Kelly Brooks, 25, is an online journalism graduate student at the University of Maryland. During the 2008-'09 academic year, she designed programs for Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Her past is somewhat nomadic: She has lived in California, Michigan, New Jersey and Tennessee, and earned a bachelor of arts in telecommunication arts from the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Following graduation, she wrote for two newspapers in metro Atlanta. Her background in both print journalism and multimedia has fostered her passion for disseminating news to the public in compelling, creative ways. She looks forward to applying this to News21. Some of her other interests include indie music, film, running and spicy food. She can be reached at Kellymarieb@gmail.com

Kimberly Davis is a doctoral student at the Philip P. Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. Davis, who is Maryland’s 2008 Scripps Howard fellow, was a writer and editor at newspapers and magazines for 12 years, including six years as an associate editor at Ebony magazine in Chicago. Before that, the Georgia native held positions at newspapers in Anderson, S.C., and Greenville, S.C., and was a freelance writer and editorial consultant for regional and national publications. Davis received her master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Georgia in 2008 and her bachelor’s in journalism from Northwestern University in 1996. She can be reached at Kimberly.d.davis@mac.com

Jeanette Der Bedrosian, 22, graduated in May from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, where she earned a B.A. in print journalism and American studies. Last spring, she interned for the Life section of USA TODAY, covering issues such as education, science, technology and the environment. She has also written for various other newspapers, including the Washington Examiner and New Jersey’s Home News Tribune. She studied abroad in the Middle East, wrote for the university’s independent student newspaper and was an officer in Phi Sigma Pi coed honor fraternity. She can be reached at jeanette.derbedrosian@news21.com.

Jose Castillo, 25, a freelance photojournalist and designer, has a bachelor's degree in Radio/Television/Film from The University of Texas at Austin. He worked for The Daily Texan for three years as a photographer and occasional writer, and rose to be its director of photography. He is an assistant to Austin-based photojournalist Donna DeCesare and works as a Web designer and technology consultant for InCite magazine. He plans to complete his Master's degree in photojournalism in December. He can be reached at jose.castillo@gmail.com.

Michael Frost is a master’s candidate in public affairs reporting at the University of Maryland. In a prior life, he taught history and English in Japan, Mississippi, Vermont and Pennsylvania. He has traveled extensively in Asia and Latin America and recently conducted a reporting project in Jordan courtesy of the university’s Gene Roberts Award. He can be reached at Michael.Frost@news21.com.

Brittany Lee-Richardson, 22, graduated from the University of Maryland in May. Lee-Richardson received a bachelor of arts degree in broadcast journalism from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. She was a sprinter for the university’s track and field team and wants to pursue her passion for sports by becoming a sports reporter and anchor. She has interned with Comcast SportsNet and the sports department at WTTG Fox 5. Lee-Richardson also worked with WMUC radio on campus as a reporter for the football and women’s basketball teams. She is a member of several academic honor societies and has won numerous journalism scholarships. She is originally from Huntsville, Ala., but has lived in Virginia and Maryland since childhood. She can be reached at Brittalr@gmail.com

Chris Matthews, 25, is an M.J. candidate at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. He has interned at Fox News Channel, the Mount Hope Monitor, washingtonpost.com and Salon.com. He has reported on the U.S. Congress, Bronx politics and a hostage standoff. Matthews aspires to be a foreign correspondent and has traveled widely, including seven-month stints in Paris and Australia, where he was a semi-professional lacrosse player. He received his B.A. in political science from Kenyon College in Ohio. Born in Houston but raised in Manhattan, he is a passionate fan of the Astros, Rockets and the N.Y. football Giants. He can be reached at Christopher.Matthews@news21.com

Before entering graduate school, Nick McClellan, 26, worked for three years as a copy editor and multimedia producer for the Visalia Times-Delta, a Gannett newspaper in Visalia, Calif. After volunteering for video training, he transitioned into the paper’s first multimedia reporter, where he shot and edited many videos for the newspaper’s Web site. He was accepted to the University of Missouri in 2008 to pursue a master's degree in journalism. He specializes in convergence and multimedia journalism as well as computer-assisted and investigative reporting. He can be reached at nick.mcclellan@news21.com

Shauna Miller, 30, graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in English literature and women's studies and is now pursuing a master’s in journalism there. She worked for five years as an arts writer and editor at the Washington City Paper, and she freelances for the Washington Post Express, NPR.org, DCist.com and the Washington Blade. She studied multimedia storytelling at the Center for Digital Storytelling in Washington, D.C., and recently produced a radio piece on D.C.'s drag history for NPR's Intern Edition. She is a co-founder of Girls Rock! D.C., a nonprofit music summer camp for girls ages 8-18. She’s most interested in the intimacy that personal stories bring to news. She can be reached at Shauna.Miller@news21.com

Will Skowronski, 22, graduated in May from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. He has been interested in traditional journalism since he was a freshman at Calvert Hall High School in Towson, Md., and began writing for the school newspaper, The Hall, to fulfill extracurricular requirements. He stuck with it and became editor in chief his senior year. As a freshman at the university in College Park, he began writing for the student-run newspaper, The Diamondback. He has since interned with The Baltimore Sun and the Baltimore Business Journal. He reported in Washington for the journalism school's Capital News Service and the Scripps Howard Foundation Wire. He's excited for the summer and looks forward to learning breakthrough, multimedia techniques in storytelling. He can be reached at william.skowronski@news21.com

Andrew Smith, 21, graduated in May from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is a production assistant at WUSA-TV, a CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., and has been a producer for UMTV, the university's cable TV network. He has also served as an intern with washingtonpost.com. In addition to these activities, he has had international reporting experience in Jordan and Iceland. Smith is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and the Society of Professional Journalists. He can be reached at asmith810@gmail.com

Leonard Sparks, 43, earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Maryland in May. His experience includes four years as a copy editor and then reporter for the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper. His journeys have taken him to Iraq, where he learned the intricacies of boarding a Blackhawk helicopter while wearing body armor. He also witnessed a somewhat well-received speech by a junior senator from Illinois while covering the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Away from the computer, he enjoys road trips, doing second-rate home repairs for his girlfriend and being an all-around anachronism. He can be reached at spelov1@aol.com