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Category: Faculty Advisor

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Faculty Advisor Staff

Britney Crowe

BRITNEY CROWE

Faculty Advisor

Britney has been teaching for 22 years north of San Antonio in a consolidated school district; eighteen years at the junior high and the last four at Samuel Clemens High School- both of which offer journalism electives. Journalism, photojournalism, advanced newspaper, and advanced yearbook are the disciplines she fosters to students who are lured by the energy and excitement she exudes because she LOVES watching the students fall in love with commitment to telling factual truth. 

Britney volunteers at photography contests to judge and critique competitors’ entries. She has students earning All-state Journalists awards, ATPI first places for digital construction, and for the first time ever The Stampede (yearbook) was awarded first place from NSPA. Britney belongs to JEA, ILPC, and ATPI and enjoys attending conventions with or without students. The high school where she advises takes pride in producing 7-9 print editions of newspapers, 4 magazines, and online newspaper, and a 296-page yearbook every year.

In her free time, Britney loves gardening, reading novels, and afternoon naps. Travel fuels her heart with confidence in humanity.

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Faculty Advisor Staff

Christopher Mauthe

CHRIS MAUTHE

Faculty Advisor

As an educator for 10 years, Chris has enjoyed working with both students and adults as a classroom teacher and instructional coach. Currently, he teaches Sociology, and US/VA Government at Yorktown High School in Arlington, VA. Prior to his placement there, he worked for two years in the North Clackamas School District outside Portland, OR as an instruction and equity coach for K-12 Health and Social Studies teachers around teaching for social justice across the content. In the spring of 2017, Chris was invited by the Ugandan Ministry of Education to travel to Uganda where he presented workshops on leadership in the field of education as part of the team that organized and presented “Teachers Transform the Nation” in Kampala. He started his career as a middle school Social Studies teacher at Swanson Middle School in Arlington, VA. Chris received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from James Madison University. When he’s not traveling, Chris spends his spare time seeing live music at all the amazing venues and cheering on the Washington Nationals. Chris is thrilled to be joining the WJMC family and can’t wait to work with everyone!

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Faculty Advisor Staff

Mark Hilburn

MARK HILBURN

Faculty Advisor

Mark Hilburn has taught journalism for 15 years at Millard West High School in Omaha, Nebraska, where he advises the MWHS Wildcat News Broadcast, Catalyst Newspaper, Prowler Yearbook, Uproar Radio and Wildcat Sports Network live-streaming. Mark is also an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha where he teaches Media Writing and Public Speaking Fundamentals while working on his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. Mark is the past President of the Nebraska High School Press Association, presents and judges at national JEA/NSPA and CSPA conventions and teaches journalism workshops across the country. He is a Master Journalism Educator, Mentor and serves on the Certification Committee through the Journalism Education Association. He holds Master’s degrees in Journalism and Mass Communication and Secondary Education: Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nebraska. His publications have been Pacemaker, Gold Crown and All-American award winners, received 1st place in the NSPA Best of Show competition, won State Journalism Championships in 2017 and 2014 and State Runner-Up in 2018, 2016 and 2013. Mark advised the 2024, 2022, 2019 and 2018 Nebraska Journalists of the Year, received the Program of the Year/Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the University of Nebraska Omaha the past six years, and was the first school in country selected to patriciate in the High School Radio Project. In 2023, the Millard West was the first school inducted into the Nebraska High School Press Association’s Cornhusker Hall of Fame. Mark was named the 2015 Nebraska Distinguished Journalism Teacher of the Year, in 2019 was the first adviser to receive the Dr. Sherrie Wilson Outstanding Service Award for Journalism, and in 2020, received the Future Administrator Award and Scholarship from the Journalism Education Association. This is his seventh year with WJMC.

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Faculty Advisor

Matt Rasgorshek

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MATT RASGORSHEK

Faculty Advisor

Matt Rasgorshek is the journalism advisor at Creighton Prep High School in Omaha, NE. He has advised video and online publications that have received state, regional and national recognition. Rasgorshek has been recognized as a Distinguished Broadcast Advisor of the year by the Journalism Education Association as well as as one of the country’s top journalism advisors by the Dow Jones News Fund. Prior to teaching journalism, Matt worked behind the camera as a newscast director, producer, videographer and editor in local affiliates in Omaha and Phoenix. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, running and playing golf.

