spring 2018 team
Lexie Alston is from Hampden, MA and will be graduating this May with a BA in Communication Studies and minors in Spanish and Leadership from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Lexie is a member of Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity, the Student Advisory Board, and Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society. After graduation, she plans on moving back to Boston to pursue a marketing and events career in the nonprofit industry. An interesting fact about Lexie is she loves to travel and has visited 10 countries. This summer she will be returning to Europe to see southern Spain, Portugal, southern Italy, and Greece!
Kendyl Bradley was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is a Junior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and will be receiving her BA in Communication Studies with a minor in Digital Arts. She is a member of the UNCW Women’s Club Basketball team and serves as the secretary and media coordinator. Much of her free time is spent playing basketball, traveling, taking and editing pictures, and creating short films. Her love for being behind the camera has translated into her collegiate experience and is further inspiring her to strive to make a career out of her videography and photography passions. She hopes to create content that will make a difference in her community. Her dream job is to travel the world and help people by bringing their dreams, struggles, and passions to light through social media, photography, and film.
Ryan McPherson, a non traditional student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, has returned to school in pursuit of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies. Graduating in May of 2018, Ryan's focus on video production as a medium for communication has led led him to creating multiple projects within the field. Ryan is a current intern the Lighthouse Film Company and is a skilled camera operator as well as editor and sound designer. He one day hopes to become a director/producer for live sports broadcasting. Ryan is an avid surfer and has been riding waves since he was 5 years old.
River Bondurant is a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington double majoring in Communication Studies and Spanish. She will be graduating in December of 2018 with two Bachelor of Arts degrees, and plans to continue her studies at UNCW by obtaining her Master of Arts Degree in Spanish. After school, she hopes to become a Spanish professor and of course practice photography and videography on the side. She has owned her own freelance photography company called Autumn River Media for over a year now. If she is not behind a camera or immersed in her studies, you can find River at the beach, drinking iced coffee, or playing with her roommate’s dog.
Morgan Garrett, a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, is originally from Richmond, Virginia. In addition to pursuing her B.A. in Communication Studies, she works as a Marketing Assistant at Salt Magazine, a local arts and culture publication in Wilmington, where she assists the company in social media marketing, ad trafficking, and more. She has a passion for the coast, and after graduation, she hopes to continue her career in marketing and eventually obtain her MBA. In her free time, you can usually find her at Wrightsville Beach.
Casey McAnarney is a senior at UNC Wilmington who is double majoring in English (Professional Writing) and Communication Studies and minoring in journalism. Casey is the Editor-in-Chief of UNCW’s student newspaper, The Seahawk, and is co-president of the university’s chapter of Her Campus, a national blog started at Harvard University. She is also: the social media coordinator for UNCW’s Office of Student Leadership and Engagement, a freelance reporter for the Wilmington StarNews and Cape Fear Living Magazine, a member of the Lambda Pi Eta and Sigma Tau Delta honors societies, and she published a book in her junior year through the nonprofit The Facing Project. Casey will graduate May 2018 and hopes to pursue a career in journalism and writing, which is what she does mostly during her free time.
Amber Mangione is a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She will graduate in May of 2018 with a B.A. in Communication Studies and a minor in Digital Arts. Amber has been a marketing intern for UNCW Campus Dining for 1.5 years and an advertising design intern for N2 Publishing since May 2017. She also served as a coordinator for the 11th Annual Rock for a Cure, serves as a study abroad ambassador, and is a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society. After graduation, Amber hopes to continue working in the field of marketing and graphic design, and eventually pursue her dream of moving to Scotland where she studied abroad two years ago.
Marissa Makar is senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. This May, she will earn her B.A in Communication Studies with her focus being Integrated Marketing. Aside from pursuing her B.A, she is a marketing and advertising intern for Canines & Couture, a non-profit organization that spreads awareness about animal adoption and the lack of puppy mill legislation. After graduation, Marissa plans to move to Washington D.C. to pursue a marketing career for a non-governmental or inter-governmental organization that is active in the human rights field.
Allison Whitley is a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington majoring in Communication Studies, with a minor in psychology. In addition to being a student, Allison is a member of Lambda Pi Eta Honors Society and works part time at o2 Fitness. Having had previous internships at Plan A Advertising and The Wilson Center, Allison hopes to pursue a career in Marketing or Advertising upon graduation in May. In her free time, she loves exploring new towns, eating great food, and going to workout classes!
