Meet grad students

Alexandra Couraud

 

Alex Couraud is originally from Portland, Oregon, and has also lived extensively in Latin America. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon majoring in international relations. Couraud worked in the Peace Corps in Guatemala focusing on projects with women and children. She also has a background in communication and fundraising and strongly believes in bridging cross-cultural gaps and advocating for others. She has a passion for Latin American culture and her dream job is working with non-profits focusing on immigration and fundraising work. With her graduate degree, she hopes to make connections and learn new skills. In her recreational time, she likes to hang out with friends and snowboard.

Vanesa de la Cruz Pava

Vanesa de la Cruz Pavas was born in Medellín, Colombia. She was a part of the Community College Initiative Program in Virginia where she studied media and journalism and received her undergraduate degree at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in social communications and journalism. She worked for a national Colombian newspaper called El Colombiano, where she found her passion for science, health, and environmental journalism. She feels there is great potential in these areas in Colombian journalism, and her dream is to spread the word and find ways to connect these subjects with different publics and multimedia tools. Vanesa wants to work for NASA or National Geographic and dreams of having her science and environmental media outlet in Colombia. In her free time, she practices underwater rugby and enjoys dancing salsa, bachata, and Porro paisa.

 

Cayley Dishion

Cayley Dishion was born in Bishop, California. She completed her undergraduate studies in Nevada, at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she studied journalism and communication studies. She is passionate about sports and is focusing her master's degree on sports journalism. Her dream job is to work in major league baseball either through communications, marketing, or social media, and to inspire women in sports through her work. She wants to be able to make an impact and leave the industry more inclusive than it was when she started. During baseball season she works for the Reno Aces Baseball Club doing broadcast graphics. Apart from her passion for sports, Cayley enjoys capturing candid moments through photography.

 

Hadi Eltahlawi

Hadi Eltahlawi is native to New Cairo City, Egypt. Hadi came to America to pursue his master's degree in journalism at UNR after completing his undergraduate degree in journalism at October University for Modern Arts and Sciences located in Cairo, Egypt. Along with completing his undergraduate degree, Hadi interned with the Elgomhuriya Newspaper adding to his journalism skill set. In his free time, Hadi enjoys reading, literature, writing, and coming up with philosophical questions. He also enjoys watching sports, specifically soccer and basketball. Hadi plans to apply for a Ph.D. in journalism and hopes to work in journalism, specifically sports journalism. One of his dreams is to also be a novelist writing in Arabic and English like one of his idols Gibran Khalil Gibran.

Jennifer Kent

Jennifer Kent is a self-described journalism nerd with a creative background and a passion for authentic storytelling. She earned her bachelor’s degree in digital new media and design from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2010 and has developed an eclectic repertoire of multimedia storytelling skills including photography, graphic design, web design, and videography. She especially enjoys video as a storytelling medium and her 2018 documentary, Fertile Waters, was an official selection in the 2020 Cordillera International Film Festival, the 2019 Sigma Xi STEM Art and Film Festival, and won Best Life Sciences Documentary in the 2020 Sci-On! Film Festival. She is currently the Marketing and Communications Manager for the College of Science at the University of Nevada, Reno, and is thrilled to be pursuing her master’s in the Reynold’s School as part of the Hitchcock Project for Visualizing Science. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys spending time outside with her two-year-old daughter, her husband, and her dog.

 

Montana Lloyd

Montana Lloyd is a Nevada native, coming to UNR from Las Vegas. She received her B.A. in Journalism from the UNR and is excited to continue her studies through the graduate program in media and innovation. She has spent time working for the Bridgewater swim academy, as well as the athletic department at UNR. Her work in the athletic department has her very busy covering over 6 different sports. Her career aspirations are to one day work in football sports media, creating social media content and doing PR for major sports teams and platforms. Montana is an avid swimmer as well as having a deep passion for all sports. In her free time, she loves reading and being around her friends.

 

Austin Ortega

Austin Ortega is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, and decided to pursue a master’s degree in journalism as he believes that journalism is the ideal way of influencing others which can lead to affecting how they perceive all aspects of their lives. He is also a member of the University’s football team and it is among his aspirations to manage social media work for big teams or even be hired by institutes like ESPN. This is linked to his deep appreciation and admiration for sports, especially football and baseball.

