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Spotlight on Our 2020 Storytellers
Below is our 2020 UNCW Storytellers! They are so excited to virtually meet their audiences, so they decided to introduce themselves!
Zachary Kilby
“Hey guys! My name is Zachary Kilby and I am a junior at UNCW majoring in communication studies. I love to go to the beach and my goal is to be a sportswriter for ESPN after I graduate college. I cannot wait to tell you the story of ‘Officer Buckle and Gloria.’ See you all soon! :)”
Samantha Gillen
“Hi my name is Samantha Gillen and I am a senior majoring in communication studies. I love to explore new places and meet new people. I am excited to meet you guys and share ‘The Teacher from the Black Lagoon’ by Mike Thaler.”
Jack Schofield
“Hey everybody! My name is Jack Schofield and I am a senior majoring in Communication studies and a minor in business here at UNCW. I enjoy traveling and meeting new people. My goal is to get a job in the marketing field after graduation. I am excited to share the story of ‘When dinosaurs came with everything’ with all of you!”
Danny Alexander
“Hi y'all! My name is Danny Alexander and I'm a junior at UNCW majoring in Communication Studies. A fun fact about me is that I just adopted a small pet goldfish named Nathan. I am really excited to perform ‘How I Became a Pirate’ by Melinda Long for you all!”
Nicole Castano
“Hello there! My name is Nicole Castano. I am a senior at UNCW majoring in communication studies. Something interesting about me is that I love to bake all types of desserts. I will be performing a story titled ‘Poppy The Panda,’ by Dick Gackenbach and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!”
Essence Garlington
“My name is Essence Garlington. I am a senior and majoring in Communication. One interesting thing about me is I love tea. Both hot and cold, all different flavors. I also seem to be collecting lots of mugs to drink the tea with. I am so excited to perform Pete the ‘Cat and His Magic Sunglasses’ by Kimberly and James Dean. I hope you enjoy the stories you hear and go to the library to read them for yourselves.”
Jason Rioux
“Hello, my name is Jason Rioux and I am a senior majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in Business. Something interesting about myself is that I love to fish and be outdoors. I will be performing ‘Angela's Airplane’ by Robert Munsch.”
Jake Maynard
“Hi there! My name is Jake! I am a senior this year at UNCW and will be graduating in December! I am majoring in communication studies and minoring in Spanish! I am also in the UNCW gymnastics team! I will be performing the book ‘My Lucky Day’.”
Cameron Smithwick
“Hey everyone! My name is Cameron Smithwick and I am a senior at UNCW. I am currently majoring in communication with a minor in business. When I am not at school I love to surf, play basketball, and cook! I will be performing the story ‘The Cabbage Soup Solution’ by Erika Oller and I am so excited for you all to see!”
Ryan Schneider
“Hey guys, my name is Ryan Schneider and I am a Senior at UNCW majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in Business. I enjoy making music and designing clothes in my free time! I also love watching sports and being around my friends! I am excited to meet you guys and share the story ‘We Don’t Eat Our Classmates’ by Ryan T. Higgins with you!”
Bonny Harris
“Hey guys! My name is Bonny Harris, and I am a senior majoring in communication studies. I love living in Wilmington, and I spend a lot of time at the beach. My dream job is to be an event planner. A fun fact about me is that I have a puppy named Bean! I am so excited to share the story ‘Stellaluna’, by Janell Cannon with you all.”
Teryn Hatley
“Hey yall! My name is Teryn and I am a senior at UNCW majoring in communication studies. I have two beautiful beagles that are practically my children so I spend most of my time taking care of and playing with them. I am going to be performing ‘Bedtime Bonnet’ by Nancy Redd and am so excited for you guys to hear it!”
2020 UNCW Storytellers Begin Practicing
Our UNCW Storytellers are getting ready to share some amazing stories. We hope you are excited as we are!
