2027 Fellows
Meet the 2027 Communications Fellows
The School of Communications welcomes its 2027 class of Communications Fellows. Fellows wrote their own mini biographies, which you can read below.
Madelyn “Maddy” Baird comes to Elon University from Mason, Ohio, a northern suburb of Cincinnati. During her four years at William Mason High School, she participated in Students Involving and Befriending Students, National Business Honor Society and Young Life. She was a vice president with Comet Savings and Loan and tutored/mentored students with Big Brothers Big Sisters and at Mason Early Childhood Center. Maddy’s passion has always been following and playing sports, especially soccer. She played two years of varsity basketball before focusing only on soccer. Maddy was a four-year varsity soccer starter where she was named to first team all-conference, first team all-district and Cincinnati Enquirer first team all-star all four years, as well as second team all-state and captain her senior year. She finished third at Mason in career goals (44) and career assists (38). Maddy was a starter for Ohio Elite Soccer Academy’s ECNL team, which finished as quarterfinalists in the top championships bracket in 2021 and top 15 in 2022. She is thankful to have the opportunity to continue playing on Elon’s women’s soccer team. Outside school, Maddy volunteered with Cancer Free Kids as a member of the Night for the Fight student executive committee and was a buddy and coach with Tops Soccer. Maddy plans to combine her love of sports and her analytical skill set to major in Sport Management and data analytics. Maddy feels blessed to have been selected as a Communications Fellow and is cannot wait to see where this journey leads her.
Camryn Banks was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She took an unorthodox yet fruitful route for her high school education. She opted to homeschool while dually enrolled at South Piedmont Community College. In December 2022, she graduated early. Throughout their high school career, Camryn took part in several academic activities, like DECA, International Thespian Society, Pre-Honors, Honors, Art Clubs and Union County Library’s Teen Advisory Group. In her free time, she organized donations to the county’s battered women and children’s shelters. Camryn has always enjoyed meeting others and learning about their experiences and ideas. They worked at Starbucks for over two years, and for the latter half of their time there, Camryn also worked a second job at a photography studio. Last year, she attended a five-week Summer Film Intensive at the University of North Carolina School for the Arts, and while there they fell in love with camera work and directing. They recently got back from a three-week trip to Egypt where she worked on a collaborative documentary that allowed her to interview local citizens, explore the area, help the local Bedouin community through volunteering on a farm, and paint a school. During the trip, she got inspired to make her own personal short films and film poems and began working on other various creative projects. Camryn plans to major in Cinema and Television Arts. They are beyond excited and grateful to be part a Communications Fellow.
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Will Blake grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and graduated from Christchurch School. Throughout high school, Will played varsity lacrosse and varsity football. Beyond his achievements on the field, Will played an instrumental role in establishing both the Film and Sports Media co-curriculars at Christchurch, and worked as an assistant developing social media content for both the high school and the varsity lacrosse team, displaying his passion for media and storytelling. He has also operated his own small business since eighth grade, providing high-quality highlight videos and graphics for student athletes throughout Virginia. Will has also volunteered as a lacrosse coach for elementary-aged players and volunteered for Challenger Sports as a buddy for athletes with special needs. Although he has yet to determine his precise area of study within communications, he eagerly anticipates immersing himself in the diverse opportunities the School of Communications offers.
Sydney Blau grew up in Seattle, where she graduated from Lincoln High School. During her time at Lincoln, Sydney was a part of the girls basketball team and served as the captain her sophomore through senior years. Additionally, she was accepted into National Honor Society, was a part of Links Crew to help mentor the younger students and worked to manage the girls softball team her last two years of high school. Outside school, Sydney has been involved with her community. She participated in Girl Scouts for the past 13 years and learned the importance of responsibility and leadership. She also found her love for nature and the outdoors. Sydney’s sophomore year of high school, she started her job at a local day spa and boutique, which is how she discovered how much she enjoys interacting with clients and learned social media platforms and inventory management, which fostered her love for working with people. Sydney is excited to study Strategic Communications, while expanding on new opportunities, meeting many new people and experiencing a new side of the country. She is honored to be a Communications Fellow and looks forward to exploring new ways to learn and grow her abilities.
