Julia Boboc

Academic year: Freshman

Major: Journalism

Position on the CHC Post: Staff writer

What do you like most about writing for the newsletter? I’ve loved getting the opportunity to talk to people all over the CHC. I have heard so many incredible stories from students and staff that I walk past every day. However, the thing I love most is hearing everyone I talk to get vulnerable, or excited, or get that sparkle in their eye when they talk about their interests.

What drew you to writing? My mom has always been a big writer and reader. She made me fall in love with stories and people; things that have directly put me on the path of journalism and writing. I’ve always loved hearing about her personal immigration stories and her extensive life experiences. I thought that if more people heard stories like hers, they’d have a better perspective on the world.

Goals for the future? I want to be a storyteller! Whether that’s through writing, radio or broadcast, I want to make content for people that will broaden their understanding and empathy and hopefully help me do the same. Big topics and ideas that I want to focus on in the future are immigration, global perspective, and sexual assault awareness.

Current obsession: The Rio soundtrack.

Maddy Carson

Academic year: Freshman

Major: Family and Human Services

Position on the CHC Post: Website design assistant

What do you like most about web design for the newsletter? My favorite aspect of designing websites is the process of creating user-friendly digital spaces to help individuals gain information, build connections with others, and gain access to the resources they need. As a new member of the CHC Communications Team, I am very much looking forward to collaborating with my peers to not only build upon current CHC web pages, but also to diversify my creative skills.

What drew you to web design? Expressing my creativity through art and craft projects has always been fun for me. When I got a computer in middle school, I began exploring the different digital programs and design platforms it had. I remember feeling captivated and excited by the variety of colors, shapes and combinations of media that I could create. As I grew older, I became passionate about combining my creative spirit and desire to enact positive change by creating websites for my own side hustles and for several school projects. Designing websites brings me joy and is now my “adult” art project.

Goals for the future? I am passionate about pursuing a career in the legal field to advocate for young adults with disabilities, specifically in higher education settings. I also aspire to create a blog documenting my experience of law school and beyond.

Current obsession: Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream.

Sofia Daroodi

Academic year: Freshman

Major: Public Relations

Position on the CHC Post: Social media content creator

What do you like most about creating social media content? I love being creative with graphics and creating things that are aesthetic. It is super rewarding to be able to make something visual, especially video editing. I have been passionate about video editing since I was young, and now I get to edit and produce videos that highlight my peers.

What drew you to social media? I feel like I have always been technologically savvy and started using social media at a young age (too young). I have watched social media evolve and it has always been intriguing to see how brands and people can market themselves by reaching people through apps. Now that I am on the other side of that as someone posting content for the Clark Honors College, I feel like I am learning about social media in a completely new way. Social media is still growing constantly, and since it is such a big part of our society, I love getting to learn logistical aspects of it.

Goals for the future? While I am not certain of what I want to do in the future, I hope I can continue video editing and production. I really want to learn videography and photography, while just continuing to learn about communications.

Current obsession: Getting tickets to every and any concert and festival possible. I basically live on Ticketmaster.

Mirandah Davis-Powell

Academic year: Freshman

Major: Journalism

Position on the CHC Post: Staff writer

What do you like most about writing for the newsletter? I really enjoy the process of writing profile stories. Writing for the CHC Post has allowed me to be more thorough in my writing and achieve the storytelling side of journalism that I’m most fond of.

What drew you to writing? I’ve always found writing to come easily to me as opposed to other areas of my education. In my sophomore year of high school, I began writing journalistically for my high school’s paper, drawn to it for the community that existed there, and the ability to help produce a monthly student paper.

Goals for the future? Ultimately, I want my journalistic work to allow me to keep telling stories. I hope to work as a writer for a community paper after school, depending on where my work can take me. My dream job would be working on production for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts or on the multimedia team for NYT Cooking.

Current obsession: Constructing my perfect sneaker rotation.

Keyry Hernandez

Academic year: Junior

Major: Journalism, Latinx Studies, Spanish

Position on the CHC Post: Staff writer

What do you like most about writing for the newsletter? I love getting the chance to interview people and collect their life stories. I get paid to watch people’s eyes light up as they speak about their passion? Awesome.

What drew you to writing? The feeling one gets when they finally find the words for something they thought was ineffable. That adrenaline rush to write my thoughts down on the nearest napkin or receipt keeps me writing.

Goals for the future? I definitely want to keep storytelling, whether that’s in communications or journalism. I hope to use multiple mediums to tell stories about topics like social justice issues, music, travel and the arts. Wherever life takes me, I hope to continue learning about the world.

Current obsession: Asking people why their favorite color is their favorite color.

Maya McLeroy

Academic year: Freshman

Major: Journalism and Advertising

Position on the CHC Post: Staff writer

What do you like most about writing for the newsletter? I appreciate every opportunity to listen to someone else’s story, and to give that story the care and attention it deserves while writing it. The CHC is filled with a lot of brilliant minds, and I’m grateful to learn from and work alongside them.

What drew you to writing? During my sophomore year of high school, I stumbled upon a book of poetry by Mary Oliver. My life changed forever. I found that I could make sense of the world around me just by putting pen to paper. My love for poetry transformed into a love for writing in general, and now I’m always on the lookout for a new story to tell.

Goals for the future? I want to write stories that are accessible and easy for all to understand. I want my work to be personal yet universal. Mostly, I just want to keep writing.

Current obsession: Getting outside of my comfort zone.

