The Washington Journalism and Media Conference

Hope Beelman

Hope Beelman was born and raised in the Illinois Valley and is a senior at LaSalle-Peru Township High School in LaSalle, IL. She attended WJMC in the summer of 2019 and is excited to help with the development of the next conference. Not only is she currently in her second year of leading her school’s Ell Ess Pe Yearbook staff as editor-in-chief, but she is also involved in Link Crew and Key Club. Throughout her high school career, Hope has represented her school as a state qualifier and medalist at the IHSA Journalism Competition. She plans to continue her education at a four-year university with a major in either Education or Journalism.

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.

Megan Mittelhammer

MEGAN MITTELHAMMER

Junior Faculty Advisor

Megan is a rising junior at The University of Georgia in Athens (Go Dawgs!). She is studying journalism and political science and is interested in political communication. She works for the student newspaper, The Red & Black, and has served as staff writer, digital producer, and social media editor. She is also a member of the broadcast society on campus. Megan is so excited to return to WJMC as a JFA and can’t wait to share her love and passion for journalism with all of the correspondents!

I’Kesha Little

I'KESHA LITTLE

Junior Faculty Advisor

I’Kesha Little is a sophomore at George Mason University majoring in Government and International Politics with a minor in Political Communications. She loves to talk, dance, write, and meet new people. She believes that being confident and remaining true to yourself, your values, and your aspirations will take you a very long way!

Native to Raleigh, North Carolina, I’Kesha gives credit to the Washington Journalism and Media Conference she attended in the summer of 2016 for bringing her to George Mason University.  She often explains the endless opportunities WJMC has blessed her with- it not only helped I’Kesha find herself, but it helped her find her home, too!

Gabriela Latimer

GABRIELA LATIMER

Junior Faculty Advisor

Gabriela is a rising junior at George Mason University. She is part of several organizations on campus such as Students Demand Action, Chi Omega sorority, Mason Ambassadors, and the Honors College Recruitment Team. She has a great passion for human rights, reflected in her major, global affairs, as well as seen in other service works she has taken part in.  Gabriela is so excited to be returning to WJMC as a JFA and cannot wait to meet all the students who are passionate about journalism!

Charles Hunter

CHARLIE HUNTER

Junior Faculty Advisor

Charlie Hunter is a rising senior at the University of Kentucky pursuing a B.A. in Integrated Strategic Communication with a minor in Theatre.  Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Charlie attended WJMC as a correspondent in 2018 and returned as an intern in 2019. Since then, he has specialized in digital marketing and content creation, working with Sony Music Entertainment, the Kentucky Kernel, and various organizations within the University of Kentucky. Charlie is also an actor, avid sports fan, and aspiring educator.

Kobe Mosley

KOBE MOSLEY

Junior Faculty Advisor

Kobe Mosley is a rising senior at Butler University, studying sports media, journalism, and strategic communications.  Mosley was a national youth correspondent in 2018, an intern in 2019, and is so excited to return this summer as a JFA! Mosley is a huge fan of the NBA and WNBA and hopes to be a multimedia sports journalist after college.

Allison Alberty

ALLISON ALBERTY

Advance Team Member

Allison Alberty is the K12 Coordinator in the Office of Admissions at George Mason University and is both a WJMC and George Mason alumna. She received her BA in Communication and concentration in Public Relations in Spring of 2023 and is currently pursuing an MA in Strategic Communication. In her free time, Allison enjoys attending rock concerts, yoga sessions, adopting plants, and finding new brunch spots!

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!

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.