Lucy Conrey grew up in Fort Mill, South Carolina, just south of Charlotte. She graduated from Fort Mill High School, where she was a member of “The Buzz TV” and served as senior producer. The show won first place in On-Demand Video Production at the South Carolina Technology Student Association state conference. Throughout her time on “The Buzz,” Lucy fell in love with video production, specifically editing. Outside academics, Lucy was a competitive cheerleader for 12 years and will be continuing her cheer career at Elon. Along with her academic and athletic passions, Lucy loves spending time with her friends and family, baking, listening to music and going to concerts. She is thankful for the opportunity to study at Elon University as a Communications Fellow and is excited to begin her college journey.
Olivia D’Alessandro was raised in Linwood, New Jersey, and attended Mainland Regional High School. There, she was a member of the Mainland girls tennis team, the president and historian of the MRHS Drama Club and a captain of the MRHS New Jersey Drama and Forensics League Team. She was also her school’s secretary of National Honor Society, a public relations manager for the Tri-M Music Honor Society, and president and historian of the International Thespian Society. Olivia enjoys spending time with her friends and family, traveling and all things music. She plans to major in Strategic Communications with a minor in Italian, and she cannot wait to begin her time at Elon as a Communications Fellow.
Colin Dorroh was raised in Greenville, South Carolina, where he attended Greenville Technical Charter High School, while also dual-enrolled at Greenville Technical College. While he practically grew up using a camera, a couple of astronomy courses piqued his interest in astrophotography and led him to begin learning the technical aspects of cinematography. These new skills allowed him to become a freelance sports photographer and later a videographer for a local wedding production company, 314 Collective/Ivory in Veil. At GTCHS, he was vice president of National Honor Society and worked on the yearbook staff. For his senior project, he filmed his first-ever documentary, which received a rating of “distinguished” from the community panel of judges. He is excited to begin his journey as a Communications Fellow at Elon, where he plans to major in Cinema and Television Arts. He is eager to explore what the School of Communications has to offer, including internships, mentorships and experiences.
Taylor Duque from Graham, North Carolina, graduated from Graham High School in the top 10% of her class. Taylor was enrolled in various AP and honors courses at her school. She was also a part of Graham High School’s Pre-Collegiate Academy and attended Alamance Community College, where she was awarded her associate degree. Taylor is honored to be a Communications Fellow and can’t wait for her next four years at Elon.
Olivia Edwards was born and raised in Northampton, England, and moved to Windermere, Florida, with her family when she was 13 where she graduated from Windermere Preparatory School. Olivia was involved in National Art Honor Society, National English Honor Society and National Science Honor Society, for which she was selected to be the marketing and social media director. She was also on the varsity lacrosse team and continued playing outside of school on club teams lacrosse and taught younger children as an assistant coach. She took the yearbook elective her first year, where she found her passion for communications. She always took a liking to photography and graphic design and carried that on throughout high school and was elected head photographer for the yearbook. Olivia’s favorite class was IB English, in which she analyzed advertisements and strategic writing. She also took IB Psychology, which consisted of analyzing people’s behaviors. This is where Olivia found her love for communications and analytics. Outside school, Olivia raised awareness and fundraised for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation after her little sister was diagnosed at age 4. Olivia looks forward to studying abroad and getting involved with Live Oak Communications. She looks forward to being a Communications Fellow and will be double majoring in Strategic Communications and Media Analytics and potentially minoring in French, with the hope of pursuing a career in public relations or marketing.
Keely Garcia grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, where she graduated from R.L. Paschal High School with honors. She found her love for writing when she joined her school’s journalism class sophomore year. Keely became a reporter for her school newspaper, The Pantherette, her junior year and quickly rose to editor her senior year. Keely was a member of National Honor Society and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter. Keely was also executive officer of her school’s JROTC program, as well as a part of the Symphony Orchestra and Green Club. In her free time Keely loves listening to music, going for drives with her friends and walking her dog. Eager to see the world, Keely looks forward to studying abroad during her time at Elon. She is excited to study Journalism and learn everything she can through the Communication Fellows program and as an Odyssey Scholar.