Bella Oberlatz

Academic year: Sophomore

Major: Public Relations

Position on the CHC Post: Staff writer

What do you like most about writing for the newsletter? Writing is a form of storytelling. Through writing for the CHC, I get the opportunity to talk to alumni, staff, and students. My favorite part about getting to write for the CHC is learning everyone’s different and unique history. What drew you to writing? As a kid during the summer, my mom used to make me write a story every Friday. The first story I wrote was about how much I did not want to write a story. Eventually, I ended up taking a liking to writing and started to journal in my free time. Suddenly, a chore from my mom turned into my career focus.

Goals for the future? I want to go into crisis communication, but right now I am just focused on building my portfolio and learning as much as I can through experience.

Current obsession: European summer style aesthetic.

Sammy Pierotti

Academic year: Junior

Major: Journalism

Position on the CHC Post: Staff writer

What do you like most about writing for the newsletter? I love hearing stories from my fellow classmates and professors that I wouldn’t usually get to hear. I think the newsletter adds new dimensions to the Honors College and humanizes people who I would only look at in an academic light otherwise.

What drew you to writing? I’m obsessed with the way some authors perfectly capture the time they’re living in or convey a dramatic time in history or distill a notable person onto the page. I’ve always loved writing, but reading the way Joan Didion describes San Francisco in Slouching Towards Bethlehem or how John Krakauer memorializes Chris McCandless in Into the Wild made me want to be a journalist.

Goals for the future? I want to work for a publication where I can combine my studies of journalism and folklore to write about what’s important to humans in the modern age.

Current Obsession: The soundtrack to the 2007 movie Juno.

Saachi Poddar

Academic year: Sophomore

Major: Product Design, Human Physiology, and a minor in Sports Business

Position on the CHC Post: Design Manager

What do you like most about designing the newsletter? I love problem-solving and love to find new ways to visually communicate information. Seeing how our stories fit together like a puzzle and create an insight into life at the CHC feels like a good way to use my skills to give back to the Honors College community.

What drew you to design? I have always been a visual thinker. For elementary and middle school, I went to an academy for project-based learning, which helped me create a method for myself to understand information visually and physically. In high school, I developed my own website for my portfolio, and through the Product Design program here on campus, I’ve become interested in user interface and human-oriented design.

Goals for the future? I would love to work in the sports apparel and athletic gear industry as a product designer or a communications designer. Storytelling either for product lines, brands, or marketing projects is something I would like to continue to work in.

Current obsession: Designing my next tattoo.

Tarini Ramasamy

Academic year: Freshman

Major: Business Administration

Position on the CHC Post: Social media content creator

What do you like most about creating social media for the CHC? This position is so different from previous organizations I have been a part of! There is a larger responsibility to craft social media campaigns that are both professional, as they reflect the intentions of the Honors College, as well as engaging with its community. I truly enjoy expanding my understanding of what it means to be a part of communications for a professional institution.

What drew you to social media? I have always been interested in how social media connects the world. Social media has enabled me to explore new languages, connect with my culture, and meet people with similar interests.

Goals for the future? I’m not quite sure yet! When I started college, I wanted to pursue a career in the music industry, but now I am really interested in the non-profit sector. I would really love to find an intersection of both.

Current obsession: The Poppy War trilogy.

Sofia Rodriguez Baquero

Academic year: Sophomore

Major: Journalism

Position on the CHC Post: Social media coordinator and staff writer

What do you like most about creating social media content and writing? When we post about students doing interesting and impressive things on and off campus, their friends and peers hype them up in the comments. Interacting with the CHC community digitally has opened me up to see how much we can all care about each other.

What drew you to writing and content creation? I’ve always loved talking to people but have never been very good at speaking. Writing and social media content, whether it’s in a diary, email, app or article, makes it easier to communicate my thoughts that can sometimes be harder to articulate.

Goals for the future? Someday I want to become an educator, but before then I’m planning on attending culinary school and working in communications.

Current obsession: Instrumental covers of Bad Bunny.

Ilka Sankari

Academic Year: Junior

Major: Photography and Sociology

Position on the CHC Post: Photographer and staff writer

What do you like most about your work? Photography lets me step into many worlds. I love getting to meet people in the CHC through my work and tell their stories visually. My favorite part of my role as a photographer is using my craft to connect people to one another.

What drew you to photography? I’ve always loved the narrative potential of photography. I bought my first camera in eighth grade, and I’ve been staging elaborate photoshoots and bothering my family and friends with a lens in their faces since. Whether I’m doing photojournalism, art photography, or commercial work, it’s the chance to take any scene and make it look compelling and to do it better each time that keeps me coming back.

Goals for the future: I’d love to make photography into my career. Ideally, I’ll be photographing people (as a small business, in photojournalism, who knows). Right now, I’m focused on getting more experience and building my portfolio before I decide which route to go.

Current obsession: Four by five-inch film. I’m in a large-format photography class, the kind with the cloth over your head and the tripod, and it’s a refreshing change of pace.

Elizabeth Yost

Academic year: Junior

Major: Journalism

Position on the CHC Post: Staff writer

What do you like most about writing for the newsletter? Getting to work with such a supportive and intelligent team. They consistently challenge and motivate me to be a better writer.

What drew you to writing? When I was young, stories gave me a way to connect with people. From playing dolls with the neighbor kids to staying up well into the night co-writing stories with my friends – I never grew out of it. These days, I can’t imagine what my life would be if I wasn’t writing.

Goals for the future? I’d like to do some work in nonprofit communications and freelance journalism.

Current obsession: Stardew Valley.