Fall 2025
Patrick Aber
Reporter
Patrick Aber is a senior English major from Boulder, Colorado. He is interested in reporting on local legislation and community relationships. In his free time, he enjoys biking, swimming, and cooking up a mean burger.
Busy Anderson
Reporter
Busy Anderson is a senior studying political science. She served as a CNS reporter during the spring and summer of 2024 before starting a yearlong position as the program’s communications intern.
Mona Abou
Reporter
Mona Abou is a sophomore double majoring in political science and business. She is passionate about local politics. In her free time, she is a dedicated music nerd who loves discovering new artists and learning new instruments.
Rachel Amster
Reporter
Rachel Amster is a senior interested in arts and life, local government, and environmental reporting.
Sarah Andrews
Reporter
Sarah Andrews is a senior studying English, political science, and Spanish. Her favorite thing to do in Vermont is to swim, and she tries to dip in Lake Champlain every week, all year long.
Jackson Bartels
Reporter
Jackson Bartels is a junior public communication major with a concentration in community media and journalism. He is originally from Philadelphia but is a big Seahawks fan.
Rachel Bastian
Reporter
Rachel Bastian is a senior studying sustainability, ecology, and policy and minoring in art. She loves to read, knit, and run. Currently, she is training for a half marathon.
Sarah Bokelberg
Reporter
Sarah Bokelberg is a junior English major with a double minor in reporting & documentary storytelling and public communications. She loves to ski and started when she was two years old.
Elise Coyle
Reporter
Elise Coyle is a junior psychology and English double major interested in reporting on local politics and people. Elise is an avid knitter and loves all things creative.
Amelia Cunningham
Reporter
Amelia Cunningham is a junior interested in covering LGBTQ+ rights, events in the arts, and spiritual movements,
Alana Dutcher-Hirsch
Reporter
Alana Dutcher-Hirsch is a senior majoring in English and double-minoring in studio art and journalism. She is an avid hiker and recently went on a hiking trip in Scotland.
Max Handelman
Reporter
Max Handelman is a senior public communications major with a concentration in media and journalism. He enjoys reading, birding and anything with friends. Max likes to report on anything arts and culture.
Kate Kampner
Reporter
Kate Kampner is a senior English major with minors in environmental studies and writing. She loves reporting on science and wildlife for her environmental journalism beat. Kate’s favorite book is The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.
Cameron Kohout
Reporter
Cameron Kohout is a sophomore studying political science and gender studies. She is writing for the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus and is a big Phillies fan.
Claire Macdonald
Reporter
Claire Macdonald is interested in covering the arts and life scene in Vermont. In high school, she was the head editor at her school paper.
Annalisa Madonia
Reporter
Annalisa Madonia is a senior public communication major with a concentration in media and journalism. She is interested in photojournalism and likes to bake cakes in her free time.
TJ Matteini
Reporter
TJ Matteini is a senior majoring in economics and minoring in history and math. When not listening to music, he acts as the President of the UVM Club Water Polo team and is a passionate but delusional fan of the Baltimore Ravens.
Ella Mccabe
Reporter
Ella Mccabe is a senior majoring in political science with a minor in philosophy. She is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and loves visiting the Midwest as much as possible.
Marshall Mulheron-Herbert
Reporter
Marshall Mulheron-Herbert is a senior majoring in English and minoring in studio art. He spends his free time cooking, drawing, reading, or writing.
Mollie Nicholson
Reporter
Mollie Nicholson is a senior interested in music and local politics.
Noor Nabi
Reporter
Noor Nabi is a junior studying political science and mathematics, minoring in Middle East studies and history. She grew up in northern Pakistan which gave her an unrealistic expectation that mountains should always be part of the view.
Wyatt Obering
Reporter
Wyatt Obering is a senior English major and a reporting and documentary storytelling minor. He is interested in reporting on sports, travel and news. He enjoys playing basketball and walking on grass.
Izzy Senior
Reporter
Izzy Senior is a junior public communications major concentrating in community media and journalism. She is interested in reporting on politics and aspires to have a career in journalism.
