Megan Ault
Megan Ault is a senior with a double major in print journalism and Spanish with a minor in creative writing. She is the editor of the Real Life section in Queen of the Castle Magazine and a contributing writer for Volume One Magazine.
Growing up in her neighborhood, Megan was one of those children who was constantly seen outside. Be it rollerblading, biking, or running through the sprinkler, she was always outside playing with the neighborhood kids or organizing a time to play outside with the neighborhood kids.
Mike Boley
Mike Boley is a senior print journalism major and a sociology and business communication minor. He has freelanced for the Altoona Star, Volume One Magazine, and The Spectator. Mike is from Eden Prairie, MN and has lived in only one neighborhood before moving to Eau Claire
Jessica Branen
Jessica Branen is a senior print journalism major and a political science minor. Jessica worked for the Spectator for a year. She has also written for the Burlington Standard Press, Elkhorn Independent and East Troy News and Southern Lakes Media, Inc. Jessica now calls Stuart, Fla. her home.
Brittany Carter
Brittany Carter is a Senior Print Journalism Major and Creative Writing Minor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Originally from White Bear Lake, MN, Carter has had a lot of experience with freelance writing. While studying abroad in Italy in the Spring of 2007, she spent much of her time writing for the school’s weekly newsletter. Upon her graduation, she hopes to find a freelance job that allows her the flexibility to travel the world and give people insight into other cultures.
Mitch Gustafson
Mitch Gustafson is a senior print journalism major with an English literature minor. After graduation in May, 2008, he plans to write for a music and arts magazine, eventually returning to graduate school to pursue an English degree.
Amy Hardy
Amy Hardy is a senior print journalism major and Spanish minor. She spent a summer doing fundraising for Workers Independent News, a non-profit radio station for union news.
Amy grew up in a small apartment in Madison, where people were constantly moving in and out. She never knew her neighbors. Dorm life was her first experience with knowing the names of the people next door and she spent her first year on campus showing off this knowledge by excitedly greeting them at every opportunity.
Emily Rae Hartwig
Emily Rae Hartwig is a senior print journalism major and music minor. Her current home is downtown Eau Claire, but her favorite neighborhood is at her parents’ home in Baraboo, Wis. Her journalism experience includes five semesters on The Spectator, a semester at the Leader-Telegram, and a summer at the Baraboo News Republic. Currently she is pursuing a career in business but hopes to continue writing and freelancing after graduating in May..
Caitlin Heidbrink
Caitlin Heidbrink is a senior print journalism major and art history minor. She has worked with the Spectator and Volume One, while residing in the historic Randall Park neighborhood of Eau Claire, in addition to interning at a lifestyle magazine in the Twin Cities, her favorite diverse collection of neighborhoods, and beginning as editor-in-chief of her hometown high school newspaper in the quaint, river town neighborhood of Stillwater, Minn.
Mike Hockett
Mike Hockett is a senior print journalism major and history minor. He works part-time at the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram newspaper in the sports department and publishes Inside prep Wrestling articles every other week. He hopes to eventually become a feature sports writer for the Wisconsin State Journal. He is from Oregon, Wisconsin. This fall, Mike covered the Randall Park neighborhood on Eau Claire's West side.
Jill Janke
Jill is a senior history and public relations double major. She is also pursuing a notation degree in print journalism. After graduation she plans to attend graduate school for a sports management degree. Jill grew up in a small neighborhood in Black River Falls where she enjoyed playing sports in her backyard with her four older brothers and younger sister.
Lynne Jones
Lynne Jones is a senior at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. In May, Lynne will graduate with a major in Print Journalism and a minor in Creative Writing. Lynne grew up in a suburb north of Minneapolis called New Brighton. Upon graduation, Lynne plans to go back to the Twin Cities area to find a job within the journalism or mass communication field.
Dana Kastenson
Dana Kastenson is a senior print journalism major and computer science minor. In her lifetime, Dana has lived in various types of neighborhoods from growing up in suburbia Green Bay, to living the simple life in rural Sturgeon Bay and now experiencing life in the student ghetto of Eau Claire. Currently the Web and Marketing Intern for the College of Busines at UW-Eau Claire, Dana hopes to land a career in Web-based communications.
Robin Kinderman
Robin Kinderman is a super seniors print journalism major and sociology minor. Her experience includes helping create and write for The Pulse, a nightlife and entertainment magazine, interning at the Chippewa Herald and serving as Editor in Chief of her high school newspaper. Robin grew up on five acres near the apple orchards of Chippewa Falls.
Nathan Knox
Nathan is a senior print journalism major graduating in May of 09. He has worked for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s student newspaper, The Spectator, as a chief copy editor. Additionally he has been published in two literary journals in California and Minnesota and wrote for and helped produce Fresh Magazine, a publication for eating locally in the Chippewa Valley. Nathan’s favorite things to do in his neighborhood as a child were to go sledding and play hockey.