Haley Goodman is from Livingston, New Jersey, where she graduated from Livingston High School. She co-founded a tutoring organization called SmartOwls Tutoring during the fall of 2020 for children who were not getting the instructional support they needed during online learning. Additionally, she was on the varsity lacrosse team for three seasons and captained during her senior year. Haley’s interest in cinema started during her first year of high school, when she took her first Television Production class. She followed up with TV Production II her sophomore year and auditioned and was accepted into a competitive TV News class, also known as AM Wired, her junior year. In this class, she and her fellow classmates created, produced and directed the daily morning announcements and had full creative control. This is where she learned the ins and outs of the control room and all the steps required for putting on a production. She also partook in an intensive film summer program through The School of Cinema and Performing Arts, where she met people from all over the world who were also passionate about cinema. Haley is eager to meet new people and learn more about cinema and television at Elon.
Miles Hayford grew up in LaGrange, Illinois, and graduated from Nazareth Academy. He was a member of the National Honor Society, the National English Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and was an AP Scholar and on “A” honor roll throughout his four years. He received the English Achievement Award as part of his graduation honors. Miles was active in many clubs and activities, including Young Community Change Makers and Youth Initiative, where he led the mental health taskforce, Red Ribbon Week and freshman orientation. Additionally, he was a member of the varsity tennis team and was named team captain his senior year. Throughout his time in high school, Miles developed a passion for writing through his journalism and creative writing classes. As a result, he frequently contributed to his school’s literary magazine and the school newspaper, writing a wide variety of stories. Miles is excited to learn more about the field of journalism through Elon and the Communications Fellows program and is looking forward to exploring all the opportunities the School of Communications has to offer.
Estella Hoye was born in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from Talent Unlimited High School on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where she studied classical and contemporary ballet and modern dance. She has been dancing both in and out of school since the age of four and has performed at numerous venues throughout New York City, including The Kumble Theater and Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Estella enjoys giving back to her community. In addition to taking on a leadership role at her ballet studio, she works as a program intern for Digital Girl Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering underserved youth, especially young girls, to pursue careers in STEM. Estella has a strong passion for writing and music, and one day hopes to pursue a career as a music journalist. She is honored to be part of the 2027 Communications Fellows cohort and is looking forward to majoring in Journalism and learning more about strategic communications and music production.
Jasmine Jackson grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina. She graduated from Greensboro Day School, where she was the co-president of the school newspaper and advocacy club, and participated in Moot Court. Jasmine played volleyball throughout high school, joining the varsity team her eleventh- and twelfth-grade years and becoming team captain her senior year. Jasmine began photography and writing in 2020 during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. It became a passion of hers to write articles on the many different social and political arguments surrounding her city, growing her love for journalism as a future career. Jasmine is excited to pursue Journalism as a major at Elon and is thrilled to join the Communications Fellows program.
Katharyn MacDonald grew up in Saint Leonard, Maryland, where she graduated with distinction from Calvert High School. She has developed a passion for storytelling through her school’s journalism program, theatre and creative writing. She was a senior writer for The Courier, her school’s online newspaper, and an anchor and producer for the daily news broadcast. After studying Spanish language and culture for six years, Katharyn passed the exam to obtain the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy. She will continue working toward her goal of becoming bilingual and helping others overcome the language barrier through her career in communications. During her time in high school, she was involved in several activities, including being a dedicated student leader and member of multiple band and chorus ensembles, as well as her school’s chapter of the International Thespian Society. Katharyn loves working with and learning from people, and she is looking forward to getting involved in the Elon community. She intends to major in Journalism. Katharyn is grateful for the opportunity to explore the possibilities of the communications field as a Fellow and meet others in her cohort.
Sydney Michel grew up on a lake in Ridgefield, Connecticut. She immersed herself in Ridgefield High School’s community and made an impact performing in award-winning theater productions and singing groups, contributing as a National Honor Society member, writing for her school newspaper, serving as captain of her varsity cheer team and volunteer coaching the Ridgefield Youth Cheer team to a fourth-place finish at nationals. Her interest in communications was born when she edited videos of her family’s travels and grew coordinating a multimedia fundraiser for Alzheimer’s. She also produced in-game highlights and articles for a local sports media organization. Following graduation, Sydney worked at a social media marketing firm building her experience before setting foot on Elon’s campus. She is honored to be a Communications Fellow and is excited to explore Journalism and Strategic Communications.
