Editor in Chief
Name: Mikaela Wilkins
Major: Editing & Publishing with a minor in Creative Writing
Year in school: Junior
Dream job: A novelist! But I’d love to be a freelance editor, or design and sell prom dresses. Also, a stay-at-home mom.
Favorite book: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and any of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Why I joined Schwa: I wanted editing experience and Schwa gives me a chance to participate in so many different aspects! (Especially now as editor-in-chief!) I also love linguistics and find most of the articles fun and interesting to read.
Managing Editors
Name: Brooke James
Major: Editing & Publishing
Year in school: Sophomore
Dream job: Working as a lexicographer or whoever makes the rules in Chicago; also a therapy dog trainer.
Favorite book: There’s so many! But the ones I always come back to are The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand.
Why I joined Schwa: I wanted to work on a journal and you can’t go wrong with linguistics! I’ve stayed because I love how we go through the whole process and how I’m getting real experience in every part, from acquisitions to design. And the people are always great!
Name: McKinsey Koch
Major: Editing and Publishing
Year in school: Senior
Dream job: Editing for nonprofit organizations
Favorite book: I can’t pick just one!
Why I joined Schwa: I love the English language and I love editing! Schwa combines both of those things in one.
Senior Editors
Name: Meghan Wilson
Major: Editing and Publishing (with minors in astronomy and geology)
Year in school: Junior
Dream job: Brandon Sanderson’s copyeditor or proofreader
First item on bucket list: Travel with my husband back to the Balkan countries (Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Montenegro) where I served an LDS mission.
Favorite book: Any book by Brandon Sanderson
Why I joined Schwa: Because I love to edit, and I wanted to get more editing and publishing experience.
Name: Kristin Pedersen
Major: English (minors in editing and creative writing)
Year in school: will graduate April 2020
Dream job: freelance editor and SAH mom
Favorite book: The Hobbit
Why I joined Schwa: I have been on the staff for about a year now and have loved it. I’m excited to be a senior editor!
Name: Samuel Lambert
Major: Editing & Publishing
Year in school: Sophomore
Dream job: Writer / Fiction Editor
First item on bucket list: I don’t really know… just finishing my massive list of movies and shows I have on the backburner, I guess.
Favorite book: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy or Slaughterhouse-Five
Why I joined Schwa: I started Fall 2019. I knew I needed editing experience ASAP, since I had just changed majors and didn’t really know where I was going at first, and this publication staff was very accepting and involving, allowing me to participate along the way, which was hugely helpful.
Name: Amanda LaFrance
Major: Editing and Publishing
Year in school: Junior
Dream job: Working at a publishing house like Harper Collins or Penguin Random House.
Favorite book: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Why I joined Schwa: I love editing, and working on a student journal is a great way to get some “real-world experience.”
Name: Emma Franklin
Major: Editing and Publishing
Year in school: Junior
Dream job: Book editor or librarian
First item on bucket list: Go back to France
Favorite book: Jane Eyre
Why I joined Schwa: I wanted to get editing experience :)
Staff Editors
Name: Kyla Rogers
Major: Editing and Publishing
Year in school: Sophomore
Dream job: Playwright Publisher
First item on bucket list: Visit Germany
Favorite book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Why I joined Schwa: To gain experience on an editing team, for my major and for my resume.
Name: McKayla Lindman
Major: Editing
Year in school: Freshman
Dream job: Not sure yet
Favorite book: Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
Why I joined Schwa: I wanted to get some fun editing experience in a field of my interest: linguistics.
Name: Shane Miller
Major: Editing and Publishing
Year in school: Junior
Dream job: Author
Favorite book: All Quiet on the Western Front
Why I joined Schwa: I volunteered to work on Schwa to gain more experience with the editing and publishing processes. Linguistics is also quite fascinating, so I thought it’d make for an even better experience.
Name: Vanessa West
Major: Editing and Publishing
Year in school: Sophomore
Dream job: I’d love to be a professional voice actor, honestly. I’d love to hear my voice on a different cartoon character.
First item on bucket list: Go to a BTS concert. (I’m hoping it will happen this April!)
Favorite book: Demian by Hermann Hesse
Why I joined Schwa: I find linguistics fascinating and I really wanted to dive into my major and get some practical experience with editing!
Name: Claire Parker
Major: Editing
Year in school: Junior
Dream job: Attorney (not sure what kind yet)
First item on bucket list: Go to Italy!
Favorite book: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Why I joined Schwa: I wanted more experience editing! I also think linguistics is pretty interesting, so it was a perfect match.