Meet grad students

Mary Kate Atiglo

Mary Kate was born and raised in Ghana and graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, earning a bachelor's in communication. She worked for the Ghana Revenue Authority, and Radio XYZ as a producer. She aspires to inform, inspire, and create positive changes using the entertainment industry. Mary Kate wants to be a producer and entertainment journalist in the future. She is excited to enhance her expertise in storytelling, video production, and writing as a graduate student at Reynolds School. Her hobbies include visiting the beach, meeting new people, and writing entertainment stories.    

Bridget Bennett

Bridget was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has lived in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her bachelor's in journalism from the University of Minnesota. Bridget worked for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and has contributed photographs to the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times as a freelancer. Alongside her passion for photography, she reports on press freedom, housing issues, environment and climate issues. She sees herself as a staff photographer for a national newspaper in the future. She has a strong interest in learning data journalism during her graduate studies with the Reynolds School. In her free time, Bridget likes being outside, hiking, climbing, and restoring furniture.

Ali Dickson

Ali was born in Wisconsin and has also lived in Minnesota, Idaho, and Wyoming. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in environmental studies.  Ali has worked at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Grand Targhee Ski Resort, Tahoe Donner Homeowners Association, and Lahontan Golf Club, where she oversaw marketing and communications for both print and digital media, while also occasionally instructing skiing and providing environmental education. She is passionate about sustaining the planet while enjoying it through activities like outdoor recreation, foraging, gardening, reading, chatting on the deck, and sipping wine at sunset. Ali aspires to work at a nature reserve or environmental nonprofit, overseeing communications that educate audiences on how to become stewards of the planet. She is excited to learn how effective communication can inspire connections to help combat climate change.

Abdulmalik Adetola Lawal

Abdulmalik was born in Ibadan city in Nigeria. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Kwara State University. Abdulmalik worked as a remote correspondent for Development Innovation Insider (Dissinder) based in Beijing, as a reporter and editor for AgroNigeria and Eagle News in Nigeria, and as a remote writer for Zuri Baby's Corner in Canada and Techfastly in India. He plans to pursue a PhD after his master’s degree to become an academic in the field of health and environmental communication. To achieve this, he aims to gain specialized knowledge and expertise in using media and communication to improve the environment and promote healthier living. His hobbies include reading, writing articles, watching football.

Oscar Martinez

Oscar was born in Hicksville, New York. He received his bachelor’s degree in media and communication from Suny Old Westbury, New York. During his undergraduate studies, Oscar worked in retail. He is passionate about journalism and its impact on society. In the future, Oscar wants to write about media freedom. He will prepare himself for a career in journalism during his time as a graduate student. Oscar likes to play video games and take photographs in his free time.

Katrina Perce

Katrina was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. As an undergraduate, she worked for the Reynolds School dean's office and the University welcome center. She loves helping people and using communication to understand them. Katrina aims to be a marketing professional for the entertainment industry and music festivals in the future. As a grad student at Reynolds School, she will focus on enhancing her expertise in storytelling and strategic communication. Alongside painting and baking, she likes to try new hobbies during her leisure time.

Fazlur Rahman

Fazlur was born and raised in Jamalpur, Bangladesh and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Dhaka. He served as the deputy business editor of The Daily Star, the most-circulated English daily in Bangladesh. Over his nearly two-decade-long journalism career, Fazlur worked for several media outlets. Fazlur wants to be an outstanding journalist in the future as he views journalism as a tool to hold the powerful accountable to ensure transparency in all sectors. As a graduate student at Reynolds School, he is interested in learning multimedia journalism. His hobbies include reading books, going out, and playing cricket.

Alyssa Rowley

Alyssa was born in Reno and has also lived in Eugene, Oregon, earning her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. She has worked for the financial aid office and foster youth community at the University of Nevada, Reno. Alyssa aspires to work in the marketing department of a book publishing company. To achieve this, she plans to focus on developing her marketing and branding skills as well as honing her expertise in photo editing, audio, and multimedia while pursuing graduate studies at Reynolds School. In her free time, she likes to read and spend time with her family and dog. She is passionate about animal welfare. 

