Authors

Joy Gephart is a legal studies major with a passion for research and storytelling. She plans to pursue a career in victim advocacy and international human rights law, while hopefully reporting part-time. She has worked at The Chronicle for two years, serving as a reporter, managing editor and now editor-in-chief. Outside of journalism, she writes fiction and expresses her creativity through art and music.

John Straszewski is a kinesiology major who covers sports for The Chronicle. He has aspirations of coaching football as a career. He enjoys playing and listening to music and watching political dramas.

Evan Schuler, a digital media & film student, has worked for The Chronicle since August 2025. Soon to transfer to a 4-year university, Evan is seeking to work in the media industry, with a life goal to be an art director. He is also an avid Lego collector and a huge pop-culture nerd.

Angel Overlin is an art major and has been an illustrator for The Chronicle since 2024. He enjoys creating illustrations, animations, comics, and digital art. He's a fan of music, video games, and medieval knights – he believes the best things in life involve all three.

Gabino Ramirez is the media producer and business major with a passion for storytelling and sound design. He’s just as comfortable chasing a breaking story as he is chasing gains at the gym. When he’s not gaming or crafting immersive narratives, he’s probably debating the finer points of middle-earth lore.

Sadie Saller is an art major, and her goal after college is to become a children's book illustrator. She loves writing and illustrating for The Chronicle, running the Creative Arts Club on campus, and working at her local library where she grew up. When she isn't sketching or reading, Sadie loves to sing, spend time with her family, and dance. She also adores cats and has never met an animal that she didn't like. Fun Fact: her art has been featured on professional T-shirts and tote bags!

Ryan Vagnoni is a staff photographer and reporter for The Chronicle. His journey behind the lens began in his middle school photography club, a passion that eventually led to his work being featured in Inkblots, Grayslake Central’s art and literary magazine. Now at the College of Lake County, Ryan focuses on capturing the pulse of campus life through photography while providing sharp cultural commentary as an opinion writer. When he’s not chasing the perfect shot, Ryan is an avid cinephile and political junkie.

Kellyn Harmer is an English major. She has goals of becoming a high school English teacher. This is her first year with The Chronicle, and she is the news editor. When she isn't writing, she is watching horror movies or crafting.

Jolene Freund is a history major with passion for studying the past, as well as current events. After transferring to a university, her goal is to acquire a PHD, potentially teaching a class or two while doing consultant work. She has 2 dogs: Luna and Snickers, loves reading, watching movies, and playing DND with her friends.

Anderson Jayne is an Economics major at CLC. He has been working for the Chronicle since February of 2026 and hopes to soon publish more articles about local economic and social issues. Anderson loves learning & reading about history, specifically from 1814 to 1948. When he isn't busy dismantling Russian democracy in Kaiserreich, Anderson enjoys bird watching, gardening, and playing chess. He also is an avid Ubuntu user, and will take every opportunity to remind you why Linux is superior to Windows.

Robert Trottman is an art major at College of Lake County. He is a retired Navy Chief and has goals of becoming a published writer and college professor. He enjoys reading comics, crime fiction, music, anime and cooking.

Jay Castillo is an animation major who loves dreaming up stories and characters. They have a deep passion for movies and graphic novels, particularly those that offer stunning visuals and unique takes on the world. They hope to one day tell their own stories on the big screen and inspire others to do the same.

My name is Karla Gonzalez. I am a 22-year-old first-generation student who is graduating this spring, and this story is my final contribution to the campus. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here at CLC and cannot wait to see what is next.