is your story. Write well, Edit Often.”