Marie Spaeth
Reporter
Marie Spaeth is a junior pursuing a degree in English with minors in writing and music. Marie sings in UVM’s first gender-inclusive a cappella group, Hit Paws.
Sam Stout
Reporter
Sam is a junior studying computer science and English. He’s interested in all things poetry and literature. He enjoys writing about disabilities and neurodivergence. His black 2012 Subaru Impreza, “Jimmy,” is holding up pretty well despite roughing out numerous potholes.
Roxy Vanderhoff
Reporter
Roxy Vanderhoff is a junior public communications major with a concentration in community media and journalism and a minor in applied design. When she isn’t reporting, she is really into yoga and is currently working on training to become a yoga teacher.
Evan Witt
Reporter
Evan Witt is a sophomore interested in government, investigative work, and protests.
Fall 2025 Vermont State University Castleton
Gabby Blanchard
Reporter
Gabby Blanchard is a junior at Vermont State University Castleton, majoring in journalism and communications. She is a copy editor for the Castleton Spartan newspaper and a member of the Castleton cheer team. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, being outside, and spending time with her friends and family.
Amanda Johnson
Reporter
Amanda Johnson is a junior at Vermont State University Castleton majoring in journalism and communications and minoring in graphic design. She writes for the Castleton Spartan newspaper and other local newspapers. In her own time, she regularly does Pilates and yoga and loves to take walks with her dog. She also dabbles in video games and loves horror movies.
Madelyn Nonni
Reporter
Madelyn Nonni is a senior media and communications major with a journalism minor at Vermont State University Castleton. This semester, she is a reporter for the Castleton Spartan newspaper and an intern at The Rutland Herald. Outside of school, she plays for the women’s tennis team, loves spending time with friends and family, and being outside with her dog, Otis!
Summer 2025
Busy Anderson
Reporter
Busy Anderson is a senior studying political science. She served as a CNS reporter during the spring and summer of 2024 before starting a yearlong position as the program’s communications intern.
Natalie Bankmann
Reporter
Natalie Bankmann is a junior philosophy major interested in reporting on human interest. She loves plants and is always growing her garden.
Eliot Barrengos
Reporter
Eliot Barrengos is a senior studying community and international development.
Elise Coyle
Reporter
Elise Coyle is a junior psychology and English double major interested in reporting on local politics and people. Elise is an avid knitter and loves all things creative.
Maeve Fairfax
Reporter
Maeve Fairfax is a senior majoring in environmental studies.
Max Handelman
Reporter
Max Handelman is a senior public communications major.
Kate Kampner
Reporter
Kate Kampner is a senior English major interested in environmental reporting. Her favorite tea is peppermint and she is minoring in environmental studies.
Madison Kim
Reporter
Madison Kim is junior from Middlebury College studying political science.
Kate Lewton
Reporter
Kate Lewton is a senior film and television studies major and reporting and documentary storytelling and public communication minor.
Lindsey Papasian
Reporter
Lindsey Papasian is a May 2025 graduate who studied natural resources.
Sam Stout
Reporter
Sam Stout is a junior majoring in English.
Camryn Woods
Reporter
Camryn Woods is a senior majoring in environmental studies and biology.
Richard Watts
Founder
Richard is a former journalist and political campaign manager who now studies and teaches courses in journalism and public policy at UVM. Richard is the co-director of UVM’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling Program, directs the Center for Research on Vermont and Center for Community News and founded CNS in 2019.
Scott Finn
Instructor
Scott is the former CEO and president of Vermont Public and West Virginia Public Radio. He has worked at public radio stations in Florida and Connecticut and as a reporter at the Charlestown Gazette. He teaches our introductory-level cohort. Scott manages CCN’s efforts to increase collaborations between university-licensed public radio stations and university reporting programs.
Kelsey Tolchin-Kupferer
Instructor
Kelsey is a teacher and audio producer from Columbia, Missouri, with more than a decade of experience introducing young people to public radio journalism. She teaches nonfiction audio storytelling courses at UVM and leads an internship program for UVM students at Vermont Public. Before coming to UVM, Kelsey led youth media programs at KBIA, KUOW and the True/False Film Fest. When she’s not working, you can find Kelsey riding her bike and listening to podcasts.
