Name: Hayley Payne

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Staff Title: Editor-in-Chief
Major/Minor: Communication / English
Hometown: Springfield, IL

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
I have always enjoyed writing stories. Through my work at The Journal, I can use my writing to help inform and/or entertain the UIS community.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
My current plan is to attend graduate school at UIS. After that, I hope to land a social media marketing job. Who knows, maybe I’ll start a food truck business.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
California!

What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy making crafts or doing other DIY projects. I also spend most of my free time hanging out with friends or hiking.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
My favorite hobby is going thrift shopping. I like thrift shopping because I never know what types of clothes I will find. I also like thrift shopping because it supports charity and cuts back on clothing waste.

Name: Jace T. King
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Staff Title: Assistant Editor
Major/Minor: Psychology / NA
Hometown: Springfield, IL

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
I enjoyed working on my high school’s newspaper prior to joining, and I assumed my experience could come in handy!

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I hope to be close to finishing graduate school in five years, and living the American dream – being in debt.

What motivates you to work hard?
I am motivated by the prospect of giving my son an example to follow with regard to education. He just started kindergarten during this pandemic, so seeing me do my school work on the computer only motivates him to do the same!

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Springfield, Illinois.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy spending time with my family, watching new Netflix shows, and playing video games when I have the time.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I am technically a published illustrator, so that’s cool.

Name: Emily Albrecht
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Staff Title: Copy Editor
Major / Minor: Psychology / Biology
Hometown: Peoria, IL

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
I wanted to improve my resume while doing something about which I am passionate.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, I see myself pursuing my Ph.D. in Neuropsychology, taking care of a cat in my eclectically-decorated apartment, traveling as much as I can, and (hopefully) becoming completely fluent in Spanish.

What motivates you to work hard?
My dreams, spirituality, strong desire to live the best life that I possibly can, and support system all motivate me.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I would be happy almost anywhere that would allow me to do the things I love, preferably without staying too long in one place. However, my favorite cities are New Orleans, Chicago, Tucson and Miami, in that order.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I make and listen to music, write poetry, watercolor paint, spin buugeng (flow arts), journal, meditate, listen to psychology podcasts and mix my own tea.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I tried to learn Tolkien Elvish when I was reading Lord of the Rings as a teenager. Would’ve been a lot cooler if I had been successful.

Name: Demetria Joiner
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Staff Title: Business Manager
Major/Minor: Business Administration / NA
Hometown: Springfield, IL

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
It allows me to utilized my business background to help the Journal business grow.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Graduated from UIS in my career field of human resource.

What motivates you to work hard?
I am the oldest out of nine siblings and a first-generation college graduate, so to be able to help my family out and lead my siblings motivates me.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be ?
Hawaii!

What do you like to do in your free time?
Watch home designer shows, hang out with my family and play card games.

What is something interested that most people don’t know about you?
I tore my ACL in an 8th grade basketball tournament.

Name: Kassie Mruk
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Staff Title: Layout Design Editor
Major / Minor: Communication
Hometown: Antioch, IL

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
It was an opportunity to get experience on the mass media side of communications.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Working on a college campus.

What motivates you to work hard?
I love using post-it notes, so removing them motivates me!

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
On a small farm in the mountains.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Painting and watching shows.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I have a dual citizenship with Poland. I was born in the U.S., but my parents were born in Poland. I have been traveling to Poland since I was a few months old.

Name: Nero Castro
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Staff Title: Columnist
Major/Minor: History/Sociology-Anthropology
Hometown: Chicago, IL

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
I joined the UIS Journal because I had previous experience with writing for a magazine with the United States Army’s Public Affairs Office. I wanted to apply my knowledge to writing and cover stories. Life became busy but I did not want to leave, so I decided to stay as a columnist at the UIS Journal.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I see myself in the UK, hopefully working there and having finished my M.A. degree in architectural conservation.

