The Washington Journalism and Media Conference

Danielle Haynes

DANIELLE HAYNES

Junior Faculty Advisor

Danielle (Danni) Haynes goes by She/Her pronouns and is a rising sophomore at the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou). She is studying Journalism with a minor in Musical Theatre. At Mizzou, she is a member of Alpha Psi Omega; she was in the fall musical Something Rotten and helped to Assistant Stage Management, one of Mizzou’s spring plays, Iphiegnia; she is also involved with the Choirs on campus. During her free time, she likes to hang out with friends and sing/listen to musicals; currently, her favorite is Ride the Cyclone. She also volunteers at her local TV station, KOMU, to help produce and film the news for Mid-Missouri. Danni is a 2022 WJMC alumna and is extremely excited to return as a JFA to help inspire the next upcoming journalist.

Maeve Bauer

MAEVE BAUER

Junior Faculty Advisor

Maeve Bauer is a student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is studying communications and journalism. Maeve attended WJMC in 2022 as a member of the pink group. She loved the time she spent at Mason and sees it as a major turning point in her journalistic career. Maeve has always wanted to be a journalist and has spent the majority of her academic career on reaching that goal. Since 7th grade she has been engaging herself in different types of journalism, and she can’t wait for more at WJMC.

Emily Fosker

EMILY FOSKER

Junior Faculty Advisor

Emily Fosker is a student at Northwestern University pursuing a B.S. in journalism with minors in economics, business, and marketing. She has an interest in broadcast and photojournalism and is involved in campus publications for these interests. She is ecstatic to return to WJMC as a Junior Faculty Advisor after attending in 2022!

Lucy Johnson

LUCY JOHNSON

Advance Team Member

Lucy Johnson is from Rochester, New York and is currently a rising sophomore at George Mason University studying Government and International Politics with an interest in environmental policy. Outside of academics, she is a member of the school dance team, Zeta Tau Alpha, and is the Vice President of Events for Mason Ambassadors. She is excited to work her first summer with the Washington Scholars Program!

Kobe Mosley

KOBE MOSLEY

Advance Team Member

Kobe Mosley is a 2018 alumnus of the sister program to WYSE, the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) and has previously worked on the staff for that program as an intern in 2019 and junior faculty advisor in 2022. He graduated from Butler University with a bachelor’s degree in sports media in 2023 and is working towards earning his master’s degree in sports journalism from Indiana University – Indianapolis this summer. After graduation, he plans to work as a McLendon Fellow for the Horizon League in Indianapolis. In his free time, he enjoys watching and playing sports, listening to his favorite podcasts, and doing the daily Connections puzzle.

Emma Taylor

EMMA TAYLOR

Advance Team Member

Emma Taylor is a rising junior from Charlotte, North Carolina who currently attends Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She is a Political Science major and an Anthropology/ Sociology minor on the pre-law track. At Rhodes, she participates in Mock Trial as a captain, serves as a campus tour guide, works in the Financial Aid office, and is a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. She looks forward to her third summer on George Mason’s campus!

Ashley Larson

ASHLEY LARSON

Advance Team Member

Ashley attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference as a correspondent in 2018, returned as an intern in 2019, and has worked in various roles on the Advance Team for the last three summers! Ashley earned her B.S. in Sport and Performance Psychology from Grand Canyon University in 2024 and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Applied Social Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. In her free time, Ashley enjoys watching the Denver Broncos, listening to Taylor Swift, and reading.

Lisa Gardner

LISA GARDNER

Faculty Advisor

Lisa Kick Gardner spent almost 20 years in broadcast journalism, most of that in television news. As a morning and evening TV news anchor, reporter and a radio morning show host, she has been asked to speak to numerous charity and community groups, businesses and school kids of all ages. (She’s even entertained on a cruise ship!) Lisa and her husband Steve have been a part of the Charlotte Country Day community since 2010 as Young Life leaders and Lisa started teaching in 2015. She’s currently the Podcast/Journalism and Public Speaking instructor. She and Steve have two children, Grace a junior at Appalachian State and Grant is a senior who plans to attend Davidson College in the fall of 2025.

Fiona John

FIONA JOHN

Junior Faculty Advisor

Fiona John is a rising Sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth pursuing a  major in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in International Social Justice and a minor in Media Studies. She participated in the WJMC during the summer of ‘22 and had the best time of her life! Fiona loved Washington D.C. and the George Mason campus, and she can’t wait to go back and see everyone there!

Johnathan Burch

JOHNATHAN BURCH

Junior Faculty Advisor

Johnathan Burch is from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a rising sophomore at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, pursing a major in Politics & Law and minors in Health Equity and Philosophy.  He is interested in pursuing a career in medical law, focusing on healthcare policy. Attending WJMC in 2021 was an unforgettable experience that Johnathan will cherish forever. He learned about the various forms that journalism can take on, met professionals in the field, and built new relationships with other National Youth Correspondents from across the nation. The relationships he made just a few years ago have blossomed into a vast network of individuals with similar interests. Although the students in his cohort may have chosen different career paths, they share an interest in breaking down barriers to improve society for the better. Returning as an alum to make this a memorable experience for other students is what makes WJMC even more special for him.