SAMANTHA PACH
Junior Faculty Advisor, Alum 2023
Samantha is from central Connecticut and is a rising sophomore at Penn State University! She intends to major in broadcast journalism and minor in digital trends and analytics and theater. At Penn State she is a comedy host on a late night talk show, Nittany Talk, and helps run the social media for the schools longest running newspaper, The Daily Collegian. She attended WJMC in 2023, and is so excited to be back this summer as a JFA!
REGAN WEESE
Regan Weese is a senior at Mercy High School in Baltimore, Maryland, and a 2023 WJMC alum. She took her school’s Design, Writing, and Publishing course in her junior year and was previously her school’s copy editor for the newspaper, The Shield. In her free time, Regan spends time with her family, listens to a variety of different music, and volunteers at her church. Regan is excited to be a part of planning WJMC 2024 and hopes to return next summer as an intern!
MINA MITCHELTREE
Mina Mitcheltree is a Junior at Concordia Preparatory School in Towson, Maryland. She is a part of her school’s varsity softball team and worked as the stage manager, assistant to the director, and tech assistant for each performance at her school since she began attending. She loves to read a wide range of genres and enjoys listening to music and creative writing in her spare time. She works as an office assistant for North Hill Tree Experts in Pennsylvania and interns in the Marketing and Communications department at Berman McAleer in Timonium. She loves science and aspires to work in forensic science one day. She attended WJMC in 2023 and hopes to make WJMC 2024 an even better experience.
MAXWELL NICKEL
Maxwell Nickel is a 16-year-old high school Junior from Forsyth, Georgia. He’s been involved in writing and journalism from a very young age. He has written for his county newspaper, for online publications, and has worked for local sports shows. Max was born in New Jersey and moved to Georgia after a few years. He loves writing and had a great time at the 2023 Washington Journalism & Media Conference.
MARK LUSSIER
Junior Faculty Advisor, Alum 2023
Mark is a rising sophomore at Hofstra University, studying journalism and minoring
in political science. He attended WJMC in the summer of 2023 as a rising high school
senior and as an intern in 2024. He loved every minute of both experiences. His love
for journalism was sparked when he was interviewed by a local reporter while he was
volunteering for Jahana Hayes’ campaign for Congress in 2018. The unmatched
energy and spirit from his WJMC 2023 color group only made him more excited
about possibly joining the profession. Mark is incredibly excited to return to
WJMC for the third year in a row as a Junior Faculty Advisor. He will strive to
make WJMC even more enjoyable while giving the same amazing experience to other aspiring journalists.
MAEVE STERLING
Maeve Sterling is a Junior at Midlothian High School. She has been involved in Student Government for the past two years, and will be President of the Council her Senior year. She enjoys the arts, music analysis, and spending time with friends! She is thankful to be on the Board this year.
LEAH GAROFALO
Leah C. Garofalo is a junior from the suburbs of Philadelphia. In school, she leads her school’s Critics and Awards program (Cappies team), co-founded her school’s Fashion Club, and is on the executive board of the orchestra. Outside of school, Leah loves dancing, exploring her town, reading, and creating music. She hopes to become a journalist in the future, and is immensely grateful for the experiences that WJMC has provided her.
KELSEY BURKE
Kelsey Burke is a senior attending Valley Central High School in Montgomery, New York. She is an active member of her school’s National English Honor Society. Kelsey enjoys reading, writing, and listening to music. She is very passionate about writing and hopes to be an author in her future. Kelsey attended WJMC in 2023 and is extremely excited to assist in making WJMC 2024 as memorable as possible.
JORDAN RIGGS
Jordan Riggs is a junior at West Carteret High School in eastern North Carolina. He is a member of the Varsity soccer team and a member of the National Honor Society. He likes to play sports and to spend time with friends and family. At WJMC 2023, Jordan enjoyed meeting new people, making new friends, and learning more about journalism.
JORDAN LEWIS
Jordan is a junior at Lakewood High School in Salemburg, North Carolina. She is a 2023 WJMC alumnus. WJMC was the highlight of Jordan’s summer, she enjoyed every experience and was truly inspired by the influences she met there. Jordan is was part of her school’s broadcast class and she is a cheerleader for her school. She is looking forward to this new journey on the YAB.