Casey Leisgang
Casey is a senior print journalism major graduating in May 2009. She currently works for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Sports Information Department, writing releases for several university sporting events. She will begin an internship in the S.I.D. beginning in the spring semester of 2009, taking on several behind the scenes tasks within the department. Casey has lived in the same Woodside Drive neighborhood her entire life, and is happy to say that she is still good friends with many of the neighbors she grew up with.
Claudia Lozano
Claudia Lozano is an international student from La Paz - Bolivia. She first came to UW-Eau Claire in Fall 2005 to earn a print journalism degree. Claudia will be graduating in May 2009 and looks forward to work for a sports magazine and get her master's degree. In her neighborhoods claudia enjoyed the convenience of having small sidewalk vendors that sell bread in the morning, and hamburgers or hotdogs in the evening.
Heather Mawhiney
Heather Mawhiney is a senior print journalism and Spanish major, with a minor in French. Mawhiney has been a photo editor and copy editor for the campus publication, The Spectator. Mawhiney currently lives in the neighborhood her three feature stories cover, downtown Eau Claire. But the neighborhood she most identifies with is downtown Delafield, Wisc., surrounded by the Nagawicka and Nemahbin Lakes and the Kettle Moraine State Forest. She hopes to continue on to grad school for magazine journalism.
Jake McCormick
Jake McCormick is a senior print journalism major with a political science minor. He is originally from Stoughton, Wisconsin, which is about 20 minutes south of Madison. He is planning on graduating in May of 2009 and will milk college for all it’s worth until then. When he graduates, Jake is hoping to cover a professional sports beat or political beat for a major newspaper or magazine. One thing Jake wants to do before graduating is resurrect “night games” in student housing areas because he used to play Ghost in the Graveyard, Kick the Can, and other various games when he was in grade school.
Travis Mester
Travis Mester worked for the Leader-Telegram while in college writing and reporting for the sports section. One of his fondest reporting memories came when he wrote a preview article for the 2008 high school football season about the Middle Border Conference. His predictions and insight provided readers in northern Wisconsin with unprecedented knowledge. In his contributions to this Web sit travis was the beat writer for the Locust Lane neighborhood on the north side of Eau Claire.
Renetra Muskevyalley
Renetra Muskeyvalley is a senior print journalism major and spanish minor. A resident of Davenport, IA, Muskeyvalley has not yet joined a college publication although she was very involved in her high school publications. Muskeyvalley grew up in the Historic East Village neighborhood of her home town.Graduating in the spring of 08, Muskeyvalley is looking forward to finding a career in publishing.
Alicia Neubauer
Alicia Neubauer is a print journalism major and art history minor. Alicia has written for her high school newspaper as well as various small publications. She hopes to write for an arts and culture magazine. Alicia grew up in a town of 800 people in central Minnesota, which helped her decide big city life was more her style.
Andrea Pendergast
Andrea Pendergast is a a senior print journalism major and creative writing minor from Deer Park, Wisconsin. She has worked as a photo editor for the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire campus newspaper, The Spectator, for the last four semesters. Andrea has lived in six neighborhoods in her life, but her favorite was Willow River Meadows in New Richmond, Wisconsin.
Allison Proite
Allison Proite is a senior print journalism major and an english literature minor. She currently works as a staff writer at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's student newspaper, The Spectator. Allison grew up in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. She lived on an very busy street where playing tennis with her sister in the driveway was always a gamble.
Natalie Saeger
Natalie Saeger is a senior print journalism major and history minor. Natalie’s newspaper experience involves working at UW-Eau Claire’s student newspaper, The Spectator, as a copy editor and showcase editor. Natalie has also been published in her hometown’s Sunday newspaper, Central Wisconsin Sunday.
When Natalie was growing up in her hometown neighborhood her favorite thing to do was swim. Everyday Natalie went to the neighborhood pool where she adopted the name, “pool rat,” from pool staff. As Natalie grew up her “pool rat” status evolved to lifeguard and started adopting her very own “pool rats.”
Brianna Seidliz
Brianna Seidlitz is a senior at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, where she is studying print journalism and music. After graduation this spring, she plans on moving to Madison, where she would like to work for a magazine publication. Throughout college, Seidlitz has had many great employment opportunities. She has worked as an office assistant in the jazz department, waitressed at Fanny Hill Victorian Inn and Dinner Theatre and sold sweets at a local candy store. Growing up in Chippewa Falls, her neighborhood experiences were memorable. She will never forget meeting the neighborhood kids at the end of her driveway to play basketball under the moonlight each summer, or playing hide and seek in the cornfield at the end of her block. The cornfield and neighborhood kids no longer exist, though the fond memories will never be lost.
Paul Svetlik
Paul Svetlik is senior print journalism major and history major. His experience in journalism includes writing city council stories and profiles for previous classes. He plans to graduate in May 2009. Paul grew up in the small neighborhood of Kronenwetter, just outside of Wausau Wisconsin.