Holly Sullivan
Winooski News editor
Holly serves as the Winooski News editor, leading students covering the Onion City and maintaining the outlet’s weekly newsletter. She graduated from UVM in 2024 after interning with Community News Service as a Winooski and legislative reporter.
Austyn Gaffney
Environmental editor
Austyn coaches and edits student reporters focused on statewide environmental issues as part of a partnership between Community News Service and VTDigger, where she works as an environmental reporter. She was previously a fellow with The New York Times on the climate desk.
Rachel Hellman
Arts and culture editor
Rachel works with a group of student reporters focused on arts and culture stories in Vermont. She previously served as a Report for America journalist with Seven Days, covering Vermont’s small communities.
Molly Walsh
Staff editor
Molly covered Vermont for more than 30 years as a newspaper reporter, first with the Burlington Free Press and later with Seven Days. She provides CNS with additional editing.
Jim Welch
Editor at large
Jim retired from a nearly 50-year career in journalism in the spring of 2023. He worked for the Burlington Free-Press as, among other things, city editor, assistant managing editor and managing editor. He was one of USA Today’s founding leaders, serving as the national paper’s first D.C. editor, sports deputy managing editor and news deputy managing editor. He joined VTDigger in 2018 as a senior editor and served as its interim executive director prior to retiring. He is a lecturer in the English department at UVM.
Matt Dooman
Social media manager
Matt is a professional digital communications and social media manager. He enjoys astronomy, student journalism and 15-second video comedy.
Spring 2025
Erin Berger
Reporter
Erin is a senior psychology major and history minor. She is interested in historical and archival news that retains relevance today. She likes including humor in her writing and is a huge fan of the rock band Dinosaur Pile-Up.
Gabriela Blanchard
Reporter
Gabriela is a sophomore majoring in communications with an emphasis in journalism at Vermont State University Castleton. She came to Castleton as part of the Early College program where she found her excitement for writing. Gabriela has a passion for health and wellness and reading.
Chelsea Burton
Reporter
Chelsea Burton is a senior English major with minors and film and music who spends her free time playing piano and guitar. She is interested in reporting on arts and culture, as well as other humanities-related happenings in Vermont.
Elise Coyle
Reporter
Elise Coyle is a sophomore psychology and English double major interested in reporting on local politics and people. Elise is an avid knitter and loves all things creative.
Noah Diedrich
Reporter
Noah Diedrich is a senior history and English major interested in reporting on education. Noah’s favorite food is barbecue chicken pizza.
Megan Dillon
Reporter
Megan Dillon is a senior English major interested in reporting on new things happening in the greater Burlington community. She loves to read and drink coffee.
Emily Ely
Reporter
Emily Ely is a student at Vermont State University Castleton majoring in communications with a concentration in journalism and a minor in marketing. She enjoys playing with her dog, baking desserts, kayaking and editing The Spartan, VTSUC’s newspaper.
Virginia Holt
Reporter
Virginia Holt is a junior English and math major interested in reporting on local political events as well as environmental news. Virginia enjoys being in nature and reading with her cat.
Rhiannon Hubbard
Reporter
Rhiannon Hubbard is a junior. Her majors include political science and Spanish. Rhiannon is a cat person who enjoys reading travel journalism and baking in her free time.
Sarah Johnsen
Reporter
Sarah Johnsen is a sophomore studying environmental science. She enjoys rowing and writing about nature.
Amanda Johnson
Reporter
Amanda Johnson is a full-time employee and communications major at Vermont State University Castleton with a concentration in journalism. Amanda enjoys doing yoga and pilates and walking her big, friendly dog, Bosley.
Ava Kellner
Reporter
Ava Kellner is a freshman Spanish and political science major interested in reporting on law and policy in Vermont. Ava is an EMT and firefighter when she is home.
Scout Kranick
Reporter
Scout Kranick is a senior English and political science double major interested in reporting news from Vermont’s capital. Scout is an avid runner and skier.
Ian Kreinsen
Reporter
Ian Kreinsen is a senior history major interested in reporting on local culture and investigating stories affecting the community. He likes dogs.