 

Gaia Osborne

Gaia Osborne was born and raised in Portsmouth, a coastal city in the south of England. She came to Reno, Nevada for her undergraduate degree and to compete on the track team in 2018, graduating with a B.A. in English writing and a B.A. in cultural anthropology. Gaia is passionate about the outdoors, nature, sports, and environmental and human rights advocacy. Her dream job is to be able to travel around the world for a living, writing about different places, cultures, and people. Gaia spends most of her time in the mountains hiking with her husky or skiing and watching True Crime documentaries.

 

Hannah Lauren Truby

Hannah Lauren Truby was raised in the foothills of Northern California and has lived in many other places such as Hawaii, San Francisco, Portland, Vienna, Austria, and Hamburg, Germany. After transferring from the University of Hawaii, Hannah received her bachelor’s from UNR, majoring in English with a minor in german. Most of Hannah’s passions revolve around writing and travel, as she enjoys experiencing new landscapes and cultures. The fight for human rights has a major influence on Hannah and her work, as she hopes to pursue a career that informs and educates communities at large on issues that matter most. In her free time, Hannah enjoys days at the lake, either hiking, swimming, or snowboarding in the winter. When she can sit still, she enjoys reading and spending time at home with her roommates and dogs. 

 

Casey Acklin

Casey Acklin was born in Long Island, New York. At age 11, he and his family moved to Reno, Nevada, where he grew up. Later, Casey moved to Maine where he spent about 9 years and earned his bachelor's degree in human ecology. He studied at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. After receiving his bachelor's degree, he acquired a job at Jackson Lab in Maine but missed his family in Reno. He eventually returned to Reno and started working at the University of Nevada's School of Public Health. Casey is passionate about inclusive communities and the outdoors, especially the wilderness. His dream job is to travel and work with marginalized communities. Casey plans to use his degree by making silent voices heard. He spends his free time with his partner and playing with his dog. Casey also enjoys the outdoors and photography.

Jordan Buxton

Jordan Buxton is from Reno, Nevada. He studied at the University of Nevada, Reno and got his bachelor's degree in journalism and media production. Jordan interned at the Reynolds School of Journalism. He has worked as a podcast editor for Living With Fire and in a role for Nevada Silver and Blue Magazine. He currently works as a wedding photographer. Jordan is passionate about photography, filmmaking, comic books, hockey and vintage steel road bikes. He dreams of working as an equipment manager for a media company. With his master's degree in media innovation, Jordan hopes to continue his career in production by creating content or becoming a filmmaker. He spends his recreational time outside, camping, biking and shooting astrophotography.

Andressa (Dre) Cholodovskis

Andressa Cholodovskis was born and raised in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She moved to Reno, Nevada, to pursue her undergraduate degree in management and marketing at the University of Nevada, Reno. Dre is passionate about sports. She worked for Athletic Communications at the University and as a swim coach at Lakeridge and the University of Nevada, Reno. Growing up, Dre participated in many different sports. She dreams of working in communications for a major league team such as the NFL, NBA or MLB. She hopes to use her graduate degree to inspire women to work in sports. Dre spends her time with friends, playing sports and having fun with her puppy.

Alina Croft

Alina Croft is from Salt Lake City, Utah. She also lived in Elko and Reno, Nevada, and Atlanta, Georgia. Alina attained a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno. She worked at Our Town Reno, the Reynolds Sandbox and Anthony Around Town. Alina is passionate about human interest stories. She wants to know what makes people tick and how people develop. Alina dreams of working at the New York Times, writing human interest articles. She hopes to use her degree to become more knowledgeable in journalism. Alina spends her recreational time with friends, reading, going to concerts and playing with her dogs.

Christopher Darche

Christopher Darche grew up in upstate New York. He went to college in Nashville, Tennessee, and then to Florida to intern at Disney World. After finishing the internship, Christopher was accepted to the Peace Corps. He was station in Senegal and worked as a health extension agent. Once he finished the Peace Corps, he moved to Texas to work as an audiovisual technician for Encore Event Technologies. While in Texas, Christopher applied to the Coverdell program at the University of Nevada, Reno where he was accepted to the Reynolds School of Journalism. He has worked in many different places, including an amusement park, recording studios, Disney World, the Peace Corps, the Grand Hyatt and WayFM, a Christian radio station. Chris is very passionate about music, learning new languages and hiking. Chris dreams of working on the technical side of broadcasting at a radio or television station. He plans to use his degree to work in media, possibly returning to West Africa and working with a non-government organization. Christopher spends his recreational time listening to music and exploring the outdoors.

