Meet the Interns

Midstory’s 2020 College Internship Program

Whitney Baxter

Senior at Ohio State University
Visual Communications Design
Hometown: Lima, Ohio

Whitney is from Lima, Ohio and is a fourth-year undergrad at The Ohio State University as a Visual Communications Design major with minors in Architecture and Business. She also studies Korean language and spent the previous summer in Seoul studying Korean culture and cityscape. She is a member of TEDxOhioStateUniversity. In addition, she plays the violin and the saxophone and has been involved in various bands and orchestras in and outside of school. As a design student, she has special interests in illustration, narrative design and combining graphic design with physical elements and spaces.

With Midstory, she's excited to collaborate with people from different universities and areas of study, and to see everyone’s ideas and passions and how everyone uniquely expresses them.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: She loves dogs and mystery novels.

Ethan Boll

Junior at Princeton University
Comparative Literature
Hometown: Brunswick, ME

Ethan is a rising junior at Princeton University where he studies comparative literature and narrative filmmaking. When he's not studying, Ethan enjoys singing in the Princeton Chapel Choir and acting in plays and musicals.

While interning with Midstory, Ethan will be staying in Brunswick, Maine where he grew up. While he's happy to be spending time on the beautiful coast of Maine with his family, he's looking forward to meeting the Midstory team and creating some meaningful work this summer. He's excited to collaborate with a brilliant and diverse group of students and professionals, including a number of fellow Princetonians! Aside from interning at Midstory, Ethan is excited to spend some time this summer backpacking in the gorgeous forests of Maine.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: Deeply interested in health and wellness, Ethan also enjoys bodybuilding and working as a personal trainer at the campus gym.

Karolen Eid

Senior at Princeton University
Public and International Affairs
Hometown: Bayonne, NJ

Karolen Eid is a rising senior at Princeton University pursuing a B.A. in public and international affairs, and is a senior news writer for The Daily Princetonian. Karolen enjoys studying migration, the Middle East and journalism. In her spare time, she loves to read (mostly non-fiction) and watch TV. Karolen is from Bayonne, NJ.

With Midstory, she is looking forward to exploring topics in politics and public health and keeping the public informed this summer.

Milan Eldridge

Recent Graduate of Princeton University
Art and Archaeology
Hometown: Dayton, OH

Milan is a recent graduate of Princeton University, where she concentrated in Art & Archaeology with a focus on film and certificates in Theater, Music Theater and Applications of Computing. Initially from Dayton, Ohio, she currently splits her time between Dayton and Louisville, Kentucky, both of which she considers home. On campus, Milan was a board member of both Theatre Intime and the Playwright's Guild, and took part in productions herself as stage manager, lighting designer, sound designer, set designer and performer. When she's not creating theater or making films, she can often be found listening to music.

This summer, Milan is most looking forward to collaborating with and learning from the intern cohort at Midstory in addition to experimenting with new storytelling techniques.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: She is currently on a quest to find the best frozen pizza and is accepting recommendations for worthy contenders.

Alicia Frazier

Senior at Purdue University
Mass Communication and African American Studies
Hometown: Merrillville, IN

Alicia Frazier comes from Merrillville, Indiana. She is currently a senior at Purdue University majoring in General Communication and African American Studies with minors in Latin American and Latino Studies, Global Studies, and History.

She has worked in several industries, including fast food and retail (Her first job was McDonalds). She has the hopes of working in the entertainment industry post-graduation and then serving as an academic advisor at a university so that she can provide a safe space for students of color. This summer, she hopes to connect and network with her fellow peers and produce content that will inspire and educate others!

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: She is a Scorpio.

JosΓ© Pablo FernΓ‘ndez GarcΓ­a

Sophomore at Princeton University
Public and International Affairs
Hometown: Loveland, OH

JosΓ© Pablo just completed his first year at Princeton University and is interested in studying international relations alongside journalism, foreign languages & cultures and theatre. Outside the classroom, he writes for The Daily Princetonian and is also a member of the Princeton Triangle Club, which produces original, student-written musical comedies every year.

