Class of 2022
Lily Brouder | Lily is a psychology major and former pre-health student from Point Pleasant, N.J. In high school, she served as the executive producer for the televised broadcast show, MATES TV. At Notre Dame, she works as a research assistant in the department of psychology’s Cognition and Emotion lab. Her journalistic interests include national politics and global affairs.
"I view journalism as a bridge between people and the truth. I am excited to be a part of the Gallivan program because it is an opportunity to learn how to communicate the truth with empathy, impartiality, and accessibility for all."
Indonesia Brown | Indy is a political science and psychology double major from South Bend. She writes for The Dome yearbook publication and HerCampus Notre Dame. Indy is a manager for the Fighting Irish football team, and works in the Office of University Relations.
"The Gallivan Program gives me so many opportunities that I would not have in my other classes. I learn how to see the world and present it to those around me. I hope to use my journalism knowledge throughout my future career in politics and psychology."
Colin Capece | Colin is political science major from Smithtown, N.Y. He also is pursuing minors in business economics and constitutional studies. He is currently an associate sports editor and news reporter for The Observer. He previously served as an editor-in-chief of his high school newspaper, which was chosen as the best newspaper in the state by the New York Press Association in his senior year.
"I am passionate about telling stories and pursuing the truth in both sports and politics. The JED program and The Observer have given me the opportunity to do both at Notre Dame. I hope to one day become an investigative reporter with a prime time program like Outside the Lines or 60 Minutes."
Julianna Conley | Julianna, a native of Southern California, is an undeclared major on the pre-health track. She currently serves as a Viewpoint columnist for The Observer and is a member of the paper's political podcast team.
"I want to make a positive difference in the world, and inspire others. I would like to pursue a career that highlights the unrecognized members of society."
Grant DelVecchio | Grant, who’s from Eastchester, N.Y., is a double major in film, television, and theatre, and Spanish. In summer 2019, he was a social media intern at a London company that creates artificial intelligence-based personal fitness programs. In summer 2018, he was a sports production intern with WNBC in New York City and assisted the sportscaster Bruce Beck. On campus, he is a student broadcaster for Fighting Irish Media, and writes for both The Observer and Scholastic, the university’s student-run magazine. He is also the Alumni Association's Hannah Storm Intern for the 2019-20 academic year.
"Ever since I realized I wouldn’t be able to play sports professionally myself, I knew I still wanted them to be a part of my life. I hope to one day become a sports broadcaster for a major television network."
Erin Fennessy | Erin, who hails from Madison, Wisconsin, is a double major in biochemistry and French. During the spring and summer of 2021, she was a reporting intern at the online science and tech outlet and digital magazine Popular Science. She also interned for Notre Dame Magazine in the summer of 2021. On campus, Erin is a member of photo staff and occasionally writes news for The Observer. Much of her time is spent leading the Women’s Boxing Club, Notre Dame’s largest all-women club, as president. She hopes to combine her passions for scientific inquiry and telling stories that matter by pursuing a career in science journalism.
"I'm hoping to explore a career in science journalism by combining my passions of scientific inquiry and telling stories that matter."
Jacqueline Fletcher | Jackie is a finance major with a penchant for debate and current events. Hailing from the Jersey Shore, she previously served as the opinion and features editor for her high school newspaper. On campus, Jackie serves as a producer and anchor for Notre Dame's broadcast news show Dome Discourse, which discusses current events and interviews students from across the university. Jackie is also proficient in Spanish.
"I've always admired journalists because of their unique ability to inform, analyze, and inspire. I hope I, too, can be of service to society in that way in the future. "
Emma Koster | Emma is a psychology major from Long Island, N.Y. She is currently a writer for Her Campus Notre Dame, an online publication focused on female empowerment. In high school, Emma was a writer and feature editor for the school newspaper, The Knight Times. She hopes to use journalistic truth to share impactful human narratives and challenge people’s perceptions of the world.
"I am looking forward to using a background in psychology to report truthful, empathetic stories. As intense polarity of opinion divides society, I hope to remind people of our shared human experiences and inspire change."
Kimani Krienke | Kimani is an English major from Portage, Indiana. On campus, she writes media reviews, sports player profiles, and other articles for Scholastic. She wrote for her high school newspaper, Acropolis, and became interested in travel journalism after traveling throughout Europe in her sophomore and senior year of high school.
"I would love to share my travel experiences with people and inspire them to go on adventures of their own, whether the excursions are big or small."
Alexis Martin | Lexi is a political science major from Bedford, Ohio. She hopes to become an investigative journalist, and has an interest in writing about politics.
"Journalism excites me because it aims at conveying the truth in every story, and it ensures that people can be informed about what is going on around them."
Justice Mory | Justice is a business analytics major from Murrieta, California. At Notre Dame, he wrote for The Observer in the viewpoint section, and also contributed to the weekly Fantasy Corner column in the sports section. His journalistic interests include sports, business, and politics. He is currently a sports media intern at Relevnt, a sports-centric social network startup, where he writes NFL articles for the platform’s Pro Sports Fanatics website.
"Many events and developments in life are shared and bolstered through diligent reporting and storytelling. When journalism is effective it can inspire and make a positive difference, impacts I aim to make in my future endeavors."