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
A Rainy Day in a Cave by Kelsey S
For the cover of A Rainy Day in Cave, I decided that I wanted it to be whimsical. The way I tell this story is in a very animated way. I wanted the image to be playful and fun. I make a specific point to emphasize the stalagmites in the cavern, therefore I wanted to have them on the cover. I wanted the cover to be simple because the story itself is simple and straight forward. I kept the cover mostly in neutral colors, the pop of blue is representative of the rain. However, the blue is an unexpected pop of color, just like how the flooding of the cave was unexpected to happen in the cave.
The Tale of Jesse Alexander by Sam S.
For the cover of The Tale of Jesse Alexander, I chose to put a wagon in the background to illustrate a simpler time, which is when my story takes place, back in 1864. A wagon is also mentioned towards the beginning of the story, but I believe the most important element is the title, as it includes the name of the main character of the story. I am telling the story from my grandad’s perspective as well, further adding to the sort of retro theme I was trying to convey. Also, surrounding the wagon and the title is a jaded film filter I used to represent the rugged nature of being out on your own or being in prison, as the main character, Jesse, had to endure such elements at the time.
Finding Love in Brooklyn by Hanna W.
For the cover of Finding Love in Brooklyn, I decided I wanted the cover to represent hope and love since the story is about finding love in a new home. I chose colors that represent hope (yellow), new beginnings (white), and love (red). I wanted to have a sailboat on its way to New York on the cover rather than a large mechanical boat, which is what the two characters would have actually traveled on, as sailing is how the two characters bond and eventually fall in love. I emphasized that this is first and foremost a love story, hence a heart in the middle of a New York City skyline and also the word 'love' in the title. The child-like font I used also helped lighten the mood and reflect the sense of wonder that comes with falling in love.
My First Muñeca by Lauren J.
For the cover of My First Muñeca, I chose a traditional Mexican doll for the background of my cover. I think it summarizes the story with a glance and hopefully will leave the viewer wanting more context of the doll. Although the story is sad, it ultimately has happy themes of forgiveness and restoration, therefore I decided to keep the colors and the font bright. The font immediately made me think of Latin American culture which is why I chose it. It has this fun, more exotic, vibrant look. I also kept my cover simplistic. I think it reflects the mannerisms and demeanor of my Spanish teacher. I think the colors of the doll and even the lighting of the photo speak enough.
My Dog Tahiti by Grey O.
For the cover of My Dog Tahiti, I decided to make the poster look very militaristic while also looking fun. I made the fill cover resemble a type of ocean green/blue. This increased the navy vibes that go along with the story. The two pictures I decided on were to reinforce the military setting and also to have a dog visual. I wanted the type styles to seem like an old-time military recruitment poster from the WW2 time period.
The Shoes that Made the Boy Run (26.2 Miles) by McKenna G.
For the cover of The Shoes that Made the Boy Run, I chose this image because it illuminates the story just enough, without giving it away. The shoes depict almost the exact version of what my father’s Nike shoes looked like. The sneakers were really the fundamental reason why my father ran the marathon, which is why I made them the main image in the cover. I thought this was a more creative way of displaying my story than an image of him running at the event. I decided on gray background in order to illustrate the time frame of the 1970s. The bubble font represents my father’s young age since the story is told from a 12-year-old perspective. I also added the “26.2 miles” on the sneaker to sort of hint towards a marathon race.
The Underdogs by Natalie L.
For the cover of The Underdogs, I chose this image because it’s an old photo of my grandpa while he was actively playing college basketball. Although the story is based around him being a coach, I thought it would help the audience better understand his knowledge about the sport. Not only was he an amazing coach who influenced and made an impact on the lives of many, but he also knew how to successfully play a game of basketball himself. I wanted to insert a quote from my performance to give the cover a realistic, magazine sports ad, type of feel. This cover illuminates my story because it’s a real image of who the story is about. It will hopefully make the audience feel nostalgic as they look at it and go back in time to this game in 1984.
The Grouper that Lived by Maya E.
