The CoH Team
Our team is currently composed of students at Roger Williams University. We are working to hire community members and high school students to join our staff or work as freelancers. We are specifically interested in working with members of the communities we aim to serve, those who have little access to jobs within the mainstream media.
If you are interested, please contact us at communitydrivennews@gmail.com.
Our Current Team
Luke joined Communities of Hope because he agreed that marginalized communities need to have their voices heard. He is from Easton, Massachusetts and in his free time, he enjoys reading and playing music.
Luke Brennan
News Manager - Hope Pod
Senior Journalism major and Film core concentration
Luke joined Communities of Hope because he agreed that marginalized communities need to have their voices heard. He is from Easton, Massachusetts and in his free time, he enjoys reading and playing music.
Emily Rosen
Junior Journalism major and Political Science minor
News Manager - EcoTalk
Emily fell in love with writing and photography at a young age. She plans to pursue both in her studies at Roger Williams University, working with Communities of Hope, and post-graduation.
Dr. Motta encouraged Emily to join Communities of Hope when she was a student in his introductory journalism course. She wants to work with and help others as well as to become an active part of the community.
She enjoys creative writing, photography, and spending time with friends in her free time.
Jordan Baylis
Senior Graphic Design major and Marketing minor
Lead Graphic Designer and Creative Manager
Jordan has worked with Communities of Hope since the fall of 2021, where she's enjoyed different sides of the organization: producing original designs, working with new people, and uplifting the voices of underrepresented communities.
Outside of her work, she is a dancer and a member of RWU's dance club and dance team.
Sam Elwell
Copyeditor and Ecotalk Host
Senior Journalism major and Sustainability Studies minor
Sam is one of the co-hosts of the EcoTalk in addition to being the host of his own radio show on WQRI and an editor for the Hawks' Herald.
He joined the Communities of Hope team to get experience in environmental reporting. He hoped to become an environmental and sustainability reporter, to get involved with the community, and to help others.
Briana Verissimo
Senior Secondary Education and Spanish major
General Manager
The opportunity to promote equality and help the people around her brought Briana to Communities of Hope, and she has been channeling that passion into her work since joining the team in fall 2021.
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Jocelyn Jackson
Multimedia Journalist
Junior Journalism major and Film minor
Jocelyn is very passionate about social justice and plans on advocating for awareness through her reporting. She was drawn to Communities of Hope by the opportunity to support individuals who are impacted by societal issues.
Her goal is to make positive changes for local communities and after graduating from college, she plans to become a photojournalist and to document the stories that shine a light on the problems people consistently choose to ignore.
Multimedia Journalist
Junior Journalism major and Graphic Design minor
Jack Aviles
Jack has a passion for helping communities that are being negatively affected by environmental issues. He joined Communities of Hope after taking several of Dr. Motta's journalism classes to gain knowledge and experience with reporting, especially environmental reporting.
He thoroughly enjoys writing and even more so when there is an important story to tell. After graduation, he plans to work in environmental and investigative journalism.
In his free time, he enjoys board sports, spending time with friends, and thinking of ways to help the environment.
Will Nichols
Junior Film Intermedia major and Sustainability Studies minor
Documentary Producer
Will works as a reporter and assistant director for the EcoTalk podcast collecting video and audio as well as editing and writing scripts.
He became interested in the topic of sustainability through hiking and exploring nature in rural New Hampshire. His career goal is to work as a photographer or camera operator for environmental documentary projects such as Blue Planet, Night on Earth, or Blackfish.
He hopes that his work in journalism will help other people to understand the importance of preservation and respecting the environment.
Elena Trevithick
Multimedia Journalist
Journalism major
Solutions Journalism Researcher and Reporter
Junior Journalism major and French minor
Jeannette White
Annika Irene
Senior Graphic Design and Spanish double major
Graphic Designer
Annika is a member of our Creative Team where she has produced original designs, logos, and promotional materials. She joined Communities of Hope to collaborate with other designers and use her passion to help people's voices be heard.
When she has free time, she enjoys walking around the local parks and sailing in the Mount Hope Bay.
Grace McCarthy
Graphic Designer
Sophomore Public Relations major and Graphic Design minor
Grace joined Communities of Hope because it was a space that allowed her to do what she loved alongside likeminded people who want to change the world just like her.
She hopes to design websites for fashion companies once she graduates.
When she's not working, she enjoys walking on the bike path in downtown Bristol.
Social Media Marketing Manager
Communication and Media Studies major
Mary Drasheff
Alyson Lowney
Junior Marketing major
Marketing Associate
Kayle Messier
Public Relations Associate
Senior Public Relations major
Claire Kelley
Public Relations Associate
Freshman Journalism major
Kyle Villella
Senior Secondary Education and Spanish major
Spanish Translator/Interpreter
Matthew Mercado
Spanish Translator/Interpreter
Psychology major
Professionals
Kaylee Pugliese
Director of Audiovisual Production
EcoTalk Podcast Editor
Dr. Bernardo H. Motta
Roger Williams University - Communities of Hope Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ)
Solutions Journalism Network (SJN)
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
Founder
Colleen Cronin
Program Coordinator - Hope Squad
EcoRI News, Report for America
Contributors
Kristin Dansereau
Multimedia Journalist
Graduate - Journalism major and Sustainability Studies minor
Jimmy Sadowski
Lead Editor - Transforming Roger, Journalist
Journalism major