The Washington Journalism and Media Conference

Categories
Advisory Board Photographer Speakers Staff

Meghan A.T.B. Reese

MEGHAN A.T.B. REESE

Freelance Multimedia Journalist

Meghan Reese is a producer, writer, and photographer. Reese’s credits include producing and writing for National Geographic, National Geographic WILD, Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, History Channel, Smithsonian Channel, Science Channel, Oxygen, A&E, Animal Planet, Amazon Prime, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Discovery Family, PBS, Sony, Capital TV Pakistan, Facebook and Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, the White House, the U.S. Department of State, and NASA.

Reese also runs Ography — her own photography and multimedia shop — capturing events for the National Park Service, the White House, and many other businesses, families, and events. Her photography has been featured by The National Park Service, The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Wall Street Journal, PBS, and more.

Reese’s first step into production was as an assistant director and producer for WGBH PBS’s news coverage team, where Reese covered local Boston stories and major national events including the nomination and election of President Barack Obama.

Prior to making the switch to television and film, Reese was an award-winning writer and editor for several newspapers, medical, health and lifestyle magazines, and executive editor of Today’s Dietitian Cookbook. Her writing career began at USA Today, covering fashion, trends, and popular culture.

Reese holds a journalism degree from American University, where she held several prestigious internships around the Washington D.C. area, including The Washington Post, CNN, NPR, and at the White House.

Categories
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. 

Categories
Counselor Staff

Chrissy Wiedemann

CHRISSY WIEDEMANN

Counselor

As a teacher for 19 years, Chrissy enjoys working with students in English and Journalism at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Va. Chrissy received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from George Mason University. A proud Patriot, she connected to an international community there and developed her love of writing. As part of Patriot Nation, she traveled to Indianapolis in 2006 to watch the Cinderella team head to the Final Four. (Florida continues to be her least favorite team.) No English teacher has loads of free time during the school year, but when she can, Chrissy loves to see live music in DC. Summers on the beach and traveling to other countries are also favorites of hers. Chrissy is excited to return to Mason for her fifth WJMC and can’t wait to meet new friends this summer!

Categories
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.

Categories
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.

Categories
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.

Categories
Faculty Advisor

Katie Fletcher

KATIE FLETCHER

Faculty Advisor

Katie Fletcher is a born and bred Texan. After getting her BA in Political Science and English from Texas Tech University, Katie began her teaching career.  She currently teaches at the alma mater of Roy Orbison, in a tiny town whose population numbers less than 1,000. As the Fine Arts department at her school, Katie is responsible for overseeing the production of the school-wide yearbook and numerous photographs that are featured in the local county newspaper, as well as all Art classes. She is in her fourteenth year of teaching Journalism. Outside the classroom, Katie is the advisor for Student Council where she works closely with students in serving both the school and local community. She’s passionate about the leadership characteristics and qualities that StuCo & WJMC nourish and finds great joy in seeing her students thrive. In her free time, Katie is an enthusiastic photographer, reader, concert attendant, sports fanatic, spades player, and traveler. She’s very excited to be back at such a prestigious conference and can’t wait for the adventure to begin!

Categories
Faculty Advisor

Justin Turner

JUSTIN TURNER

Faculty Advisor

Justin Turner has taught journalism and advised yearbooks, newspapers, and literary magazines for 13 years.  In that time he’s found his passion: supporting students, the 1st amendment, and the power of those to things together. Justin’s staffs have won numerous state and national awards including gold medals, first divisions, individual write off awards, Arkansas’s top honor, the All-Arkansas award, and has placed in the top 10 best of show at a JEA/NSPA convention. Justin was named the 2020 Arkansas Adviser of the Year. This will be Justin’s seventh WJMC and he’s incredibly excited to help our newest correspondents make the best of their opportunity.

Categories
Leadership

Sue Muraida

SUE MURAIDA

Coordinator

Sue Muraida is a best-selling author, speaker, and pursuer of abundant life. Over the past 30 years, she has worked as a medical photographer, photojournalist, leadership trainer, writer, and teacher. Sue has published three books, Change For a Penny, The Silent Sound of Darkness, and her memoir Going Back For Me, as well as co-authored the anthology Deserts To Mountaintops: Our Collective Journey To (Re)Claiming Our Voice. She is currently the program director for Humanities North Dakota.