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Faculty Advisor

Matt Schott

MATT SCHOTT

Faculty Advisor

Matthew Schott is the publications adviser at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., where he just completed his 19th year advising the newspaper, yearbook, web and broadcast programs at FHC. His students have been the recipients of numerous national, state and local awards, most recently their website being an Online Pacemaker finalist this spring. He’s been honored twice by the Dow Jones News Fund, was the 2010 Journalism Teacher of the Year in Missouri and the teacher of the year at his school in 2018. In 2019, he was named one of six recipients of the Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award. Prior to teaching Matthew worked at newspapers in Missouri, Illinois and Florida as a design editor. Matthew is married with two kids (Noah and Sydney) and two dogs. In his spare time, he’s a freelance photographer specializing in sports photography. 

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Faculty Advisor

Melissa Larson

MELISSA LARSON

Faculty Advisor

Melissa Larson is excited to return to WJMC for her 10th year as a Faculty Advisor for the Pink Group.  Melissa taught technology, photography, and journalism for 14 years, before leaving the classroom to chase dreams, and is now working at Edpuzzle making educational videos. She advised yearbook and online publications which received numerous state and national awards. In 2014, she received the “Rising Star” Award from the Journalism Education Association. In 2013, she was recognized as one of nine Apple Award Finalists for Secondary Educator of the Year in the Douglas County School District. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, photography, reading, hiking, and traveling.

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Faculty Advisor

April van Buren

APRIL VAN BUREN

Faculty Advisor

April van Buren, MJE, advises yearbook (Tower Tales), broadcast (Tower TV), and a new journalism website (Tower Media), and also teaches various digital media classes including graphic design and web design at East High School in Madison, WI.  She has taught journalism for more than 20 years, including at Parkway Central High School in suburban St. Louis and at Mesa Vista Middle and High School in rural New Mexico. She has also been an adjunct professor for the Communications Department at the University of New Mexico-Taos. From 2010 to May of 2013, she served as the New Mexico director for the Journalism Education Association and as the Vice President of the NM Scholastic Press Association. She earned her National Board certification in Language Arts in 2012, and studied journalism, education and library sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She was the 2013 NM Adviser of the Year and currently serves on the Board for the Kettle Moraine Press Association and as the Broadcast Contest Director for the Journalism Education Association. In her free time, she likes to read young adult fiction, and plays roller derby and ice hockey.

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Faculty Advisor

Jeanette Neyman

Faculty Advisor

Jeanette Neyman is an award-winning student media adviser at West Johnston High School in North Carolina, where she oversees yearbook, broadcast, newspaper and a literary magazine. Her broadcast team is first in state for the past two years and earned an All North Carolina in 2016.

Neyman is originally from Southern California, where she received a BA in Journalism and a MA in Education, and wrote for several publications including the Los Angeles Times and Pro Rodeo Sports News.

In her free time she runs a community food pantry with her students, travels widely and is an avid road cyclist. She is excited to join the advisory staff for the first time this year, and is looking forward to sharing her passion for journalism with the Correspondents.

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Faculty Advisor

Jessica Young

JESSICA YOUNG

Faculty Advisor

Jessica Young is returning for another summer with the Washington Journalism and Media Conference.  Young teaches yearbook, journalism, photography, video production and graphic design at Orange Glen High School in Escondido, Calif. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Anthropology from San Diego State University and her Master’s Degree in Education from University of California, San Diego. She serves as the Vice President and Communications Chair for her school district’s teachers union. Young is the President of the San Diego Journalism Education Association and serves on the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees for the Quill and Scroll International Journalism Honor Society. She is an active member of the scholastic journalism community and teaches at workshops and conventions around the country. She was recognized as a “Rising Star” by the Journalism Education Association in 2012. In addition to teaching, Young works as freelance writer, photographer and graphic designer. She also enjoys running, baking, watching baseball, putting glitter on things and traveling. She has conquered the Original Marathon Greece, The Inca Trail in Peru, and the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC. In 2020, she fostered and adopted an Australian Cattle Dog, named Juno, who is now her best friend and #1 sidekick.

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Faculty Advisor

Abrianna Nelson

ABRIANNA NELSON

Faculty Advisor

Abrianna Nelson, CJE, teaches journalism and advises newspaper, yearbook, broadcast, and literary magazine at Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington, Va. She also serves as a Curriculum Coordinator for the Journalism Education Association’s Curriculum Initiative; previously she served as the Entrepreneurship Module Leader from 2013-2017. Additionally, Nelson previously advised newspaper and yearbook at Pleasant Ridge High School in Easton, Kan from 2011-2014. She majored in journalism and history at Washington and Lee University and interned with the Fairfax County Times and USA Today. Nelson also holds an M.A.Ed. in Education from The College of William and Mary and an Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia. Her specialties include web-based journalism and social media. In her free time, Nelson enjoys creative writing, binge-watching, rock climbing, and triathlon training.