Katelyn Miller grew up in Radnor, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. She graduated from Radnor High School where she was involved in several clubs and high-level classes. Katelyn volunteered at her local art center’s summer camp, where she then held an internship. There, she also took painting and drawing classes that furthered her love of art. She was also a part of her school’s first Special Olympics Unified bocce team, which was an amazing opportunity to try a new sport and learn from others’ world views. She made many meaningful friendships and helped integrate Special Olympics sports into her school. It was a different and challenging experience that grew her love for sports and sport management. Katelyn is excited to be a Communications Fellow and is looking forward to studying Sport Management and interactive media.
Blake Mobley grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. He graduated cum laude from Millbrook High School, where he was involved in all aspects of the school. He was a captain of the varsity football, tennis and track teams. He was also inducted into the National Achievers Society, chosen as an outstanding senior for the whole senior class, and served on the Millbrook Executive Board. Throughout his four years attending Millbrook, he was a part of the Digital Media Career Academy, which fostered his passion for communications. He believes that communications leads to pathways into all careers. Blake is excited to learn more about the communications field and join the Elon community.
Lilliana Molina grew up in Tampa, Florida, where she attended Leto High School. There, she was president of National Honor Society and vice president of her school’s Student Government Association. She was also co-founder and co-president of her school’s book club, where she helped establish a little library on her school’s campus so local children could have the access and opportunity to read books at any time. In addition, she founded a podcast to help high school students navigate through school called “Not In The Building.” She has even been recognized twice for her achievements on Tampa’s local news network, Bay News 9. In her free time, Lilliana enjoys going to the beach, thrifting and spending time with her friends. At Elon, Lilliana intends to major in journalism but plans on exploring other interests within the field of communications.
Bella Pelini is from the Chicago suburbs. She is planning to double major in Strategic Communications and Cinema and Television Arts. While in high school, Bella was greatly involved in her school’s theater program, where she directed and wrote many plays. She picked up her love for the arts and filmmaking early in life and watched her own short film premiere in 2023. Along with being a creative, Bella enjoys playing lacrosse and many other team sports. During her time at Elon, Bella hopes to grow her passions for leadership and film. She is proud to be a part of the Odyssey Scholars program and the Emerging Journalists 2022 cohort. Bella is eager to learn and explore everything that the School of Communications has to offer and is excited to be part of the Fellows program.
Charlotte Pfabe grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, where she graduated summa cum laude in the top-5 percent of her class from Broadneck High School. During her four years, she dedicated her time to many organizations around her high school, acting as a delegate in Student Government, vice president of Model UN, secretary of Rho Kappa (National History Honor Society), and as a writer and editor of her school’s newspaper, where she found a passion for reporting and communications. Throughout high school, Charlotte took honors and AP courses, earning the AP Scholar with Distinction award and the Seal of Biliteracy for her performance on the AP Spanish Language exam. Additionally, she was a co-host of her school’s morning announcements and volunteered around her community as an active member of National Honor Society. Outside school, Charlotte spent her time as an early childhood literacy tutor at the Annapolis Gigi’s Playhouse (a center for Down Syndrome achievement), acted as a National History Day community judge two years in a row, and performed all around Maryland as the lead guitarist of a local audition-based house band. Since she can remember, Charlotte has always been interested in news broadcasting and journalism, constantly keeping herself up to date on current events, politics and local news. Charlotte is elated to have the opportunity to be a part of the Communications Fellows program at Elon as a Journalism major, and she can’t wait to see what the next chapter of her life brings.
Camila Montoya Posada was born in Colombia but lived most of her life in Pittsburgh. But she has stayed in touch with her Colombian roots and enjoys spending her summers visiting friends and family in her home country. She graduated from Upper St. Clair High School and was a member of her school’s chapter of National Honor Society. Throughout her high school career, Camila developed a love for languages and enrolled in various world language classes at her school. Camila can confidently speak Spanish, French, German and English. Her devotion to languages has allowed her to travel and live abroad in many European countries. Camila hopes to continue expanding her linguistic and cultural knowledge throughout her four years at Elon. She is beyond excited to join the School of Communications as a Communications Fellow and
Strategic Communications major, and she looks forward to understanding the close-knit connection between language and communication.
