Category: Youth Advisory Board

Delaney Brooks is a junior at Chantilly High School in Chantilly VA who reports for four publications, two of which she founded. She’s a staff reporter for Chantilly High’s news show The Knightly News, the features section editor of its news magazine The Purple Tide, editor-in-chief of The Cross-Country Connection which she founded with friends from WJMC and host of The Accessibility Angle podcast. If all goes to plan, you’ll see Delaney’s work in The Guardian and when she’s not reporting the news, she’s likely up in the air practicing aerial arts on the silks, dance trapeze or lyra. She absolutely loves comedy: Who’s Line Is It Anyway is her very favorite TV show, and she’ll reach for Green Day, The Proclaimers or The Struts when she has silence to fill.

Little is a dedicated student leader known for their passion and commitment to journalism and communication. They currently hold the esteemed position of Editor-in-Chief in the school yearbook, where they have excelled in storytelling and design, creating memorable keepsakes for their peers.

Additionally, Reilly serves as the Chapter President of the International Quill and Scroll Honor Society, where they have fostered a thriving community of aspiring journalists and consistently recognized excellence in the field. In 2023, they had the privilege of attending the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC), a transformative experience that further ignited their enthusiasm for the world of journalism.

With a strong dedication to excellence and innovation, Reilly is poised to continue their remarkable journey in media and communication, making a lasting impact in these fields.

Allen Connor Forbus is a rising junior at Sandalwood Senior Highschool in Jacksonville, Florid, and as a member of the Early College program, he is currently taking full-time at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Allen aspires to become an advocate for the deaf community, by being an American Sign Language interpreter and reporting on deaf issues; his experience at WJMC 2023 taught him the value of the written word and substantive reporting, and he hopes to help the students of WJMC 2024 have an experience as life changing as WJMC experience!

Natalie Bookout is a junior in high school from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is a local activist in the Charlotte community and is the hub coordinator for her local Sunrise Movement chapter. Along with that, she is an intern at the Borgen Project and a fellow at Civics Unplugged. In her day-to-day life, she enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and going to metal concerts 

Noelle Santana is a WJMC 2022 Alumna from Bristol, Pennsylvania. She currently attends Bristol Sr-Jr High School as a 3rd year student. In her freetime, Noelle loves to spend her time exploring the world around her. Noelle also participates in various school clubs such as Mock Trial, Model UN and Unified Student Council. She is also a student-athlete that participates in Varsity Cheerleading, Varsity Girls Basketball, Unified Sports, and Track and Field. When Noelle graduates high school, she plans to attend college where she will obtain a degree in Communications. Noelle enjoyed every second of her time at WJMC and cannot wait to help others gain the same experience as she did.

Noelle Santana is a WJMC 2022 Alumna from Bristol, Pennsylvania. She currently attends Bristol Sr-Jr High School as a 3rd year student. In her freetime, Noelle loves to spend her time exploring the world around her. Noelle also participates in various school clubs such as Mock Trial, Model UN and Unified Student Council. She is also a student-athlete that participates in Varsity Cheerleading, Varsity Girls Basketball, Unified Sports, and Track and Field. When Noelle graduates high school, she plans to attend college where she will obtain a degree in Communications. Noelle enjoyed every second of her time at WJMC and cannot wait to help others gain the same experience as she did.

Madison Jolley is a seventeen-year old senior from Voorhees, New Jersey. She writes for her school’s newspaper, The Voyager, and loves to write about local news, entertainment, and politics. When she’s not writing compelling articles, she enjoys watching shows on Netflix and Hulu, listening to R&B music, traveling, running, and spending quality time with friends and family (and her teacup yorkie, Lola). She looks forward to working with her fellow WJMC YAB members and helping to create future WJMC events!

Madeline Misterka is a high school senior located in Central Indiana who serves her school publication, the HiLite, as Managing Editor. On staff, she writes articles for all sections of the publication, manages social media accounts, teaches photography, and makes vector graphics. She is a member of Rho Kappa social studies Honor Society, National Honor Society, and Quill & Scroll Journalism Honor Society, with intents to pursue political and policy-based journalism. She credits WJMC for introducing her to her passion for political policy and hopes to promote the same love of journalism and communications for future correspondents.

Gabriella Henderson, who goes by Gabby, is from Ruther Glen, Va, and she is currently a junior in high school. She is a feature editor for her school’s newspaper. She hopes to begin studying to be a political journalist once I graduate high school. She’s beyond grateful for the opportunity she’s been given to come back to WJMC apart of the Youth Advisory Board!

Emmalina is currently a junior at South Lakes High School in Virginia and is the Co-Editor in Chief of her school paper, the South Lakes Sentinel. Her two main passions are reading and writing, and after her experience at WJMC, she intends to pursue journalism or communications as a career path. Outside of school, Emmalina enjoys playing soccer and tutoring students in writing. She is excited to consult on the Youth Advisory Board of 2023.