Ray Grosser

Ray was born in Round Rock, Texas and has lived in Denver, Colorado, and Sierra Leone. They graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and English. They worked in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone at a public library. Ray aspires to work globally in journalism, providing a voice for the underrepresented. Ray wants to make full use of their time in graduate school by learning from others’ experiences and acquiring skills to accomplish their professional goals. Ray’s hobbies include writing, drawing, hiking, and deep diving in random topics.

Nur Hossain

Nur was born and raised in Chattogram, Bangladesh. He graduated from the University of Dhaka, earning a bachelor’s in Sociology. Nur studied for two semesters in a journalism program at Northampton Community College in Pennsylvania. He also worked for the leading daily “Prothom Alo” in Bangladesh, as a sub-editor. He is highly passionate about writing and sees himself using journalism to bring about changes in society. Nur is interested in learning multimedia storytelling and data journalism at the Reynolds School. Nur’s hobbies include reading books and long-form news stories.

Rachel Jackson

Rachel was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her bachelor’s in journalism from the Reynolds School of Journalism. She has previously worked at the Nevada Sagebrush, Reno Gazette Journal, and the University of Nevada Advancement Office. Rachel is passionate about photography and astrology. She sees herself working as a staff photographer at a newspaper in the future. She wants to add to her skills in video and multimedia journalism during her time as a graduate student at the Reynolds School. In her free time, she likes to attend concerts, shop vintage and drink coffee.

Dan Mariani

Dan was born on Long Island, New York. He earned his bachelor's degree in English from SUNY Geneseo. Dan worked in the Peace Corps in Indonesia as an English as a second language teacher. He also taught internationally in Costa Rica and Hungary. Dan is most passionate about writing, traveling, and sharing stories. He aspires to pursue a PhD after earning his master’s in media innovation at the Reynolds School. In his free time, he likes to write, hike, and spend time with his cat.

Constance Ndeleko

Constance was born in Nairobi, Kenya. She earned her broadcast journalism degree from Multimedia University in Kenya. Constance previously worked at Investing in Children and their Societies (ICS SP), an NGO in Nairobi. She is passionate about creating sustainable positive change in communities through communication. Constance wants to work at an international organization as a communications specialist, or even have her own communication consultancy firm in the future. She wants to learn at the Reynolds School how storytelling can influence a change in the development sector, especially for children and women. In her free time, she likes to cook, read, and socialize with other people.

Eric Perez

Eric was born in Vallejo, California. He earned his bachelor’s in marketing from the University of Nevada, Reno. Before joining the Reynolds School, he spent time in the US military and worked at Molecule Labs and UFC Gym Reno. He is passionate about basketball and cats. He wants to make the most of his time at the Reynolds School in learning new skills. In his free time, he likes to work out and play basketball and video games.  

Lizette Ramirez

Lizette was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her bachelor’s in journalism from the Reynolds School of Journalism. Lizette previously worked at the Nevada Sagebrush. She is passionate about Public Relations and social media. She dreams of working one day for a music festival or a high fashion brand. She is most interested in learning and honing her skills in Photoshop, graphic design, and other editing suites during her graduate studies at the Reynolds School. Her hobbies include crocheting and playing with her dog.

Jeremiah Sampson

Jeremiah was born in Reno, Nevada. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. After graduating, he worked as a tutor at a high school teaching Math and English. Jeremiah is passionate about fiction writing, screenplay, and filmmaking.  He aspires to work in a production company producing films or documentaries. Apart from that, he sees himself working in a news station someday. Jeremiah hopes that the master’s degree will pave the way for him to work in media production. In his free time, he likes to watch movies and TV shows.

Jayanti Sarkar

Jayanti was born in West Bengal, India. She earned a master’s in Mass Communication and seeks to earn her second master’s in media innovation at the Reynolds School. Jayanti has worked in over 40 television programs in India such as The Voice India, Indian Idol, and Shark Tank India. She worked for Sony Network, Viacom 18, and Star TV. Jayanti is most passionate about communications, documentaries, and filmmaking. She dreams of having her own production house one day. She is most excited about experiencing the American culture. In her free time, she likes to watch movies and learn about different cultures on TV. She also likes to paint and sketch.