Based in the Midwest just like Midstory, JosΓ© Pablo has lived right outside Cincinnati, Ohio since a very early age. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning about food and how to cook and exploring new places whether locally or halfway across the world.

This summer, he’s looking forward to merging people’s narratives with data to help others better understand what’s happening in our communities.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: JosΓ© Pablo has a small but growing collection of giraffe figurines and art from places he has visited because giraffes have been his favorite animal since childhood.

Asmita Ghoshal

First Year PhD at Bowling Green State University
Statistics
Hometown: Kelambakkam, India

Asmita is a first year PhD student in Statistics at BGSU. She also has a Bachelor's in Mathematics (B. Sc.) and Masters in Applications of Mathematics (M. Sc.). As a budding statistician, Asmita is enjoying performing crucial data analyses for Midstory and is grateful for the opportunity.

With Midstory, Asmita is primarily working on research & data analysis for our solutions-oriented research, particularly the Demography Project and the Higher Education Project. She's also been doing analysis each week on ongoing COVID-19 statistics and updates.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: Besides work, Asmita loves music and cats.

John Harvey

Recent Graduate of the University of Toledo
Environmental Science & Communications
Hometown: Toledo, OH

John is a recent graduate of The University of Toledo, having majored in Communications and minored in Environmental Science with a concentration in sustainability. He grew up here in Toledo, but has backpacked all over Europe and the Eastern U.S. Now, he's running his own composting business.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: He loves the outdoors and spends most of his time during the summer outsideβ€”camping, mountain biking, rock climbing and mushroom hunting.

Marley Jacobson

Junior at Princeton University
Public and International Affairs
Hometown: Huntington, NY

Marley is from Long Island, New York and is a junior at Princeton University. She is majoring in Public and International Affairs with certificates in French and Vocal Performance. Marley is very interested in public policy and government.

Marley is looking forward to an exciting summer with Midstory, researching important issues and contributing to essential social entrepreneurial projects. You can read one of her Midstory stories here.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: In her free time, she loves to sing opera!

Derek Li

Sophomore at Princeton University
Public and International Affairs
Hometown: Arcadia, CA

Derek is studying Public Policy as well as Chinese Language at Princeton University. He serves on Manna Christian Fellowship and student government. He is currently staying home in Arcadia, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles. Not surprising for a California native, he enjoys road trips, riding waves and running, but when locked indoors, he listens to podcasts, spams the random article button on Wikipedia and binge watches Planet Earth.

At Midstory, Derek is looking forward to getting to meet interns on collaborative projects and learning real applications of media from a variety of angles to better connect with the people in Toledo and beyond.

Marissa Michaels

Junior at Princeton University
Sociology
Hometown: Hightstown, NJ

Marissa is a rising junior at Princeton University from nearby Hightstown, New Jersey. She's majoring in Sociology with minors in Journalism, American Studies and Music Theatre. She is passionate about making a positive influence on the world through media, and is a news writer and copy editor at The Daily Princetonian. Outside of journalism, she spends a lot of time with her Jewish a cappella group, Koleinu, and an activist group, Students for Prison Education, Abolition, and Reform. She also tutors high school students and research assists a theater professor at Princeton.

This summer, she is most looking forward to learning new skills that are necessary for working in media and learning more about the Midwest!

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: Marissa took a gap year in Yogyakarta, Indonesia through Princeton's Bridge Year Program, where she stayed with a homestay and worked at an advocacy center for women and children with disabilities.

Delaney Murray

Recent Graduate of Ohio University
Journalism
Hometown: Athens, OH

Delaney was born and raised in Athens, Ohio, a thriving college town that is also in the poorest county in Ohio. She studied Journalism and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Ohio University. She spent a year as an LGBTQ columnist for OU’s primary student publication, The Post, and four years as a news reporter for the digital student publication, The New Political.

She also served as President for Blue Pencil Comedy, a student stand up comedy group, and hosted the Evening Show, a digital late night comedy sketch and news show. In her senior year, she wrote her Bachelor’s thesis on news coverage of women involved in online fandom.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: If you want to get her talking, ask her about comedy, Ireland, her dogs, and which coffee chain makes the best iced mocha.