Christopher A. Parker | Christopher is a double major in history and classics from Harrison, New York. He’s currently an intern with Notre Dame Magazine. He has worked as a reporter and audience journalist at several newspapers including the Los Angeles Times in 2021, the Berkshire Eagle in 2020, and Notre Dame’s campus publications The Observer and Scholastic.
"I love what I study, so I’d like to report on history for a paper or magazine. Our past has critical and urgent lessons for the modern world."
Adriana Pérez | Adriana is a political science major from Guayaquil, Ecuador. She is serving as editor-in-chief of The Observer, the independent student newspaper serving Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross. Before, she was a news writer, social media strategist, archives researcher and podcast co-host at the paper. In the summer of 2021, she worked as a reporting intern for Al Día, the Spanish language sister publication of The Dallas Morning News, where she wrote for Hispanic communities in North Texas. She is passionate about immigration and environmental journalism, and hopes to pursue these interests into a meaningful career in the media industry.
"In the future, I want to return home and pursue a career in magazine writing or investigative reporting, because I love listening to and telling stories, especially those which reveal larger social issues."
Alina Peterson | Alina, who’s from Bethesda, Md., is a double major in political science and anthropology. She is the assistant news editor for Scholastic and the academic section editor for The Dome yearbook.
"One of my philosophies in life is that knowledge isn’t worth much if you can’t communicate it with kindness. I aim to apply that to my journalism career, hopefully one rooted in consideration and empathy. "
Caroline Pineda | Caroline is a film, television, and theatre major from Albuquerque, N.M. In summer 2020, she was a sports intern with KOB4, the NBC-affiliated station in Albuquerque. In summer 2019, she was a digital intern with Love Sport Radio in London, where she also worked on an undergraduate research project about the National Football League’s international marketing efforts. On campus, Caroline is a student broadcaster for Fighting Irish Media and an assistant sports editor for Scholastic. She is a football analyst for NDTV, the student television station, as well as a host for WVFI, the student radio station.
"Sports contain countless stories of resilience, unity and inspiration. I hope to share these stories and showcase the strength of the human spirit through the victories and trials of athletes."
Meg Pryor | Meg is a psychology major from Minneapolis. During the 2020-21 school year, she worked as the Hannah Storm Journalism Intern through the Notre Dame Alumni Association. Meg is currently writing an honors psychology thesis, working as an editor for Her Campus Notre Dame, tutoring elementary school kids through TutorND, and serving as a member of McWell’s student team.
"I believe that effective communication has the power to create unity by giving people a voice, promoting a deeper understanding of issues, and encouraging discussion."
Jillian Randle | Jillie, who hails from Sacramento, California, is a political science major. She is also working toward a video production concentration. Jillie works for NDTV on campus, getting her start as a sophomore as a co-creator of Notre Dame’s first ever political news show, Dome Discourse. Jillie writes, hosts, and edits each episode as well as hosts Election 2020 in which she discusses, predicts, and analyzes the current presidential race with her cohosts. Jillie’s dream is to be a political correspondent, host, or video production manager for a major political news media outlet one day.
"The primary goal of journalism is to provide our public with the information they need to be free and self governing. Whether it be on the screen or behind the editing board, I truly cannot wait to be a part of the most essential aspect of a free democracy."
Genevieve Redsten | Genevieve is an English major from Madison, Wisconsin. On campus, she serves as the editor-in-chief of the student magazine, Scholastic. She’s interned at the Tampa Bay Times, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Indianapolis Monthly. Her work has also been published in Notre Dame Magazine and the South Bend Tribune.
"Journalists tell stories that shine light on the truth and call us to action. I’m excited to grow as a journalist — learning to write better, listen closer, and tell those meaningful stories."
Antonia Sylva | Nia, a Summit, New Jersey native, is a majoring in the University's Program of Liberal Studies with a minor in history. She writes for The Observer’s Scene section. As a scholastic journalist, she served as a staff writer, editor, and editor-in-chief of her high school’s newspaper, Untucked.
"A good journalist has the observational skill to notice things others don’t, and the writing ability to show the rest of us. Someday, I hope to master both disciplines."
Luciana Thomas | Luciana, who’s from Fayetteville, Arkansas, is studying political science and Middle Eastern Studies. A member of the Fighting Irish swimming and diving team, she specializes in the butterfly and individual medley; during the 2018-19 season, she took part in the ACC and NCAA championship tournaments.
"I want to make a difference in the world and help speak for those who don't have a voice, and I know journalism will help me achieve that."
Isabella Volmert | Issy, who hails from the St. Louis area, is an English major with a minor in theology. In summer 2019, she interned as a reporter for her local newspaper The Missourian, and she served the South Bend Tribune as news intern during the summer of 2021. She is currently an associate news editor for The Observer.
"Journalism highlights the achievements of communities while also challenging their members to improve. My dream is to tell both of these stories through investigative reporting and feature writing."
Abby Wager | Abby is an English major from Granger, Indiana. She is also pursuing a second minor in digital marketing. She writes for both Her Campus Notre Dame and Strike Magazine Notre Dame. During the semester, she works for the Center for Career Development, primarily writing articles for their website. Last winter, she interned for Frankly Apparel, writing blog posts and researching email marketing. This past summer, she interned for both Macmillan Publishing and Notre Dame’s Center for Undergraduate Advising.
"I want to pursue a career in journalism because I believe in the power of words - to inform, to inspire, and to change hearts and minds."