Contributor Bios

Breanna Beck

is currently a junior psychology major who is working on her master's degree. Her goal is to work in the counseling field and specialize in marriage and family. She grew up here in the central Illinois area but would like to move somewhere on the East coast. If you or someone you know ever needs marriage or family counseling, give her a quick search and book your appointment today.

Marissa Bournias

is a sophomore secondary English education major that has a strong distaste for Shakespeare. She aims to minor in French with the hopes of teaching it as well. After graduating, she aims to teach at the high school level. Someday she will get her master's degree in educational administration, but one step at a time. When she is not working or at school, she enjoys traveling, reading, hanging out with friends, aimlessly scrolling through social media, watching Netflix, admiring dogs, and sleeping.

Michael Duling

is a sophomore theatre major originally from Paxton, Illinois. His hobbies include the piano and taking stress naps. Currently the congregational pianist at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Decatur, he hopes to graduate in 2021 and migrate to a city of more than 4,000 citizens that isn’t surrounded by soy fields.

Kaytlin Jacoby

is a junior at Millikin University. She is a history and English creative writing double major. She is an editor for two of Sense Publishers' Critical Storytelling in Uncritical Times volumes, and an intern for Rhetoric Review. When not studying, she enjoys curling up with a good book and cuddling with her beloved cat, Bitsy, or watching cooking competitions on Food Network.

Angie James

is a senior here at Millikin University. She will be graduating in May of 2018 with her B.S. in sociology. She is a Chicago native with a newfound passion for the medical field. She has been a Dennis School lab mentor for the past year, helping troubled children in need of guidance within the community.

Erica Mooney

is a sophomore English education major with a minor in writing. As someone with a passion for helping others succeed, she works as a tutor in the Millikin University Writing Center, and she is also a member of the track and field team. On the rare occasions that Erica has free time, she enjoys reading, physical activity, music, spending time with friends and family, and petting her Persian cat. Following graduation, Erica plans to obtain a master’s degree in counseling and go on to become a high school guidance counselor.

Blake Tisza

will be graduating fall semester of 2018 with a major in environmental studies. He also has an Associate of Arts degree from Harper College. He enjoys camping, fishing, traveling, watching movies/tv shows, spending time with friends, playing sports, and listening to music. After college, Blake intends to pursue a career as a DNR officer. His hometown is Lansing, IL, and he went to high school at TF-South. He has been involved in many sports throughout his athletic years, including baseball, football, and wrestling. At college, he is a wrestler on the wrestling team for Millikin University. Later in life he intends to have a family.

Dr. Tony R. Magagna

is an Associate Professor in the English Department at Millikin University, specializing in modern and contemporary American literature. In addition to EN202: Writing About Literature, Dr. Magagna has taught a variety of literature courses, including classes on the modern American novel, contemporary American regionalism, modern American drama, and American popular culture. During the 2012-2013 academic year, he served as the Fulbright Lecturer in American Studies at the Universität Potsdam, Germany, and in 2018-2019 he will serve again as a Fulbright Lecturer in Japan. From 2015-2017, Dr. Magagna held the Warren G. Hardy Distinguished Professorship in English at Millikin, initiating new research and curricula focused on the intersections of new media/technologies and literature.