Ellie Reasbeck grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia, where she graduated from Wheeling Park High School. She challenged herself academically, graduating with high honors and earning recognition as an AP Scholar. She was a member of National Honor Society and took on many leadership roles in various clubs. Ellie has a passion for athletics, having played four years of varsity soccer and running varsity track, serving as a two-year captain for both teams. In soccer, she started on the 2020 WVSSAC State Championship team and the 2021 State Runner-Up team. Ellie was also a three-year member of the WPHS Speech and Debate team, helping to earn the team’s 41st, 42nd and 43rd consecutive state championships. When she was young, Ellie dreamed of being a meteorologist and even visited a local news station when she was 6, where she sat in front of the green screen and pretended she was broadcasting the news. She found her love for journalism within her school’s broadcasting program, where she participated in the SkillsUSA competitions and was a reporter for the school’s student-run news channel. Ellie hopes to use her passions for sports and journalism to become a sports journalist. Ellie is excited to attend Elon as a Communications Fellow and looks forward to all the opportunities Elon has to offer.
Liya Rike was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, but was raised in Arlington, Virginia, where she graduated from Washington-Liberty High School. She plans to major in communications and minor in International & Global Studies. She aspires to be many things, like a model and a songwriter, but her main aspiration is to be a news anchor. She was the editor for her school’s publications and a producer for her broadcast class. She was also the president of the Black Student Union at Washington-Liberty. At Elon, Liya is excited to refine her journalistic talents, focusing on international news and underreported stories, with a desire to collaborate with renowned networks such as Al Jazeera and CBS. She is excited and grateful to be part of this cohort and can’t wait to start working.
Sidney Rothkin grew up in New York City. She graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, New York. Throughout her four years of high school, Sidney involved herself in varsity crew and became an elected member of her school’s honor council. Sidney also dove headfirst into any and all journalism opportunities offered at her school. As a sophomore, she became a staff writer for her school’s paper, the Polygon. Additionally, as a sophomore, she became the Polygon’s layout editor, a position she served in throughout her junior and senior years. Her responsibilities included designing and compiling the Polygon each month into a visually appealing and easily digested publication. Sidney also served as the chief video editor for her school’s webcast, “The Morning Devil,” where she edited and compiled video clips into a coherent news package. Sidney was also featured in other publications including her school’s literary magazine, the Poly Record. Through these various opportunities, Sidney has discovered and explored her passion for communications. Although Sidney has not decided which area of communications is her favorite, she looks forward to exploring all her options as a fellow at Elon.
Seldy Schiff is from Durham, North Carolina, and she graduated from Durham Academy. During her time in high school, she actively participated in various extracurricular activities, including the yearbook committee and playing on both the varsity lacrosse and field hockey teams. Moreover, she served as a club leader and teen ambassador for the One Love Foundation. Outside school, Seldy interned one summer with a local interior designer. Currently, she works at a women’s clothing boutique and spends a significant amount of her time babysitting. Her love for writing scripts stems from her childhood. At the age of 10, she collaborated with her drama teacher to create an idea and script for a play, which later evolved into a grade-wide production. Since then, her passion for scriptwriting has only grown, leading her to craft original screenplays and enroll in high school courses such as “Hero to Anti-Hero,” a film analysis class, and “Dramatic Writing for the Stage and Screen.” Looking ahead, Seldy intends to major in Cinema & Television Arts and is thrilled to be a part of the School of Communications as a Communication Fellow.
Sienna Sedacca grew up in Long Island, New York, where she graduated as a Platinum Renaissance Scholar from General Douglas MacArthur High School. During her four years, she became vice president of the Business Honor Society, the vice president of the World Language Honor Society, a member of National Honor Society, a captain of the inaugural girls’ flag football team, a player on the varsity soccer team, and was elected to be a peer leader for the underclassmen. Additionally, she volunteered for the MacArthur Challenger Basketball League and the Soccer Stars organization for children with disabilities. She transformed her passion for communications, media and videography into a career path through the student-oriented news station, WMHS. There, she led the group as a critical asset in progressing many of the team’s productions. Outside school, she is a dedicated community and church member. She chose to attend a Young Life Mission Trip as a volunteer, assisting teen mothers in caring for their children. Following many years as a devoted athlete, Sienna was appointed to be the captain while playing a tournament in Spain for her soccer team Barcelona Academy Pro New York, where she continued playing all four years of high school. Sienna is beyond excited for her future endeavors at Elon, where she will study Media Analytics and pursue a minor in Political Science. She is honored to be a Communications Fellow and is ready to explore all the opportunities the program has to offer.