Kate Lewton
Reporter
Kate Lewton is a junior film and television studies major and reporting and documentary storytelling and public communication minor.
Madeleine Lindgren
Reporter
Madeleine is a senior at Vermont State University Castleton studying communications with a focus in public relations. She is minoring in fitness and sports science. She played on the women’s soccer team at Castleton and enjoys skiing, talking, writing, running, and the beach.
Annalisa Madonia
Photographer
Annalisa Madonia is a junior majoring in public communication with a concentration in media and journalism from Wantagh, New York.
Austyn Marasco
Reporter
Austyn Marasco is a senior studio art major interested in reporting about art and the queer community. Austyn enjoys listening to instrumental music.
Madelyn McDonald
Reporter
Madelyn McDonald is a senior public communications major interested in Vermont community building. Madelyn has run two half-marathons.
Andrew Martel
Reporter
Andrew Martell is an aspiring filmmaker majoring in communications with emphasis in film and video production at Vermont State University Castleton. He plays golf and likes to go on long road trips with his fiancé.
Alex McPhedran
Reporter
Alex McPhedran is a senior studying English from Philadelphia. He’s a musician and interested in video production and photography.
Olivia Miller
Photographer
Olivia Miller is a first-generation senior studying public communication and food systems. She is interested in reporting on current events and does photography for the Vermont Cynic.
Catherine Morrissey
Photographer
Catherine Morrissey is a senior film and television studies major and a reporting and documentary storytelling minor. Catherine is from Maine and enjoys photojournalism, animals and spending time with friends.
Brigitte Offord
Reporter
Brigitte Offord is a third-year student majoring in English and political science. She is interested in reporting on local news and uncovering hidden gems. She is quite immersed in philosophy and her current favorite philosopher is Peter Singer.
Charlotte Oliver
Reporter
Charlotte Oliver is a senior global studies major. She enjoys ultimate frisbee and plans to pursue journalism after graduation.
Emma Pearce
Reporter
Emma Pearce is a senior religions major interested in writing about religious practices and churches. Outside of school, Emma likes to be outdoors and exploring new places.
Carly Potter
Reporter
Carly Potter is a freshman psychology and studio art major with a minor in reporting and documentary storytelling. She is interested in writing environmental- and social justice-related stories and is a diehard trail mix fanatic.
Katya Raikhovski
Reporter
Ekaterina (Katya) Raikhovski is a senior political science major. Katya is interested in reporting on immigration, farm labor and activism. Katya loves to cook and has worked as a line cook for the past three years.
Lucy Renaud
Reporter
Lucy Renaud is a senior sociology major interested in reporting on social issues like poverty and food insecurity in Vermont. Lucy was born and raised in Vermont and loves to spend time in nature.
Julian Chiemingo Rivera
Reporter
Julian is a junior communications major at Vermont State University Castleton. Julian enjoys working out and is a member of the Castleton football team.
Caitlyn Schaefer
Reporter
Caitlyn Schaefer is a senior linguistics major interested in reporting on education and local events. She loves chocolate Labrador retrievers.
Izzy Senior
Reporter
Izzy Senior is a sophomore public communications major interested in reporting on local and national politics. Izzy is from Andover, Massachusetts, and hopes to one day become a professional journalist.
Jaydon Shatoff
Reporter
Jaydon Shatoff is a sophomore political science major interested in reporting on Vermont businesses and politics. Jaydon’s favorite food is a thin New York City pizza slice.
Max Spradlin
Reporter
Max Spradlin is a senior studying environmental studies. He’s passionate about climate policy and sports.
Julia Streger
Reporter
Julia Streger is a junior political science and English major interested in reporting on arts, culture and politics in Vermont. She loves to bake — her latest creation being pistachio cream chocolate chip cookies.
Rachel Tramontana
Reporter
Rachel Tramontana is a senior political science major interested in reporting on political and social affairs in Montpelier and Vermont. Rachel loves listening to music, and her favorite genre is ’70s music.
Amelia Veleber
Reporter
Amelia Veleber is a senior environmental science and sustainability, ecology and policy major interested in creating data visualizations for stories.