Kristan Cottle is a native North Carolinian from the small, rural town of Beulaville. Upon graduating high school Kristan moved to Greenville, North Carolina to study at East Carolina University; after completing her first year she then transferred to UNC Wilmington where she is focusing her studies on public relations and marketing. After graduating in May of 2018 with a B.A. in Communication Studies, Kristan's dream job is to be her own boss with an event company. For now, her goal is to be on a marketing team for a local business or company in Wilmington, NC. Her favorite things are reading, lounging on the beach, and playing with her three dogs.
Coleman Neal, a native of Jacksonville North Carolina, is a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington who is majoring in Communication Studies. He is currently the Media Promotions Coordinator for the departments of Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations (QENO) and Community Outreach at UNCW. After receiving his B.A. in Communication Studies from UNCW, Coleman plans to attend North Carolina State University to receive a M.A. in Communication Studies with concentrations in cultural studies and digital media. He one day plans to work for a university's athletic department as a Director of Communication.
Olivia Nilsson is originally from Sweden, but has lived in North Carolina since the age of fifteen. She is graduating in May 2018 from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a B.A in Communication Studies and a minor in Journalism. Olivia is a member of Chi Omega Fraternity and the treasurer for Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society. After graduation, she plans to move to New York City to pursue a career in fashion PR. Olivia loves to travel and visits Europe twice a year. An interesting fact about Olivia is that she has lived in three countries and speaks 3 languages fluently.
Stephanie Spencer is a Senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington studying Communication Studies and minoring in Journalism. She is the secretary of Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Stephanie hopes to go to graduate school at Northwestern University and earn a masters in Integrated Marketing Communications. After earning her master's she would like to get a job working as a brand manager for a company. One interesting fact about Stephanie is that she is the Marketing Coordinator at Paysage Home, an interior design and home furnishings business!
Ryan Cretens is a senior majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in Digital Arts. He was born in Mountain View, California, but has spent most of his life in North Carolina. He is a student-athlete and UNCW’s starting goalkeeper for the men’s soccer team. He holds roles in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and does undergraduate research through a UNCW student-athlete SURCA grant. His dreams are to hopefully become a professional soccer player one day, but has passion and desire to work in marketing/advertising, production, and/or graphic design after college. He also has interest in obtaining his MBA at UNCW and starting his own company to help people with special needs. Competitive in nature, Ryan enjoys many sports and activities including: golf, bowling, fishing, photography/videography, and reading.
Samantha Ruark is a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She will graduate in May with a major in Communication Studies and a minor in Recreation, Sports Leadership, and Tourism Management. She is the marketing intern for the North Carolina Azalea Festival and the marketing and events coordinator for Her Campus UNCW. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in advertising, PR, and social media management. In her spare time, Samantha enjoys writing, cooking, and traveling.
Morgan Adams, a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, is double majoring in Communication Studies and Spanish. Growing up, she moved fourteen times and learned to quickly adapt to new environments. After years of constant transition, she finally decided to attend college in Wilmington, which has been the best decision of her academic career. Intellectually curious and engaged, Morgan is currently applying her knowledge from communication studies to a directed independent study in the Spanish department. After she graduates in May 2018, she hopes to move to a Spanish-speaking country to be immersed in another culture and language. In her free time, Morgan loves playing music, writing, and spending time with her friends at the beach.
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina but having moved here at a young age, Emily Holt calls the Port City home. Emily Holt is a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Upon graduation in May 2018, she will receive her B.A. in Communication Studies with her focus being Integrated Marketing Communication. In the Fall 2017 semester, Emily completed an internship at Wilmington Design Company as the Digital Marketing Intern. She is currently the Marketing/Public Relations Intern at Cape Fear Community College. She is a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Communication Studies honor society and has been involved in the Communication Studies Society as well. In her free time, Emily enjoys meeting new people, traveling, boating, sunbathing on the beach, snowboarding, and spending time with her family and her dog. After graduation, Emily’s goal is to work as a Communications Manager or Digital Marketing Manager at either a local or global company in Wilmington, Raleigh, or Charlotte, N.C. She also hopes to eventually further her education in the near future. A fu fact about Emily is that her first language is American Sign Language (her parents are both deaf so she is fluent in ASL).
Rachel Zima, a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, will be graduating this spring with her B.A in Communication Studies with a focus in Integrated Marketing Communication. Having moved around multiple times throughout her life, Rachel loves being able to call Wilmington home, but is excited for the next chapter in her life post graduation. Rachel is in Phi Mu Gamma Kappa at UNCW and outside of academics, works part- time at a local juice bar, Clean Juice- which she loves. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her chocolate lab, Phoebe, spending time outdoors and being active. A fun faces about Rachel is that her puppy is Instagram famous! (@the_adventures_of_pheebs)