Category: Staff

Mark Hilburn

MARK HILBURN

Faculty Advisor

Mark Hilburn is in his fourteenth year teaching journalism at Millard West High School in Omaha, Nebraska, where he advises the MWHS Wildcat News Broadcast, Catalyst Newspaper, Prowler Yearbook and Striv live-streaming. Mark is also an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha where he teaches Media Writing while working on his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. Currently, Mark is serving as 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 Champions in 2017 and 2014 and State Runner-Up in 2018, 2016 and 2013. Mark advised the 2022, 2019, and 2018 Nebraska Journalists of the Year and received the Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 2022, 2020 and 2018. 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 fifth year with WJMC.

Tags 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, magenta

Intern

Taj Kokayi

Conference Intern

Taj Kokayi is a filmmaker and photographer. Next year he plans to be a film major and continue to pursue his love of visual storytelling. Currently, Taj serves as a videographer, editor, and floor director for his high school broadcast program, and he is also a sports videographer for his school’s champion lady volleyball and basketball teams. He is also a camera operator at Freedom Church, and he does nature photography and graphic design. Taj runs a news and media page on Instagram (@kingofmetahumans) that centers around science fiction and comic books and has reached over 75,000 followers. He attended the second session of WJMC last year, and it was without a doubt the best week of my life. He is beyond excited to return as an intern!

Tags 2018

Junior Faculty Advisor Staff

Sami Gibbs

SAMI GIBBS

Junior Faculty Advisor

Sami is a sophomore at George Mason University where she is majoring in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and double minors in Political Communication and Global Affairs. This past summer, Sami served as a Speaker Intern for WJMC 2018. She enjoys staying involved on campus as a Mason Ambassador, a News writer for The Fourth Estate, a member of Mason Cable News, an intern for the Washington Scholars Program, and a Student Government Senator. Recently, Sami has covered the much-anticipated appearance of Rep. John Lewis, which was featured on the cover of The Fourth Estate and has also co-anchored Mason Cable News on several occasions. Back at her hometown, Brentwood, California, Sami was a 2-year Editor-in-Chief of her high school’s paper, The Lion’s Roar, which earned a nationally-ranked first place award. She also created and ran a “Humans of Liberty” social media page and served as the student representative to the school board. WJMC will always hold a special place in Sami’s heart and she is grateful for the program, and those who were a part of it, for motivating her to pursue a career in the field. She looks forward to all the success that WJMC 2019 will bring!

Tags 2018, 2019, blue

Photographer Youth Advisory Board

Chloe Bohannon

Intern, Photography

Chloe Bohannon is a rising freshman at the University of Texas at Arlington, majoring in Public Relations. In high school, Chloe was the Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook. Winning various state awards for her contributions to the photography and design of the book, including 1st Place Journalistic Photo Story and Best in Arkansas for Yearbook Special Coverage Layout. She worked for her school district for two years photographing events for the schools’ website and social media. She attended WJMC 2017 as a correspondent and is excited to return as a photographer this summer.

Tags 2018

Junior Faculty Advisor Staff

Lauren Devenzio

LAUREN DEVENZIO

Junior Faculty Advisor

Lauren Devenzio is a freshman Political Science major and Journalism minor at Texas A&M University. She is the founder and current President of the Texas A&M University Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She is also involved in Greek life, Aggie Experience Council as a campus tour guide, Fish Camp, the Dean’s List, and she works at a television show called the Texas Bucket List as their Production Assistant. Lauren couldn’t be more thrilled to return to WJMC for her third summer, and she can’t wait to get to know all of the incredible correspondents! Feel free to reach out to her with any questions or just to be friends via Instagram @laur.devv or Twitter @LaurenDevenzio.

Tags 2018, 2019, teal

Intern Staff

Jenna Cohen

Conference Intern

Jenna Cohen is a current senior at South Brunswick High School in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey. She was a National Youth Correspondent at WJMC 2017, serves on the Youth Advisory Board, and is now an intern for WJMC 2018! She is currently a three year member on her Student Council, Peer Mentor for freshmen in her community, Student Video Director for the broadcast journalism program at her school, and creator of her political op-ed series entitled “The Rewind.” She is thrilled to return to WJMC as an intern, and is counting down the days until July!

Tags 2018

Photographer

Kera White

Photography Junior Faculty Advisor

Kera is a rising junior at George Mason University from Newport News, VA, and is studying Communication with a concentration in Media Production Criticism and a minor in African American Studies and Film and Media Criticism. She attended the Washington Journalism & Media Conference in 2014, returned as a Junior Faculty Advisor in 2016, and will return for her third year as the photo junior faculty advisor. Kera currently works in the Office of Student Media as the General Manager for Mason Cable Network. Her freshman year, she held the titles of Assistant News Director, News Director, and the creator of “Freshmen’s Corner” before being promoted to General Manager her sophomore year. Her other on-campus involvements currently include Black Student Alliance, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Chase Dreams Not Boys, and the Black Literary Project Marketing Advisor. In her free time, Kera enjoys writing poetry, taking photos for her business “Amethyst Films” and hanging out with friends and family. She looks forward to meeting all of the Correspondents and capturing all of the beautiful moments that this conference has to offer!

Tags 2017

Advance Team

Laura Townsley

Advance Team Member

Laura is a senior at Virginia Tech studying Human Development and Psychology. She is on the leadership board for Cru at Virginia Tech, as the Production Manager where she has found her love of event planning and management. Laura is also involved in Chi Delta Alpha, a service sorority, where she has completed over 100 hours of community service. Laura studied abroad in Switzerland and Rwanda last fall, and after graduating hopes to continue to travel the world. She is very grateful for this opportunity to serve on the Advance Team and is looking forward to everything she will experience and learn through this position.

Tags 2017

Advance Team

Madison O’Conner

Advance Team Member

Madison will be a graduating senior at George Mason University in the Fall 2017 semester. She will be the first of her family to be completing her bachelor’s degree and hopes to inspire other first generation students to achieve the same. Madison is studying Tourism and Events Management within George Mason University’s School of Recreation Health and Tourism. She has had the unique opportunity to work with the Office of Admissions helping prospective students and working as an events intern. Throughout Madison’s undergraduate career she has been involved in many campus organizations and activities including Greek life, GMU Upcycling club, intramural sports and various dance clubs. She has held leadership roles in the GMU Upcycling club, as a member if her sorority’s executive council and will be a panhellenic recruitment counselor in the Fall 2017 semester. Madison cannot wait to help the students attending the Washington Scholars Program prepare for their future!

Tags 2017

Advance Team

Michael Latimer

Advance Team Member

Michael Latimer is a recent graduate of George Mason University and a native of Miami, Florida. A member of the Honors College, he received his Bachelor of Science studying Environmental Science with a concentration in Conservation. A Washington Youth Summit on the Environment alumnus, he always had a passion for environmental conservation and the Washington Scholars Program (WSP). Here at Mason, he has been an intern with the Admissions Office for WSP and the events management team and previously was a Junior Faculty Advisor for the conferences. In the fall of 2016, he attended the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC) in Front Royal, VA, exploring the ways that science, management and policy address current conservation issues in and out of the field. While at SMSC, he had the amazing opportunity working with the institute’s small animal population on site and was a resident advisor as well. Other opportunities he has had were being part of the Green Patriots, Mason’s club volleyball team, and worked with the restoration of pine rocklands in Miami Dade County. Michael can’t wait to work at the conference and meet all the amazing people!

Tags 2017