For the cover of The Grouper that Live, I decided for it to be abstract, and flow together like the ocean. I wanted the image as a whole to represent the colors of the ocean and seem like it was moving with the current. The main image I decided to put on the cover was an abstract grouper, the reason I decided to put a grouper on the cover was so that the audience would get an idea of how big the fish is in my story. In the corner, you will see a pop of color which is orange and that is supposed to represent the fire coral.
From Lifeguard to Lifesaver by Ashley S.
For the cover of From Lifeguard to Lifesaver, I chose a picture the represents Kure Beach lifeguards with a four-wheeler in the background, as mentioned in my story, with the words rescue in the background to represent my story about first responders. The word ‘rescue’ is blurry but important because it helps summarize the importance of my story. My story is a true story about a first responder rescue mission completed by a lifeguard. My story is represented by the color red, as I associate red with first responders and lifeguards. The white text over the red background reminds me of the colors of a medic. I mention how Pernell runs through the sand, and I felt that it was important to incorporate sand in the picture as well as the beach in the background. I wanted the focus of my cover to be the background, yet bold the name of the story overtop the less important aspects in the image.
Mountain Climbing in Afghanistan by Jenna M.
For the cover of Mountain Climbing in Afghanistan, I decided that I wanted to focus on the scene that was described in my story. The stars in the night sky and the snow on the top of the mountain are a major theme throughout this story so I wanted to play on those and have the picture in the background represent what was most important to the character. I included the title "Mountain Climbing in Afghanistan" and the title underneath in Arabic as well. I liked the idea of having the kids say goodbye in Arabic in the story and so I wanted to give a sneak peek of it in this cover.
A Dream of a Lifetime by Scott B.
For the cover of A Dream of a Lifetime, I chose this photo because I think it represents my mom's story well. This is the "money tree" for who wants to be a millionaire. I figured this would be a good picture since it shows the amounts of money that can be won on the show. However, it doesn't give away how my mom did on the show. The caption at the top shows how much it meant to my mom to be on the show. The large dollar amounts on the image would likely catch someone's eye.
Grandma’s Cookies by Janae S.
For the cover of Grandma’s Cookies, I wanted it to seem animated, kind of like how they depict Dora on TV. I thought that this type of art style would better resonate with the students instead of one that is more abstract. Since the story itself is not complicated, I wanted to keep the objects in the design simple and minimalistic by including just cookies and a grandma figure. I chose the color brown for the border because cookies, or any baked goods, tend to be described as "golden brown" when done to perfection.
Duffle Bag Dog by Caitlyn B.
For the cover of Duffle Bag Dog, is intended to capture the playful tone of the story. I found a photo of a border collie who looks exactly like how Care is described and the background is simple, to put all of the focus on the main subject. This image shows Care sitting, not playing around or yapping because she was a very quiet and calm dog. The text is in purple, and the background is white because the school colors of the school my dad attended in this story are purple and white.
It’s About the Memories by Sam J.
For the cover of It’s About the Memories, I chose this image because the bike looks exactly like how my uncle explained it. Also, I incorporated the message of the story because I couldn’t think of another way to make it more interesting than just a bike. However, I decided to keep the quote because it highlights what the story is actually about, which is important for the kids to understand when they hear it.
The Bus Bully by Hannah M.
For the cover of The Bus Bully, I incorporated the school bus as a key for me since that was where some of the encounters take place in my story. I used fun, colorful shapes and font for the title to give it more of a child-like feel or aesthetic. I did this to appeal to the audience of our stories, and the characters that are in the story.
Get to Know the 2020 Hawk Tale Players
Jenna E. Melin
Performer
This is Jenna, she is a senior majoring in COM and plans to graduate in May. After graduation, she aspires to become a journalist and eventually become a journalist in the television news field. Also following graduations, Jenna is getting married in Wrightsville Beach, which is one of her favorite destinations. Aside from being a student she enjoys hanging out with her cats Socks, Hershey, and Milo, as well as seeing her baby brothers.
