Who we are

Sarah Thompson

Creative Director

Meet our Creative Director, Sarah! Sarah is a senior on the hill from Glendale, Ky., who, in her free time, enjoys playing video games, watching Dexter, and spending time with her cat Cinnamon. Her hope for Cherry this semester is to lead it with excellence and guide the publication into an era of growth and prosperity.

Olivia Games

Co Advertising Manager

Meet our Co-Advertising Manager, Olivia Games! Olivia is a senior on the Hill from Covington, KY. She loves working out, cooking, spending time outdoors, hanging out with friends and family, and playing with her dogs. A fun fact about her is that she once hiked two national parks in the same weekend! This semester, Olivia is most excited about connecting with students who share her passion for sales and advertising—so don’t hesitate to reach out to her!

Harrison Rogers

Co Advertising Manager

Harrison is a senior from Louisville, majoring in Marketing and Sales. Whether it’s playing basketball, going to the gym, or watching movies, he likes to spend quality time with family and friends. Harrison’s goal for this semester is to lead the Advertising Staff to a record number of sales, all while improving himself personally and professionally.

Avari Weis

Advertising Adviser

Meet Avari Weis, Sales Manager, Advertising Adviser, and Interim Cherry Creative Adviser. A proud WKU and Student Publications alum, Avari plays a key role in helping students sharpen their sales skills and bring in revenue for student publications. Outside of work, she is preparing for her most exciting role yet as she welcomes a baby boy this December.

Olivia Estep

Writing Editor

We’d like to introduce our Writing Editor, Olivia Estep. Olivia is a senior from Paintsville, Ky., who enjoys traveling. So far, she has been to 10 different countries! When she is not working or in class, you can probably find Oliva with her nose buried in a Jane Austen novel or the newest mystery book. This semester, Olivia is hoping to expand the writing content at Cherry and help her staffers thrive.

Hanna Kronfeld

Design Editor

We’re excited to introduce our Design Editor, Hanna Kronfeld! Hanna is a junior at WKU from Schaumburg, Illinois. Don’t be concerned if you’re seeing triple around her because she is a triplet! Hanna thrives in the summer, but this fall, she is excited to teach her staff more about design and fulfill her role as a leader.

Lauren Howe

Video Editor

Let us introduce our Video Editor, Lauren Howe! Lauren is a senior from Owensboro, Ky., who loves to catch big fish. If you meet Lauren, just know you are one person away from both Noah Kahan and the creator of Big Red! This semester, she is looking forward to teaching her staff members about different aspects of video.

Myah Griffin

Photo Editor

Introducing Myah Griffin, our photo editor! Myah was born in Alaska but currently lives in Gallatin, Tennessee, and is in her junior year at WKU. If you can’t find her on campus, check any of the 50 states because she’s been to them all! Myah is looking forward to being an editor and helping the photographers on her staff succeed.

Kristen Duff

Writing Staff

Meet Kristen Duff! She is a member of the writing staff and a sophomore from Hazard, Ky.. If you need name suggestions for pets, Kristen is your girl! She has one cat named Loki and two dogs that go by River and Sassy. When she is not taking care of her fur babies, she is traveling to places like California. This semester, Kristen is most excited about making more connections through Cherry.

Mercury Durrett

Writing Staff

Get to know another member of the writing staff, Mercury Durrett! Mercury is a sophomore from Louisville, Ky., who holds a first-place prize in an MLK poetry contest. Talk about a big family! She hails from a household where she has a total of eight siblings, two brothers and six sisters. Mercury is most excited about creating stories and talking about WKU among her fellow staffers!

Kalee Gapinski

Writing Staff

Introducing Kalee Gapinski, one of our writing staffers! Kalee is from Glasgow, Ky., and is a junior on the hill as a first-generation college student. She is passionate about the performing arts, especially theater and choir, and all the David Bowie fans out there will be thrilled to know she is one of you! Kalee is eagerly anticipating the chance to gain connections within the community this semester.

Charlotte Sanders

Design Staff

Introducing Charlotte Sanders, a design staffer! Charlotte is a sophomore at WKU from Bartlett, Tenn., who minors in American Sign Language. Charlotte has been out of the country once, and during that time, visited two continents! If you are looking to learn how to sew, definitely ask her because she taught herself how! Charlotte is hoping to get to know her peers more and gain a deeper love of Western this semester.

Noah Wells

Design Staff

Get to know one of our design team members, Noah Wells! Noah is a junior from Bowling Green, Ky., whose favorite things are his cat Ben, the color green and reading and designing comic books! He is looking forward to spending the semester designing!

Alyssa Davis

Design Staff

Meet Alyssa Davis! Alyssa is a design staffer from Tomkinsville, Ky., and is a senior on the hill and is pursuing her second degree in advertising. If you need someone to add some flavor to your fall menu, talk to Alyssa! She’s been known to make a mean soup while listening to the vinyl records she collects. Alyssa is most eager to expand her knowledge of design, explore various design platforms, and improve her design skills this semester!

Jacob Stanfield

Photo Staff

Meet Jacob Stanfield, one of our photo staffers from Crestwood, Ky.! Jacob is a junior at Western, majoring in photojournalism. Some of his favorite things are the Green Bay Packers and country music, specifically from Alan Jackson and Larry Fleet. Jacob is looking forward to expanding his skills in studio photography this semester!

Ella Oakley

Photo Staff

We’re excited to introduce Ella Oakley! Ella is a junior at WKU and is a part of the photo staff at Cherry Creative! Ella was adopted and, since then, has lived in Dixon, Ky.. She has been to five out of the seven continents, and one of her most impressive skills is doing the worm! Ella’s hope for the semester is to expand her creativity and gain some real-life experience.

River Byrn

Photo/Video Staff

Allow us to introduce River Byrn, a staffer on both our photo and video teams! River is a junior from Glasgow, Ky., who has been whale watching in Alaska and loves sushi! Photos and video have been running through her veins since she got her first camera at the age of 12. This semester, River is looking forward to learning from her peers and continuing to build her skills in photography and videography.

KC Ciresi

Video Staff

We’d like to introduce KC Ciresi, a video staffer at Cherry. KC is a senior from Louisville, Ky., who majors in journalism and visual journalism and photography on the documentary track. When she is not making outstanding videos, KC is a rock climbing instructor at Red Point Climbing Center. She has a self-proclaimed obsession with cats and owns three of her own!

Summer Crawford

Video Staff

Let us introduce one of our video staffers, Summer Crawford! Summer is from Floyd Knobs, Ind., but has been out of the country three separate times! She has two older sisters who are as sweet as berries, which just so happens to be Summer’s favorite food, strawberries! This semester, she is looking forward to advancing her video skills.