What motivates you to work hard?
Getting to where I want to be in my life. I want to be able to finish schooling and work towards getting a job in my field. It is what really motivates me to get up every morning and to continue to push myself into doing what I can do, finishing school, and moving forward in life.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I don’t know! I think I’m really content to live anywhere, so long as I can afford it and have a small garden to grow my own vegetables.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to draw and play video games, especially the MMO Final Fantasy XIV. Sometimes I also enjoy going out and seeing the city, but with COVID-19 I have been doing that a lot less recently.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I love to draw and design monsters! I tend to focus on body horror and general horror types when it comes to my monsters.

Name: Camille Daley
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Staff Title: Staff Writer
Major/Minor: Psychology-Criminology/Spanish
Hometown: Homewood, IL

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
I absolutely love writing in my free time and jotting down my thoughts, so just like people consider with any passion, why not get paid for it?

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I would hope to still be in school, working my way towards a Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology.

What motivates you to work hard?
Being able to use my career to make big changes to how we connect criminal justice and psychology.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I’d love to live in Colorado, honestly. It was beautiful in Denver the last time I went and I could see myself getting comfortable with the location, the temperature of the seasons, and the food options!

What do you like to do in your free time?
I love to sketch and paint! I have tons of sketchbooks filled with doodles and projects over the years.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I am hoping that, someday, I can fulfill my dream to be a tattoo artist for whatever period of time. I’ve already designed the tattoos I’d like and I’m excited to be able to use my art in that way.

Name: Kaisha Johnson
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Staff Title: Staff Writer
Major/Minor: Business Administration / NA
Hometown: North Chicago, IL

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
I found myself spending a lot of time writing and actually enjoying it. I thought, why not try writing for the school’s newspaper? So I did.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, I see myself having a successful career in the marketing field and living happily.

What motivates you to work hard?
Envisioning myself in a better, more secure place in life is always my motivation to work hard.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
If I had the choice of living anywhere, it would definitely be Italy. Post-pandemic, of course.

What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy watching psychological thrillers.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
Something most people don’t know about me is that I really enjoy painting.

Name: Jacob Tebbe
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Staff Title: Staff Writer
Major/Minor: Masters of Political Science / NA
Hometown: Saint Rose, IL

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
I needed money, and this sounded like something easy and fun.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Overseas, serving the federal government in some capacity.

What motivates you to work hard?
The need for money and the fear of failure.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Washington, DC, or New York City, New York.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Write short fiction and socialize.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I am a black belt martial artist and spent seven years studying self-defense.

Name: Spencer Voyles
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Staff Title: Staff Writer
Major/Minor: English / NA
Hometown: Woodstock, IL

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
I wanted to expand my career options and cover some interesting stories.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Settled somewhere quiet with my dog.

What motivates you to work hard?
The world is full of unconsidered issues and stories. When I write an article, I want it to shed light on parts of the world we miss.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Southern Germany. I miss the mountain views and the food.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I brew mead, collect vintage RPG manuals and practice cooking.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
My favorite charity which I donate to regularly is Child’s Play.

Name: Cameryn Hodges
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Staff Title: Staff Photographer
Major/Minor: Communications / Business Administration
Hometown: Belleville, IL

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
I joined The Journal because I have a strong passion for photography and I want to get involved on campus to meet new people.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Getting my master’s degree and working for Disney.

What motivates you to work hard?
My dreams and aspirations to be my own boss.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Orlando, FL!

What do you like to do in your free time?
Watch movies and hang out with friends.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I am a YouTuber, podcaster and blogger.

Name: Niti Kasodariya
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Staff Title: Staff Photographer
Major/Minor: Computer Science Grad Student / NA
Hometown: Surat, Gujarat, India

Why did you join The UIS Journal?
I joined the UIS Journal because I wanted to expand my skills in photography, and the Journal is an award-winning university newspaper. Also, I get to know other staff members while working with them, which is fun.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I see myself working in an IT company, along with some freelance photography.

What motivates you to work hard?
Working as a part of a team, courage, and curiosity to try out new skills keep me motivated to work hard.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Texas or Arizona, US!

What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time I like to practice playing guitar, watching movie or series, and also cooking.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I will dance from my playlist when nobody is around or when I’m with my roommates.