Eliza Walsh
Reporter
Eliza Walsh is a senior film and television studies major interested in reporting on human rights and literary and cultural journalism. In her free time she loves drinking chamomile tea and checking inside every little free library she passes on the street.
Logan Wolff
Photographer
Logan Wolff is a senior majoring in film and television studies with a minor in writing. Logan’s from Connecticut and interested in photography.
Jackson Wyatt
Reporter
Jackson Wyatt is a sophomore English major. He is interested in covering politics and homelessness. He enjoys playing ping pong and David Lynch movies.
Kingsten Zenick
Reporter
Kingsten Zenick is a senior film and television studies major from Connecticut. He’s interested in learning more about the craft of newswriting.
Annika Nelson
Reporter
Annika Nelson is a sophomore at Vermont State University Castleton majoring in communications with an emphasis in journalism. She is a member of the women’s ice hockey team and enjoys spending time with friends.
Madelyn Nonni
Reporter
Madelyn Nonni is a junior at Vermont State University Castleton majoring in communications with an emphasis in journalism. She enjoys playing tennis, spending time with her friends and family, and walking her dog, Otis.
Scott Finn
Instructor
Scott is the former CEO and president of Vermont Public and West Virginia Public Radio. He has worked at public radio stations in Florida and Connecticut and as a reporter at the Charlestown Gazette. He teaches our introductory-level cohort. Scott manages CCN’s efforts to increase collaborations between university-licensed public radio stations and university reporting programs.
Kelsey Tolchin-Kupferer
Instructor
Kelsey is a teacher and audio producer from Columbia, Missouri, with more than a decade of experience introducing young people to public radio journalism. She teaches nonfiction audio storytelling courses at UVM and leads an internship program for UVM students at Vermont Public. Before coming to UVM, Kelsey led youth media programs at KBIA, KUOW and the True/False Film Fest. When she’s not working, you can find Kelsey riding her bike and listening to podcasts.
Justin Trombly
Editor
Justin is the editor of Community News Service. He oversees CNS’ advanced reporting teams, coordinates with our media partners, workshops stories with students and helps build CNS’ effort to strengthen Vermont journalism. He’s worked as a reporter at VTDigger, the Tampa Bay Times, the Buffalo News, the Glens Falls Post-Star and the Plattsburgh Press-Republican. He’s an avid and no-longer-heartbroken Celtics fan.
Molly Walsh
Staff editor
Molly covered Vermont for more than 30 years as a newspaper reporter, first with the Burlington Free Press and later with Seven Days. She provides CNS with additional editing.
Richard Watts
Founder
Richard is a former journalist and political campaign manager who now studies and teaches courses in journalism and public policy at UVM. Richard is the co-director of UVM’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling Program, directs the Center for Research on Vermont and Center for Community News and founded CNS in 2019.
Busy Anderson
Communications intern
Busy is a senior studying political science. She served as a CNS reporter during the spring and summer of 2024 before starting a yearlong position as the program’s communications intern. Busy helps publish content to our website, collects bios and headshots from reporters and create material to promote our work. She is also working to map out where CNS stories have appeared across Vermont.
Matt Dooman
Social media manager
Matt is a professional digital communications and social media manager. He enjoys astronomy, student journalism and 15-second video comedy.
Nate Steitz
Webmaster
Nate is a senior computer science major with a minor in mathematics. He works on the design and maintenance of CNS’ website.
Holly Sullivan
Winooski News editor
Holly Sullivan graduated from UVM in 2024 with a degree in English. She spent two semesters as a reporter with CNS, first covering the Legislature and later writing about a host of events and efforts, mostly in Winooski. She enjoys reporting on education and art, and she teaches at Edmund Elementary. In her spare time, she’s passionate about singing.
Jim Welch
Editor at large
Jim retired from a nearly 50-year career in journalism in the spring of 2023. He worked for the Burlington Free-Press as, among other things, city editor, assistant managing editor and managing editor. He was one of USA Today’s founding leaders, serving as the national paper’s first D.C. editor, sports deputy managing editor and news deputy managing editor. He joined VTDigger in 2018 as a senior editor and served as its interim executive director prior to retiring. He is a lecturer in the English department at UVM.