Category: Youth Advisory Board

Lauren Bunten loves broadcasting. She is a  curious person who is always asking questions, which is why she loves Journalism so much. Lauren is always talkative and full of energy, and she loves getting to know people and figure out their story. She plans on going to the University of Missouri next fall to further her passion for journalism.

Laurel Walls lives in Manasquan, New Jersey and is in the graduating class of 2018 at Manasquan High School. She attended WJMC 2017, Session 1 and was in the Lime group. She will hopefully attend Mason one day. She’s very excited to get to connect with more people through the country to help make WJMC 2018 amazing!

Jessika Harkay is a senior at Eagle Valley High School in Gypsum, Colorado. In school, she’s part of National Honor Society and her school broadcast news network. She also designs her schools yearbook cover and manages multiple sports. In addition, she interns with a local TV Network and locally radio broadcasts her school’s sports. She loves sports and hopes to pursue broadcast sports journalism with the Dallas Cowboys. Her favorite part of WJMC was all the life-long friendships she made and being able to first-handedly pursue her passion of journalism.

Emily Peacock is a current senior at Gardiner Area High School in Maine. She loves researching things when she gets curious, and then loves to write about it to share what she has learned. It is important to her that people know what is going on in the world, and WJMC is a great program for those that feel that way, too. Emily attended The Washington Journalism and Media Conference during the summer of 2017, and she is so excited to help with the upcoming year!

Collin Cope is currently a senior at Lee High School in Springfield, Virginia. Collin attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference in 2017 and loves the field of media and journalism. This year, Collin is the lead editor for his high school’s yearbook, The Shield, and he is also heading the publicity team for his school’s fall play. Collin looks forward to being a part of the Youth Advisory Board for the 2018 session of the WJMC!

Austin McDowell is from a rural area in Alabama known as Titus and is a Junior at Wetumpka High School. Austin is currently the Creative Director of the school news and the President of SkillsUSA. He is an active member in Beta club and a part of Bridge of Alabama (a volunteer organization). He is also am a flag runner for the Wetumpka High School football team. Austin’s hobbies include reading, playing with his two adorable dogs, and hanging out with his friends. He is excited for this upcoming WJMC!

Angelica Edwards is a senior who enjoys marching band, softball, mock trial, and volunteering the Food Ark, a student run and lead non-profit dedicated to serving those with food insecurities. She aspires to be a journalist, and writes for her school paper in the meantime. Angelica is excited for what WJMC 2018 has to offer and can’t wait to share a lifetime of memories with future correspondents.

Alyssa Blair is a junior at West Springfield High School in West Springfield, Massachusetts. She discovered journalism through creative writing and enjoys journalism because of the fact that it is storytelling of real people and events. WJMC helped Alyssa to realize her true passion for written journalism, educated her in the field, and surrounded her with a community of people who she felt understood by. In school, she is a member of the Spanish National Honor Society and the Superintendent Advisory Board, is an editor for her school’s newspaper and news station, and is an outstanding member of her school’s swimming program. She hopes to pursue a degree in mass communications following her graduation in 2019 and is looking forward to helping a whole new group of WJMC members on their journeys in the field of journalism.

Alex Varada is currently a junior at Rock Ridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia. In her free time, she likes to volunteer at her local hospice center and tutor elementary and middle school students in various subjects including public speaking and math. She is tri-lingual and aspires to become a pediatric psychiatrist. Alex is also a photography editor for her school’s yearbook. WJMC was a one-of-a-kind experience for Alex, because she was not only fortunate enough to meet speakers such as Sonya Gavankar and April Ryan, but she also interviewed Arthur Bryant about the current state of affairs.