Previous Fellows

 Originally from New Jersey, Katie Thompson ('12) was a communication arts major with a political science minor. After a semester abroad in Scotland, she returned to Gordon to resurrect the print edition of the Tartan student newspaper as editor in chief and was also a captain on the women's soccer team. She covered a variety of stories as a Fellow, including business, education and health. She currently lives in Washington, D.C., where she works as the founding editor of Shared Justice, an online journal published by the Center for Public Justice.

From Clinton, CT, Katelyn Goodale ('12) majored in communication arts with a minor in business administration and a spring 2012 Fellow. Through the Gordon College News Service Katelyn furthered her writing skills and expanded her journalistic experience, covering a variety of stories and features with an emphasis on the presence of the arts in the North Shore community. Apart from writing Katelyn enjoys painting, dancing, and is a devoted Celtics fan. She currently works in marketing in Boston.

 From Harare, Zimbabwe, Rachel Bell (fall 2011 Fellow) is a senior international development major and communications arts minor in the class of 2012. She hopes the news service will provide valuable experience and insight into the journalistic world. Rachel's wish is to someday serve her country as a writer and journalist. Besides writing Rachel loves to cook and bake, enjoys jogging and reading, and her ideal holiday involves camping in the African bush.

From Barre, VT, Rachael Bailey '12 (fall 2011 Fellow)  is a communication arts major and psychology minor. With a strong affinity for families and cultural differences, she hopes to explore both avenues after graduation. In the meantime she is eager to cover a wide range of relevant feature stories for the North Shore. Aside from writing, Rachael enjoys playing soccer for Gordon College, snowboarding in the winters, and dining out.

From Dalbo, Minnesota, Angela Rodriguez (fall 2011 Fellow) is a communication arts and history double major class of 2012. She grew up imagining life in the newscasters world of behind the screen news. Angela spent a semester abroad in Israel. With her background in history, she hopes to tell the news and stories of conflict in a way of understanding for the viewers. In a few years, you'll be able to find her behind the desk on NBC's Nightly News.

Alyssa Baxter grew up in northern New Jersey loving writing, reading and stories. She graduated in May of 2011 with a communication arts degree and covered youth and senior adults issues for her work with the Gordon College News Service. She currently works for as the individual visit coordinator for the Gordon College admissions department.

Jesse Poole grew up in Japan and Florida. A 2011 graduate in communication arts, his experience with the Gordon College News Service shaped his vision for journalism. In addition to recently getting married to Corrine, Jesse has interned at The Gloucester Times and as of August 2011, he is a general assignment reporter there.

 From Waterbury Center, Vermont, Christian Brink graduated in 2011 as an English major and communication arts minor. As part of the Gordon College News Service, he enjoyed hearing stories of people from the North Shore and sharing them with others. While abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the spring of 2010, Christian discovered his love for traveling. He hopes eventually to combine traveling with writing in a way that keeps him actively learning and developing his skills as a storyteller. As of August 2011, he accepted a job as a feature writer for a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.

Kate Kirby, a 2010 graduate and a summer Fellow, brings to GCNS a wealth of knowledge and experience. Originally from Orono, Maine, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with three minors: environmental studies, Latin American studies, and biblical and theological studies. Her experience ranges from teaching tennis to assisting in agricultural fieldwork at the University of Maine, and she was one of 100 student leaders across the nation invited to the White House Clean Energy Economy Forum. Kate is passionate about traveling, writing and living responsibly with what she’s given. Kate now works on environmental issues for various nonprofits.

Aspiring journalist Maggie Roth was a founding GCNS Fellow who graduated in May 2010 as a Communication Arts major with a writing concentration. Coming to Gordon College from Saco, Maine, she has avidly pursued the field of journalism through her coursework and current contributions as an editor of the college newspaper, The Tartan. Most of all, she enjoys writing feature stories and is passionate about accurate, honest, and verified reporting. Other than the field of writing, you can find Maggie scoring goals on the lacrosse field. After graduation, she worked at a public relations firm for the technology industry in Boston, but in August 2011 she became a junior press officer for an international conservation organization in Washington, D.C.

Alysa (aleesa) Obert Seeland was a founding GCNS Fellow as a junior (class of 2011) Communication Arts major originally from Wheaton, IL. She loves studying linguistics, reading about bioethics, taking pictures, speaking Spanish, making regular trips to Boston, and writing poetry in the heat of the moment. Ms. Obert decided to become a fellow due to an impromptu interview with a security guard at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., and is excited to learn from many more unfamiliar faces. She hopes to live on a small farm surrounded by children and chickens with a few of her own titles on the shelf. In July 2011, she became a social media marketing consultant for a small firm in Boston.

From Suffield, Connecticut, Muriel Hoffacker was a founding GCNS Fellow who graduated in May 2010 as a Communication Arts major with a writing concentration and an English minor. As one of the founding fellows of the GCNS, Muriel hopes to write feature stories on hidden perspectives that help shape a culture. She is an aspiring journalist who loves to travel. Having studied abroad for a semester in Italy, she would someday like to work internationally. In her spare time, Muriel loves to photograph, sail, and one day hopes to pilot her own plane to Italy. She now works as the assistant community editor at The Salem News.