Addy Smith was born in San Diego and graduated from Francis Parker High School. There, she participated in various clubs, including the Robotics Team, where she was the director of awards and sponsorship; the Model United Nations team, where she was a co-founder and the director of member recruitment; and the National Art Honor Society, where she participated in an art intensive that ended in a gallery show. Addy also played volleyball both inside and outside school. She competed on a travel team starting at the age of 7 and continued to play on AAU travel teams through 18. Eventually, after three years on the varsity high school team, she was elected to the role of team captain. The team went to the CIF championship in 2021 and 2022. They competed in Division 2 in 2021 and earned the rank of runner-up, then competed in Division 1 in 2022 and again earned the rank of runner-up. She also managed the boys varsity volleyball team, the Division 1 state champions in Southern California. She enjoys spending time at the beach, reading, working out and camping. Through playing sports, managing sports and watching sports, it became clear that sports is a medium where people can connect despite differences in their backgrounds. Addy is excited to major in Sport Management and be a Communications Fellow.
Emily Stabell is from Bedford, New Hampshire, where she graduated from Bedford High School as a member of National Honor Society and Rotary Interact. She spent four years as a girls varsity rower on her school’s crew team, was on the youth board for the non-profit organization “Fueled By Kids” and was the interning author for the “Bedford Living” turned “Greet Bedford” magazine her senior year. She wrote a variety of articles, ranging from travel stories to opinion pieces, and highlighted a lot of local stars in the Bedford community with her Athlete of the Month segment. With her internship, her love for journalism grew stronger, helping her choose Elon as the right school for her. In her free time, Emily loves spending time with friends, going to concerts, reading and traveling. Her love for traveling stems from being born in England, living in several U.S. states, and hailing from Denmark. Emily is excited to attend Elon in the fall to major in Journalism and is honored to be a Communications Fellow.
Alex Sterne, from Lynchburg Virginia, is a graduate of Virginia Episcopal School, where he excelled academically, while also making significant contributions to the school’s extracurricular and athletic programs. During his time at VES, Alex participated in varsity tennis (captain), varsity cross country and varsity football. Alex also demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities on Student Council and as a junior RA. In high school, he hit the ground running with his passion for broadcasting and film, as he was quickly appointed head of the Video Productions Committee. His proficiency in sports coverage allowed him to create highlight reels, conduct pre- and post-game interviews, and play-by-play commentary for games. One of Alex’s most notable achievements was the creation of a compelling sports documentary about cross country super runner Colin Walsh. Beyond sports, Alex used his creative energy to make videos to promote various school events, including Parents Weekend and student dances. Additionally, Alex assisted the admissions office at VES, where he was not only featured as an actor in promotional material but also created videos for their social media platforms. He has also created content for a real estate company in his hometown. At Elon, he is excited to study Cinema and Television Arts and learn as much as he can as a Communications Fellow.
Tyler Strenk grew up in Irmo, South Carolina. He graduated from Chapin High School as a member of National Honor Society and Academic Leadership Academy, along with a certification through the Center for Creative Leadership organization. Tyler enjoys running, weightlifting and playing ultimate frisbee. During his four years at school, he was a member of the Science Olympiad team, studying an array of subjects and completing a wide variety of build projects. During his senior year at Chapin, he founded and coached the Chapin Ultimate team to a third-place finish at state. Over the last six years, Tyler has developed a love for storytelling, especially through the lens of photography and videography. He intends to major in both Cinema and Television Arts and Environmental Science. Tyler looks forward to pursuing his education at Elon and is excited to be a part of the Fellows program for the next four years.
