
Category: Advance Team


LAURA SCUDDER
Laura Scudder is a senior at George Mason University majoring in communication with a concentration in journalism and minoring in sustainability studies. She works for Mason’s student newspaper, Fourth Estate, and was the Co-Editor-in-Chief for the 2020-2021 academic year. This spring, she also worked as a reporting intern with Voice of America’s Student Union. Laura attended WJMC in 2017 and worked as a Junior Faculty Advisor in 2019.

ALLISON WELLS
Director of Logistics, Washington Scholars Program
Allison Wells is the Assistant Director of Events for the Office of Admissions at George Mason University, and the Director of Logistics for the Washington Scholars Program. Allison joined the team in May of 2019 and has spent the last two summers supporting and leading the Washington Scholars Programs. She is a lover of all things logistics, and the summers quickly became her favorite time of year. She earned her B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Grand Valley State University in 2019. In her free time, Allison looks forward to spending time outdoors, being with friends, and traveling.


Advance Team Member
Kalea Perez is a rising sophomore at the College of Charleston from Chantilly, VA. She is studying Communication with a minor in studio art and is involved in many activities throughout campus, including the outdoors club, fashion organization, and is a sister in Chi Omega. Kalea first attended the conference in 2017, and later worked on the Youth Advisory Board the following year. She is so excited to meet, work with, and serve all of the new youth correspondents and know you all will have the time of your lives here!

Advance Team Member
Riley Noyes is finishing her time at Northern Virginia Community College, and plans to seek a Management degree upon graduation this year. She will be graduating with a General Studies A.S. with a concentration is Business Information Technology Career Studies. Outside of her education, Riley has an affinity for the event industry. She is an assistant at Anne Kelley Events and the Operations Manager of Repeatable DJ and Photo Booth Services. Through both of these positions she works with the planning and the service aspect of events. Riley enjoys watching movies, playing sports with friends, and exploring new parts of D.C.

Advance Team Member
Jada McClure is a junior at George Mason University from Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina. She is a Communication major with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Journalism. After attending the 2014 Washington Journalism and Media Conference, she worked as an intern in the Office of Admissions at GMU, assisting the Washington Scholars Program with logistics and social media. She is currently Social Media Manager for Northern Virginia Area Health Educations Center (NVAHEC) at Mason. Jada is a sister of the Zeta Tau Alpha (Theta Chi) chapter where she served as Junior Panhellenic Delegate and is also a member of Optimist International in North Carolina. She is very excited to be returning as an Advance Team Member!

Advance Team Member
Camden Layton is a rising senior at George Mason University studying Public Administration. After first attending the conference in 2016, he then returned as a Conference Intern in 2017, and then again as a Junior Faculty Advisor in 2018. His favorite part about the conference is the friendships he has made and those he has been able to watch form. He is involved in many different things on campus, but when he is free you can normally find him in a Dunkin Donuts with his friends. Camden is super excited to be returning to the program again this summer!

Kamran Waterman recently graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Biochemistry. While at Tech, he was as a three-year member of the Marching Virginians and the Drumline Section Leader during his senior year. He was also a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, where he served as the assistant philanthropy chair and a pledge class president. Kamran lives in South Riding, VA and graduated from Freedom High School in Loudoun County. In his free time, Kamran enjoys writing and performing music along with keeping up with his favorite sports teams. He is looking forward to being a team member of the Advance Team.

Advance Team Member
Keirsten Robinson is a senior in George Mason University’s Honors College. She is studying Communication with a double concentration in Journalism and Public Relations and a double minor in American Government and Political Communication. At Mason, she is a Mason Ambassador, an anchor for Mason Cable News, a sister of Alpha Omicron Pi, the Executive Secretary of Public Relations for Student Government, and the Vice President of Public Relations for Mason Panhellenic, among other activities.
She is an intern for the Washington Scholars Program along with George Mason’s Office of Admissions. She has previously interned in the Office of Integrated Enrollment Marketing, and the Office of Strategic Communication. She attended WJMC in 2015, was selected as an intern in 2016, served as a JFA in 2017, and is excited to return as a member of the Advance Team after previously serving as a Transportation Coordinator in 2018! In her free time she enjoys live music, hanging out in DC, traveling the world, and spending time with her WSP family.

Advance Team Member
Hannah attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference as a student in 2013. She returned as a Junior Faculty Advisor for 2015, 2016 and 2017. This will be her first summer on Advanced Team and she is very excited to return and help both WJMC and WYSE in order to give students the same amazing experience she had. Hannah graduated with a degree in Economics and a minor in communication from the University of Toledo.