Caramia Putman

Junior at Yale University
English and Women’s Gender & Sexuality Studies
Hometown: New Haven, CT

Caramia is from Ukiah, California and is a rising junior at Yale University. She plans to major in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies while concentrating on the integration of critical theory with art & media production. She really enjoys creative writing, but didn’t feel like reading what she needed to be an English major (Sorry, Mom and Dad...).

While she doesn't know much about the Midwest, she does know about growing up in a more rural and impoverished area, and some complications that come with it (good and bad). Caramia is excited to listen, learn and think critically about journalism’s accessibility, as well as her own biases.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: When not working, she's probably skating around, working on home videos or kicking it with some friends.

Remy Reya

Senior at Princeton University
Public and International Affairs
Hometown: San Diego, CA

Remy is a rising senior at Princeton University, where he's studying public policy, journalism and philosophy. Since he can't sing with his a cappella group from his home in San Diego, California, he frequently spends his quarantine hours playing piano, teaching himself chords on the ukulele and tapping his fingers on nearby surfaces. He also does research and volunteer work in the homeless community and makes podcast-style human-interest pieces (think This American Life) for his campus radio station, WPRB 103.3 FM.

Remy is excited to be working with Midstory this summer because, as the pandemic has changed so many people's lives in complex ways, he knows that good journalism is a key to understanding the stories we can't see on the surface and moving forward in a productive and inclusive way.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: He once climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge at night. (It was safe and legal, don't worry.)

Jessie Walton

Junior at Bowling Green State University
Graphic Design
Hometown: Orville, OH

Jessie was born and raised in a small town full of corn called Orrville, Ohio. She grew a fond love of the creative arts and is currently studying at Bowling Green State University for a Graphic Design BFA and a Marketing minor. She enjoys growing her creative knowledge of design, spending hours in the printmaking studio and connecting with many wonderful people around the world through volunteering.

This summer, she is excited to be a part of the Midstory team to work together to explore the deep roots of Toledo's history and empower its future.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: Jessie is a proud biracial Native American woman and enjoys participating in a Native American/Indigenous People committee at BGSU, striving for education about and acknowledgement of the culture.

Cielle Waters-Umfleet

Junior at the University of Michigan
Creative Writing and Literature
Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI

Cielle is a rising junior at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is studying creative writing and literature with a minor in Spanish. She is from Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan, and has called the Midwest home for most of her life. She is also the editor-in-chief for feminist magazine What The F at the University and works as a literacy tutor for elementary schoolers in Southeast Michigan.

This summer, she is excited to follow the waves of change rippling through the nation, especially from her front-row vantage point in one of the states hardest hit by COVID-19. She hopes to use her work with Midstory to offer fresh perspectives on the crisis while still remaining critical and delivering the facts.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: She is proud of her two Midwestern bronze medals in synchronized figure skating earned while in college, but she loves her four dogs (all Boxers) most of all!

Skye Wu

Sophomore at Amherst College
Philosophy and Psychology
Hometown: Wilmington, DE

Skye Wu is a rising sophomore at Amherst College, where she intends to study Philosophy and Psychology. She is originally from China and moved to the U.S. five years ago. At Amherst, she is part of club crew and an a cappella group, and she writes for the student-run newspaper, The Amherst Student. When not in school, she enjoys cooking, going on hikes and trying out different coffee recipes.

Skye looks forward to collaborating with fellow interns and creating connections that transcend the limitations of a virtual platform.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: She is a proud mom of two turtles that she rescued from a contaminated pond.

Lark Yan

Junior at the University of Pennsylvania
Health and Societies
Hometown: Sylvania, OH

Lark is a rising Junior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and is originally from Denver, CO. She's passionate about Asian American advocacy and discovering ways to improve equal health access for all. In her free time, Lark loves playing the piano and baking.

Lark is looking forward to producing meaningful written work with Midstory this summer that hopefully tells the stories of unheard people and community groups.

π˜½π™€π™£π™ͺ𝙨 π™›π™–π™˜π™©: She shares the same birthday as her mom.