Hannah K. Wickes
Performer
This is Hanna, she is a senior majoring in COM with a minor in Journalism. Hanna is originally from New York but plans to move back once in graduates in May and aspires to become a journalist in the City. Hannah is a singer and a part of the all-girl acapella group, the UNCW Seabelles, where she helps with choreography and outfits. She refers to Pitch Perfect being much what her life in the Seabelles, is similar to. Continuing her love for fashion, she recently helped co-create the first even fashion and art magazine at UNCW, called Flair.
Samuel A. Shumate
Performer
This is Sam, he is a senior majoring in COM with a minor in Psych. Sam is originally from a small town in North Carolina, Creedmoor that is just North of Raleigh. Sam is a fanatic about sports, especially basketball, football, and soccer, he loves to watch them and also play. Additionally, he enjoys playing video games, reading, going to the gym, and hanging out with his friends. Sam’s goal is to graduate this May, with good grades and serve those around him with positivity.
Ashley N. Simono
Performer
This is Ashley, she is a senior majoring in COM. She was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina until moving to Wilmington for school. When Ashley is not busy, she is a server at Hops Supply Co. off of Oleander Road. She aspires to excel in a sales position as a full-time career, but until then she enjoys being her friends and getting to know those around her!
Christian G. Oakes
Performer
This is Grey, he is a senior majoring in Business Marketing and COM with a minor in History. He is originally from Greensboro, North Carolina along with his two brothers. Grey loves to make music, he is an active musician playing shows across the state, while continuing to write, record, and produce music. Additionally, he loves sports and loves to show support for the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Braves. He wants his peers to see him as loyal and genuine through his personality and music.
If interested in hearing his music, click the link - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2su9PLwnsCwRW2tCYSVaNg
Maya C. Ebrahimnejad
Performer
This is Maya, she is a senior majoring in COM. Maya is originally from northern Virginia and moved to Wilmington during her senior year of high school. Besides being a student she enjoys traveling to the mountains, set up camp, cook on a fire and enjoy being around the people that accompany her. She plans to graduate and move to Richmond, Virginia and receive a job with a local marketing firm.
Scott A. Bynum
Performer
This is Scott, he is a senior majoring in COM. He enjoys watching sports and shows his support to UNC, Chicago Cubs, and the Carolina Hurricanes. Aside from being a student, he enjoys shooting camera for sporting events and puts his skill to work with the Seahawk Digital Network on campus. He aspires to finish his final semester and graduate in May to further his career in sports broadcasting and camera work. He is eager to be a performer this semester!
McKenna K. Golden
Performer
This is McKenna, she is a senior majoring in COM and graduating in May. She is from Lake Norman, which is just north of Charlotte, North Carolina. She always knew she would be a perfect fit here at UNCW. McKenna spent a lot of her free time volunteering for Ada Jenkins back home and hopes to do similar work once she graduates. She aspires to have a job where she can make a positive impact on the world and others and continue to grow in knowledge every day.
Natalie M. Lafella
Performer
This is Natalie, also known as Nat. She is a senior majoring in COM, which has taught her several life skills that she will value for life. Aside from being a student she enjoys music and discovering new music and artist to follow. Nat’s passion for music and singing began when she was eight years old and which has only grown over the years. She admires her family and friends and spending time with them makes her remarkably happy. She looks forward to graduating to give her more time to spend with them!
Caitlyn E. Becker
Performer
This is Caitlyn, she is a senior majoring in COM and graduating in May. Caitlyn is originally from Maine and came to North Carolina for college. She has a younger brother that aims to one day be a Seahawk as well. Caitlyn enjoys writing, reading, and baking cookies in her free time. After graduation, she aspires to become a consultant or work in public relations. She is eager to be a Hawk Tale Performer this semester!
Kelsey A. Singer
Performer
This is Kelsey, she is a senior majoring in COM. Besides being a student she enjoys spending time with Sandler, her adorable fur baby. She loves comedy and comedic cartoons and aspires to one day be a professional comedian and produce her own in the future. She enjoys storytelling and cannot wait to be a Hawk Tale Player for the semester.