Clara Truebner grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where she graduated from St. Teresa’s Academy. There, she became a high honor roll student and held leadership positions in many societies and extracurriculars, such as National Honor Society, student publications and athletics. She was named the captain of the varsity swim team as a junior and editor-in-chief of her school’s yearbook. She was an AP scholar, a regional winner of the EcyberMission Science and Innovation competition and a recipient of an All-Missouri Award from The Missouri Interscholastic Journalism Association. She also received a STEAM certification for excellence in the science and art fields over the course of her four years. Her love for journalism began her junior year, when she joined the yearbook staff where she discovered the wonders of writing and reporting and how it impacts the world. Her enthusiasm for the journalism and communications world led her to start her high school’s first podcast where she was able to keep students informed about events going on in and outside school. Clara is looking forward to majoring in Journalism at Elon, where she hopes to join a publication staff. She is honored and excited to be named a Communications Fellow and she is looking forward to sharing her passion with Elon.
Luke Villanova grew up in Tampa. He graduated from Carrollwood Day School with honors and an I.B. diploma. Luke was on varsity swim for six years and was a team captain during his senior year. Luke founded the Screen Actors Guild of Carrollwood Day School. During high school, he wrote and directed two short films, a music video and several experimental shorts. Luke has studied film since he was 11 years old, using every YouTube video, textbook and interview to help broaden his knowledge. Luke was in a rock band for two years and played some of the most iconic Tampa Bay music venues during his time as a guitarist. He also managed his band’s Instagram, where he got Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill to follow the band. Luke has worked as a deep water lifeguard at Adventure Island’s theme park, where he had two water saves. He interned the summer before heading to Elon at Vū, a virtual production studio in Tampa, which has had artists such as Greta Van Fleet, Tom Brady and Tom Cruise use its 100-foot LED volumetric screen. Inspired by the TV show “Mad Men,” Luke wants to go into advertising and make commercials, given his passion for filmmaking. Luke is excited to attend Elon and join the Communication Fellows program. He hopes to study abroad and pursue his degree in Cinema and Television Arts.
Tyler Whitfield grew up in Sterling, Virginia, right outside Washington, D.C., and graduated from Dominion High School, where he was a broadcaster for his school news network and for PBS’ Student Reporting Lab. Tyler was a member of National Honor Society and a three-year varsity athlete and senior captain for his school’s cross country and track teams. Tyler began journalism in his freshman year and shifted to broadcast not long after with a content focus on mental health awareness, outreach and de-stigmatization. Aside from broadcasting, he also loves watching and playing sports, spending time with his family and listening to music. His current plan is to major in Strategic Communications, but he also hopes that he can continue to pursue his broadcasting work. He looks forward to facing the new challenges and opportunities the Communications Fellows program offers.
Lauren Winslow grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and graduated from Cherry Hill High School East. In high school, Lauren served as editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper, Eastside Online. She was also president of the Social Studies National Honor Society and was an active member of the English National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society and Cum Laude Society. Lauren also played for her school’s basketball and soccer teams and was a choir member. In her community, she served as managing editor of The Rocky, a student-run newspaper for the greater Philadelphia area. In 2022 she attended the Northwestern-Medill Cherubs Journalism program to pursue her passion for journalism. As an incoming Journalism and Sport Management double major, Lauren looks forward to expanding upon her knowledge of the field of communications.
Mia Zebley is from Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, where she graduated from Garnet Valley High School. She was a three-sport athlete in soccer, lacross and basketball all four years of high school and earned multiple all-league and conferences honors and an All-America All-Academic honor. She was also nominated for the Delco Times Athlete of the Year. At Elon, Mia will compete on Elon’s women’s lacrosse team. In high school, she was a member of National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. She participated in many clubs, including the Jag Center, Interact, Spanish, Math, Fashion, Dance and Photography club. Outside of school she focused on volunteer service where she helped run TOPS Soccer for kids with disabilities, participated and now mentors at the Live Like Blaine Leadership Academy. As a result of her endeavors, she received the Good Citizenship Award from the Union League of Philadelphia. Her love of sports and connecting with others helped fuel her interest in Sports Management. Mia is excited and honored to be a Communications Fellow and can’t wait to experience all of the new opportunities Elon has to offer.