Kelsey Conover

Often named the “idea girl” by my friends, I hope to tell stories in new ways. I want to captivate my audience by highlighting the passion and ambition in this community and beyond.

Nick Levecchia

As a visual storyteller and lifelong South Jersey resident, this experience strengthened my knowledge of the city and its people. From meeting community members to visiting new sites, this has been an impactful experience.

Read Nick’s story on local artist Daydrian Love.

Jasmine Luciano

With a life-long passion for writing, I chose to incorporate my storytelling skills in this project. I strive to tell stories that include a journey, mention hardships, and reveal vulnerabilities. Expressing vulnerability through storytelling, I hope to hep community members who may be afraid to share their voices and model a new path forward.

Read Jasmin’s story on local comedian Petey Rancel.

Dominic Totoro

As a content creator, I would like to use my opportunity to tell stories that are inclusive and more representative of our community’s rich history and diverse culture. While so many media outlets focus on celebrity and status, and highlight failure, I want to change the narrative about Atlantic City.

Read Dominic’s story on local sub shop owners Brian and Mary Conley.

Victor Ramirez

As a first-generation Mexican American college student who aims to help the undocumented, my goal is to create content that closes knowledge gaps. Through my work in the community, I want to give people hope and access to new information. I want to connect with other like-minded community members who can help me achieve that goal.

Read Victor’s story on local leader Alexxus Young.

Rachelle Pittman

As an African-American woman and believer, I aim to produce stories highlighting justice, equality, and service. When so many negative things are occurring in our community and beyond, I choose to highlight people overcoming opposition and achieving their dreams and goals.

Read Rachelle’s story on local Chelsea leader Yoely Quezada.

Charlize Deveza

As an Asian American and first-generation college student, my passion has always been creating and sharing stories that inspire people and motivate change.  I am drawn to storytelling that is rich in culture and diversity. After arriving in the United States, my parents first settled in Atlantic City. AC has remained an integral part of who I am and what I love.

Allison Hacker

As a Communication Studies major with a minor in Writing, I find that producing and listening to stories of resilience provides an outlet to educate and inspire others to create change. While I am not an Atlantic City native, I’m passionate about learning the new and different perspectives of the people who live there. I focus on telling factual stories while writing them in a way that will encourage audiences to read more.

Samantha Lynam

As a photographer and videographer, I bring a new form of creative visual storytelling to this project, incorporating my experience covering sports, news, people, lifestyle. I feel a strong emotional link with the city. As a child who was adopted, I struggle with change and acceptance. When talking with community elders, we have connected about how challenging it can be to adjust to transitions in neighborhoods and policy. This helps me bring their stories to life through visual multimedia.

Diana Marroquin

Even though I was born in Atlantic City, working on this project has helped me to feel more connected with the community. As a homebody, and a first-generation Mexican-American, I now realize I was stuck between two cultures for much of my childhood and teen years. This experience has allowed me to see more opportunities to get involved. Through my photos and storytelling I hope to reach others who also want to connect.

Evelynn Morrill

Working with the Stories of Atlantic City has shown me that media representation is not a given. I better understand that we need to make space for everyone to share their stories, especially those in marginalized and under-resourced communities. Stories about resilience can be a powerful tool to show and prove that we are not alone when overcoming obstacles. This experience has also shown me a new way to be aware of my pre-existing assumptions about community dynamics and the harm we can cause with labeling and rushing to conclusions.

Ethen Reed

My storytelling approach is to develop stories that have the potential to ultimately change negative perspectives of Atlantic City, by highlighting the stories of resilience. As a resident of Stockton’s AC campus, I am able to observe and connect with the community regularly in the neighborhood and beyond. This experience allowed me to develop sympathy and empathy when considering the struggles of being heard within not only the community, but society as a whole. I am passionate about sharing stories that focus on the economy and social change.

Ngoc Tran

Atlantic City is an important part of my identity and will forever be my home. Through my storytelling, I hope to present AC to the world the way I see it, as a first generation Vietnamese American. I seek to explore stories about AC’s diverse community. I love learning about individual stories of resilience and how so many individuals give back to the place they grew up.

Amanda Wallace

Being relatively new to South Jersey, sharing stories about Atlantic City has helped me connect with the region and learn more about environmental justice in this unique part of the state. Through this work, I can help break stereotypes and share inspiring stories that highlight the city’s changemakers and offer new perspectives on environmental issues such as climate change and sustainability issues.

Lauren Simon 

My storytelling approach is a mix of gathering authentic stories and sharing pieces of the city’s history and its vibrant current culture. Because of my own passion for community service, I love learning about how others are making change in various ways.

David Martin-Gonzalez

As a first-generation Mexican-Guatemalan American, I feel connected to covering AC’s diverse communities and rich culture and helping to close information gaps. Originally from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware there are many parallels between these beach communities, from the coastline to the tourism-dependent economy.

Samantha Apple 

As a SOAC producer since January 2021, I joined during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic and in the midst of a social reckoning. This work provided a creative outlet and an opportunity to connect with the city and its people.

Maggie Gibbons 

This semester, as I have learned more about AC, I feel closer to it,  even though I grew up just a couple miles away. Capturing and sharing photos, and connecting with community members, inspires me to highlight the city through a unique lens.