Janae S. Shinault
Performer
This is Janae. She is a senior majoring in COM focusing on the IMC program. Aside from being a student, she is volunteering in the community with my sorority sisters, as I am a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. She aspires to obtain new friends and create happy memories with them.
Hannah A. Myers
Performer
This is Hannah. She is a senior majoring in COM. Besides being a student, Hannah enjoys spending time with her friends, watching movies, cooking and listening to music. Hannah digs the feeling of a good adrenaline rush from riding roller coasters, tubing, dancing, or any other activity that will make her body move. Hannah aspires to live a happy and joyful life surrounded by close friends and family and to appreciate the smaller things in life!
Lauren O. Jask
Performer
This is Lauren. She is a senior double majoring in Communication Studies and Spanish. She loves Wilmington, the beach, running, and coffee. Lauren is also a member of the all-female acapella group, UNCW Seabelles, where she sings alto and bass. She plans to graduate and live abroad to use her second language to connect to different cultures and grow in her knowledge of the world.
Sam Jones
Performer
This is Sam. He is currently a senior majoring in Communication Studies. He enjoys being a Hawk Tale Player because he thinks that stories are important to our culture. He has past experiences as a storyteller and is excited to share unique stories that have been passed down to him through his family.
Ashley T. Sinclair
Social Media Publicist
This is Ashley. She was raised in Clinton, North Carolina. She is a senior, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. She is also an active sister of the sorority, Sigma Alpha Omega. While being active within the college community, she is currently working for Wilmington Today as a Social Media Contractor. Throughout Ashley’s career at UNCW, she has spent time focusing on Integrated Marketing Communication. She is passionate about graphic design and having the opportunity to hear someone’s dream and developing that into something real that can be shared with others to further improve business. After receiving her B.A., Ashley plans to work toward getting her Realtor License and also continuing a path in graphic design.
Ashley is not a performer she is the social media publicist for the 2020 Hawk Tale Players. She is responsible for posting the performers and showing off their amazing performances!
UNCW Storytellers Perform at College Park Elementary
The students at College Park Elementary school were incredibly excited to welcome the UNCW Storytellers back into their classrooms. They were very attentive and happy to listen to the many talented storytellers perform our memorized versions of our favorite books.
First Performance at DC Virgo Preparatory Academy
UNCW storytellers performed for the first time ever at DC Virgo Preparatory Academy! D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy is a K-8 year-round public school that was opened by UNCW in July 2018. In this video, we have Emily Winget performing The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by John Scieszka. The students and faculty enjoyed this story as well as Emily’s performance! Be sure to click the link below to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6om_DOKhxEA
First week performing at castle HanYe elementary ~ Fall 2019
UNCW storytellers begin their first week performing at Castle Hayne Elementary! Here we have Erica De Neef sharing the story “The Jungle Run” by Tony Mitton. The students and faculty loved all the performances at Castle Hayne Elementary from all the UNCW storytellers.
https://youtu.be/YoneYfnfiiI
SEIZING: PERSONAL STORIES OF LIVING WITH SEIZURES, DARION'S STORY
Students were asked to create a poster based on a character from our upcoming show “Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures.” This is Darion’s story.
“When designing my poster I wanted to have it catch the eye of the viewer. I used large writing for the title and information so that it would be hard to miss, considering that it is the most important part of the poster. I used an image of a brain to signify epilepsy, which is a neurological disorder. I then based my color layout off of the image. I added a quote from Darion about his personal epilepsy experiences to add his personal touch and make the viewer curious about the performance.”
Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures, Tyler's Story
Students were asked to create a poster based on a character from our upcoming show “Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures.” This is Tyler's story.