Anthony De Leon

Anthony De Leon was born and raised in Fresno, California, and he studied print journalism at Fresno State University. He worked at The Collegian, a Fresno State University newspaper. Anthony also worked at The Clovis, a local newspaper in Fresno. He is passionate about sports, music and journalism. Anthony dreams of working in public relations, marketing or communications for a professional sports team. He hopes to use his master's degree as an investigative sports reporter. Anthony spends his time listening to music, watching sports and cooking.

Grace Gribble

Grace Gribble was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. She pursued an undergraduate degree in journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. While studying at the University, Grace also minored in communications. She worked at the University of Nevada, Reno for Wolf Pack Sports Properties as an athletics intern. She is passionate about sports, going to Lake Tahoe and watching concerts. Her dream job is to work for a professional sports team like the San Francisco Giants. She hopes to use her master's degree to find work in sports marketing and public relations. At the University of Nevada, Reno, Grace hopes to make a lot of connections and expand her knowledge about mass communication. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Shelby Herbert

Shelby Herbert was born and raised in Carthage, North Carolina. She also lived in Cheongju, South Korea. With her adventurous spirit, she decided to join the Peace Corps and was stationed in Nepal. Shelby got her bachelor's degree from Western Colorado University in English. After her studies, she worked as a TEFL instructor and then a Peace Corps Volunteer. After an unexpected evacuation to the United States, she started working at the Sandhill Sentinel. Shelby has many passions, including birdwatching and language learning. Her dream job is to work as a foreign correspondent. She hopes to use her masters's degree in media innovation to hone her craft and learn about different journalistic mediums. Shelby spends her free time writing poetry.

Sonya Hernandez

Sonya Hernandez was born and raised in Napa, California, but she has lived in many places, including Lake Tahoe, Arizona, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin and Texas. Sonya received her undergraduate degree in sustainability from Sierra Nevada University. She also studied at Prescott University where she achieved a master’s degree in social justice and community organization. Sonya worked on the Arizona-Mexican border and is passionate about social justice issues. Sonya hopes to use her graduate degree by working in movement journalism and making documentary films. When Sonya is not working on her master’s degree, she likes to try new vegetarian food, roller-skate, read non-fiction and watch stand-up comedy bits.

Tezya Jackson

Tezya Jackson is from Dallas, Texas, and she has also lived in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. She got her undergraduate degree in mass communication from Prairie View A&M University. While she studied at Prairie View, she also minored in theater. Tezya worked on a podcast called "The Shift" and two other YouTube series. She currently works as a filmmaker. Tezya is passionate about music, writing and spending time with her husband and family. Her dream job is to be a filmmaker or actress, and she hopes to use her graduate degree to become a media professional. Tezya spends her time with family and friends, listening to R&B music and traveling.

Kevin McCray

Kevin McCray was born and raised in Sacramento, California. He has also lived in China and Washington State. He achieved his bachelor's degree from Sacramento State University in international relations. Kevin worked as a teacher in China for five years. He currently works for a real estate company called Clear Capital. He also volunteers at KUNR, a local radio station in Reno, Nevada. Kevin is passionate about music and playing the guitar. He also likes food and watching movies. He spends his recreational time watching live music and theater. He also enjoys acting, exploring downtown and playing with his dog.

Yulia Rajeh

Yulia Rajeh was born in Belarus. She has also lived in Syria, Poland and Lithuania. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Lithuania where she studied media and communication. She previously worked at Belsat, a television news channel in Belarus. Yulia also works as a freelancer teaching Arabic to Russian students. She is passionate about reading books and studying different languages. Yulia’s dream job is working as a news reporter for Al Jazeera. She also dreams of working as a communication manager at Google. Yulia plans to use her graduate degree to develop her media career. She spends her recreational time hanging out with her family and reading books.

Hailey Rodis

Hailey Rodis was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her Associate of Arts degree from the College of Southern Nevada and continued her undergraduate degree at the University of Nevada, Reno. She majored in journalism, with an emphasis in public relations. Hailey worked as a research intern at the Electric Frontier Foundation where she researched surveillance used by law enforcement agencies in the United States. Following her internship with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Hailey began working as a freelance writer for YellowScene Magazine and serves as the engagement intern for Hillel of Northern Nevada. When Hailey finishes her master’s degree, she plans to pursue a doctoral degree and begin teaching. Hailey enjoys reading, playing with her pets, traveling and working with animal rescues.

