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ABOUT VIDA

Issue I: Santiago, Isla Negra & Valparaiso, Chile

May 2016

Vida Magazine is an online publication written, designed and fully developed by a select group of University of Alabama graduate and undergraduate students. Issue I explored Santiago, Isla Negra and Valparaiso, Chile. 

Jonathan Norris graduated in 2015 from the University of Alabama, where he majored in visual journalism and minored in geography. He served as the photo director for Alpine Living Magazine, co-director of Vida Magazine, photo director of Dateline Alabama. He was the treasurer of the UA chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists from 2014-2015, Jonathan was a region 3 2015 Mark of Excellence sports photography finalists. In 2014 he was awarded the Carmage & Martha Ann Walls Endowed Scholarship in Print Journalism.

Casey Voyles

Casey Voyles graduated in 2015 from the University of Alabama, where she double majored in journalism and political science. She is currently a masters candidate and an intern at The Anniston Star. Casey served as the online content director for Alpine Living Magazine and managing editor and special projects coordinator of Dateline Alabama. She was the executive president of the UA chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists from 2013-2015, Casey was also Ted Scripps Leadership Institute Graduate, a Localizing Democracy Multimedia Intern, a Tuscaloosa News Intern, and a board member of the Student Executive Council for the College of Communication and Information Sciences

Co-Director, Digital Director & Writer

​Leila Beem Núñez is from Luquillo, Puerto Rico. She graduated from the University of Alabama in 2016, where she majored in journalism and minored in German. She wrote for the Crimson White, the university’s award-winning student newspaper, contributing news and feature pieces to the publication’s sports desk. Leila was a features producer for Dateline Alabama, the university’s digital news lab, and a news-writing intern at the Tuscaloosa News. She has been a part of the university’s Estudiantes Sin Fronteras student organization, assisting with English classes and tutoring for Spanish-speaking immigrants in the Tuscaloosa area. Leila also worked as a writing mentor in the College of Communication & Information Science’s Media Writing Center.

Alaina Boukedes

Alaina Boukedes is a 2016 graduate from The University of Alabama, where she double majored in journalism and theatre. She served as a content writer for Alpine Living Magazine and writer for Dateline Alabama. Intern for Collegefasionista.com and Collegefashion.net, Alaina balanced writing with being the vice president of her theatre honor society, Alpha Psi Omega: Gamma Gamma Cast.

Writer

Hanna Curlette will graduate in August of 2016 from the University of Alabama with  double major in photo journalism and digital media. She served as the assistant photo editor and photographer at the Crimson White student newspaper as well as a photographer for Alpine Living and Alice Magazine. During her studies, Hanna maintained the Dean's List and was awarded a Mark of Excellence award for being a finalist chosen by the Society of Professional Journalists regarding a gymnastics photo she took for the Cover of the Crimson White in 2015. 

Collin Curry

Collin Curry graduated from the University of Alabama in 2014, where he double majored in journalism and geography. He still attends the University of Alabama where he is currently working towards earning a Master’s Degree in journalism. In the spring of 2015, Collin served as the Editor-in-Chief of Alpine Living Magazine Issue VI. He has contributed content to Alpine Living V and VI, Tuscaloosa Magazine, and the Alabama Press Association publication, Alabama Publisher.

An avid traveler and outdoorsman, Collin aims to combine his passions to produce content for adventure publications such as National Geographic, Adventure Journal and Outside Magazine.

Collin has traveled to Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turks and Caicos, the United Kingdom and 27 states in the U.S. He hopes his career will take him to the rest of the United States and to all seven continents, where he can meet as many people and experience as many different cultures as possible, so he can tell their stories.

Writer & Photographer

Thomas Joa is a senior journalism major and creative writing minor graduating in December 2016.  He is passionate about music, travel and writing.  Thomas travelled to Chile last summer where he spent time in Santiago, Valparaiso and Easter Island.  After graduation, he plans to move to London where he will pursue a masters degree from the University of Westminster.  Thomas writes and records his own music and is interested in a career in the music industry. 

​Elayne Smith is a journalism major minoring in international studies and Arabic at The University of Alabama. She aspires to become an international journalist after she graduates. Her previous international reporting experience includes working as a writer and photographer for the travel magazine Alpine Living. She’s also worked as a reporter and copy editor for The Tuscaloosa News, freelanced for the Tuscaloosa Magazine, filmed and edited video for WVUA23, and reported for Alabama Public Radio. She is polylingual as she speaks French fluently, and Spanish and Arabic proficiently. She has been an International Student Ambassador through the Serbian Fellowship, a Kappa Tau Alpha Honors Society member, and co-founder and president for the International Communications Club.

Amy is a graduate of The University of Alabama with a major in visual journalism and a minor in digital media art. She was named The University of Alabama's Most Outstanding Visual Journalist for 2015 and received the 2015 Society of Professional Journalists Region 3 Mark of Excellence Award as a finalist in the category of General News Photography (Large) 10,000+ students. She plans on attending graduate school at UA in the fall of 2016.

Cara Walker is a junior at the University of Alabama, majoring in journalism and minoring in digital media. She has worked with both Mosaic Magazine and the UA Service-Learning Magazine as well as interned for Alabama Heritage Magazine.  Cara serves as secretary of Kappa Tau Alpha and worship leader for the UA Baptist Campus Ministries, and also enjoys writing for her personal blog in a cozy coffee shop. In the upcoming year, she will work as an intern for the Times Daily in Florence, Alabama, and Alabama Magazine in Birmingham, Alabama, with the hopes of pursuing magazine writing after graduation. 

Talyah White is a junior majoring in journalism and minoring in African American studies. She has interned for the Walt Disney World Company, Sunseeker Media Group, Fulton Government Television and Tuscaloosa News. 

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