"Tyler puts a lot of emphasis on his service dog ‘Gizmo’. Among Tyler’s store of living with seizures, Gizmo seems to play a dominant role in his concerns. The first thing to come to mind was a man and his best friend. The silhouette of the man and dog facing away from the viewers creates a sense of accomplishment or a completed goal. The idea is that Tyler and Gizmo are one together. The purpose of the poster is to depict the feeling in the viewer that Tyler and Gizmo are in this together." -Christian
First Storytellers Performance
We had a great time at our first performance of the year! Here are some of the storytellers, Shae, Nicholas, and Michael, sharing their stories!
Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures, Darlene's Story
Students were asked to create a poster based on a character from our upcoming show “Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures.” This is Darlene's story.
Darlene’s story puts a lot of emphasis on her son and pregnancy experience. Darlene states “It’s done. I’m one and done”. The purpose of the poster is to show Darlene’s success in having a child while battling a seizing disorder. I created the poster art with two thoughts in mind. The first being the inseparable bond and love between a mother and child. The second being that miraculous feeling a parent describes when having a child. The silhouette of the mother and child represent the inseparable love between Darlene and her son. The space theme filling the silhouette represents the miraculous gift of a child. The idea of miracles is often seen as a higher, almost supernatural influence. The space theme with the silhouette represents the higher power among Darlene’s love for her son.
Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures, Cassie's Story
Students were asked to create a poster based on a character from our upcoming show “Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures.”
“I made this poster with what someone who experiences it firsthand may prefer to see. The goal of this poster is to give the viewer an idea of the difficulties one may face by wanting to view things in low sensory.”-Christian
Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures, Jed's Story
Students were asked to create a poster based on a character from our upcoming show "Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures." This poster is based on Jed’s story.
I chose this poster design because I thought that the dark background with the red accents made Jed's part in the performance more heartfelt, as he was always misunderstood with his seizures. I chose to put the quote in the middle of the poster with the same colors as the image as it directly correlates with Jed and how he feels about having seizures. -Zach
Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures, Sarah's Story
Students were asked to create a poster based on a character from our upcoming show “Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures.” This poster is based on Sarah’s story.
“I chose this because it is obviously pertaining to myoclonic epilepsy that Sarah has. I chose the red clip art because it represents how Sarah felt about epilepsy. It shows she was very emotional about it and she believed strongly that there should be no shame in having it.” - James
Students were asked to create a poster based on a character from our upcoming show "Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures." This poster is based on Jason’s story.
“Jason’s story is dark and violent when compared to others story’s of living with seizures. His reaction to these seizures causes him to act violently without the ability to react naturally. It’s because of this inability to react that I chose to use the background that I did. I believe it captures the frustration of his situation while also displaying the darkness and violence of his situation.” - Caleb
Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures, Sheila's Story
Students were asked to create a poster based on a character from our upcoming show "Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures." This poster is based on Sheila's story.
"I added stripes to the corners because she has photosensitive seizures and also has seizures when she sees stripes, polka dots, or any other pattern. I used the polka dots around the title as well. I also used the brighter purple to fill and brighten the polka dots and stripes to represent her having seizures from bright colors. Lastly, I added in a quote that I think captures her struggle with not having the support from her coworkers in helping make sure she was safe at work." -Jenna
Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with seizures, Lucy’s Story
"For my poster, I was assigned Lucy, who experiences seizures as colorful auras. Because of this I decided to use a rainbow for the background, I feel as though the rainbow also represents the many different ways individuals with seizure disorders can experience their seizures." -Abbigail
Eduard Yakobchuk
Hello! My name is Eduard Yakobchuk and currently a senior at UNCW. This is my second year being a storyteller and absolutely love it! I’m majoring in communication studies and plan to pursue myself in the airline industry because I grew up traveling the world! I love to travel and would love to make a career out of it. On my free time, I love to draw and create artwork using my imagination. It’s relaxing and enjoyable! A fun fact about me- I am a US Marine veteran that traveled around the whole world, literally!
Kaylee Taggart
Hi my name is Kaylee Taggart. This is my first time as a UNCW storyteller. I am a junior Communication Studies major her at UNCW. I am so excited to meet you all and share my stories with you. Fun fact about myself I love to play soccer and have been playing for 16 years and counting.
