Alisa Castagno
Alisa grew up in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, and she followed her love of fashion and writing to New York. She is a sophomore at Fordham University, majoring in Communications and Media Studies with a concentration in journalism and a minor in French. Her submission was originally an assignment for Comp II about the purpose and influence of metaphors. She found inspiration for the paper in her favorite TV series and guilty pleasure, Gossip Girl. Alisa believes that writers can find the best inspiration in the most unusual places.

Kimberly Damone
Kimberly Damone is an English major, a photography hobbyist, and a self-appointed member of the National Sarcasm Society. Kimberly enjoys formulating theorems, including “The Bitter and the Brat: A Tale of the Older and Younger Sibling.” As a comedy enthusiast, she most recently waited in line for three days and nights to see the SNL Christmas Show.

Valë Gjonbalaj
Valë is a teenage girl who is currently attempting to adapt to city life in the Bronx.  As a Fordham freshman, she desires to pursue an education and career in International Political Economy. Valë’s essay captures her perspective on the significance of being a New Yorker.

Gabrielle Greco
My name is Gabrielle Greco, and I am a freshman at Fordham College at Rose Hill. I wrote this paper for my composition class, which describes the day that I left for school and the emotional attachment my mother and I felt when we listened to the song “Let Her Go” by Passenger.

Kristen Holowka
Kristen Holowka is a freshman at Fordham College at Rose Hill. Kristen intends to major in Communication and Media Studies and hopes to live and work in New York City following graduation. Her essay was originally a surprise piece of snail mail sent to close friend, which was very well received.

Lily Hurley
Lily hails from the hip and happening town of Mahwah, New Jersey. She is currently a freshman at Rose Hill, majoring in International Political Economy with a minor in Environmental Policy.  She was inspired to write her paper on illness because her father suffers from an aggressive case of Parkinson’s.

Emma Kilroy
Emma Kilroy is from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. She is a freshman at Fordham College at Rose Hill who plans to major in Environmental Science with a minor in Visual Arts. Her essay was inspired by often-debated differences of opinion with her friends about the value of Disney. She explores the causes and effects of the popularity of the Walt Disney Company and analyzes the corporation’s role in shaping childhood and families.

Will McClintock
Will McClintock is a native of Tampa, Florida, who attends the Gabelli School of Business. Will is looking to major in Finance and pursue his dream of working on Wall Street. Although his paper indicates that Georgetown was his first choice in schools, he will confidently tell you that the people and location of Fordham make his inability to afford Georgetown one of the biggest blessings he has ever received.

Annemarie Marconi
Annemarie Marconi is a freshman at Fordham University.  She previously attended Kellenberg Memorial High School on Long Island, New York.  She is undeclared in her major, which inspired her to write “Major Issues,” an essay reflecting on an educational system that values professionalization over intellectual curiosity.