Alex Rubio

Alex Rubio was born in Sedona, Arizona. Growing up, she lived in different towns throughout Arizona. She has also lived in Carson City, Nevada. She got her bachelor's degree in Fine Arts and Photography from Sierra Nevada College. She also achieved a Master of Fine Arts from Sierra Nevada College. Alex has worked in the Cultural Department at Yavapai Apache Nation in Arizona, at the Aspen Times Newspaper in Colorado and at the Nevada Appeal newspaper. Alex currently works at the Nevada Department of Transportation and as a part-time photography teacher at Sierra Nevada College. She is passionate about using the camera to amplify the voices of people who are afraid to speak up and getting to know others through photography. Her dream job is to work as a photojournalist or photographer for a major newspaper or magazine. he hopes to use her graduate degree to become a photojournalist. Alex spends her time crafting traditional Native American wear, enjoying the outdoors, playing with her dog and participating in Crossfit. She is also always thinking about her next photojournalism project.

Aya Sato

Aya Sato was born in Brazil and is of Japanese descent, but she has lived in Reno, Nevada, since 2006. She attended the University of Nevada, Reno as an undergraduate and graduated with a degree in journalism from the Reynolds School of Journalism. She has worked as a promotions director for Wolf Pack Radio and as a freelancer making commissions on social media. Aya is passionate about film and art. With her online presence, she loves to teach others about Asian culture and advocates for more Asian representation in film. Aya is also passionate about fashion and creating pop culture inspired looks. Her dream job is working in the animation, writing, or design departments at Disney or Pixar. She is also open to any opportunities in which she can use her art and writing skills. Aya hopes to use her graduate degree to improve her storytelling and technology skills. With her expertise, she hopes to tell more diverse stories and create work that sparks joy. Aya spends her recreational time painting and editing photos. She also creates branded content for social media. Occasionally, Aya uses her Instagram to recreate movie scenes through photo editing.

Kingkini Sengupta

Kingkini Sengupta grew up in India. She has lived in New Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta. Kingkini studied at Calcutta University and received a bachelor's degree in English. She worked at New Delhi Television and Republic Television. Kingkini is passionate about learning new languages, cooking, tasting new cuisines, Indian music and traveling. She can speak German, Bengali and Hindi. Kingkini's dream job is to work at a United States news channel as a camerawoman or an executive producer. She would also like to work at the United Nations creating human interest stories. Kingkini plans to use her master’s degree to create human interest stories and answer ethical questions. She would also like to have people behind the scenes recognized for their work. Kingkini spends her time listening to music, cooking, traveling and reading chef memorials.

Andrea Subitoni Antonio

Andrea Subitoni Antonio is from Brazil. She also lived for five months in Saint Louis, Missouri, and 40 days in Cambridge, United Kingdom. She received a degree in journalism and communications in Brazil. After graduating, she worked for many companies in Brazil in the commercial department. She is passionate about her dogs, makeup, fun days at the lake, swimming pools or the ocean and barbeque. Her dream job is to work with others at a big company that makes a difference in society. Andrea hopes to use her graduate degree to update her journalistic knowledge and find a good job in a big city. As a student, Andrea hopes to network and make a lot of connections. Andrea spends her recreational time with her family, friends and her dogs. She loves the outdoors.

Yena (Shelly) Suh

Yena Shelly Suh was born in Pusan, South Korea, and was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. Throughout her life, she also lived in Michigan, Ohio and California. She attended the University of Nevada, Reno and attained a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with an emphasis in visual communication. Shelly recently worked with the sports office on campus, Wolf Pack Sports, as a motion graphics creator. She also worked for KUNR on the Hitchcock Project and Alpha Design. She worked as a graphic designer and creator. Shelly's passions include exploring different artistic mediums and learning about people. She is interested in how people communicate and interact throughout their daily lives. Her dream job is to work as a digital designer while building her career and her portfolio to include diverse types of media. Shelly spends her recreational time singing, playing musical instruments, going to different music festivals and keeping fit. She also takes care of her bunny, Eggie, and her plants.

Alayna Wood

Alayna Wood was born and raised in Carson City, Nevada. She attended Northwestern University in Seattle Washington. During her time as a student, she studied abroad in Rwanda and she also lived in Shanghai, China. At Northwestern University, she attained her degree in intercultural studies. When Alayna finished school, she moved to Shanghai to teach English. After working in Shanghai, Alayna returned to Reno and worked at the Parks Foundation. Alayna loves to travel, write and take photos. Alayna is passionate about women's issues, social justice and her four-legged friends. She dreams of working as a freelance writer and photographer. Alayna plans to use her graduate degree to advance her career and learn how to be more discerning in the media the public consumes.