Learn More About Our Master’s Students

Sara Atencio-Gonzales

a person in a black dress with a wihite sash sits in front of a mosaic wall

Sara Atencio-Gonzales graduated from the University of New Mexico, where she majored in communications and journalism and minored in English. During her time at UNM, Sara became executive director of the ASUNM Arts and Crafts Studio and president of the Senior Honor Society, Mortar Board. She was also an intern for the New Mexico Local News Fund, where she was placed at CRTL+P Publishing and wrote for The Sandoval Signpost, The Corrales Comment, The Independent News and Albuquerque’s alt-weekly newspaper, The Paper.

Colette Goldstein

a person in a graduation gown with graduation cords draped around their neck stands outside and smiles

Colette Goldstein graduated from Syracuse University with a major in creative writing. At SU, Colette was a founding member of Moody Magazine, where she led the publication’s writing team as the head of writing for three consecutive issues. A versatile writer, Colette has also worked in content marketing, where she was published in Orora Packaging Solutions’ Sustainability Magazine. Post-graduation, Colette’s avid passion for writing helped guide her work as a teen services librarian, where she focused on developing programs to encourage reading and poetry among Syracuse youth.

Henry O’Brien

a close up shot of a person with short hair smiling

Henry O’Brien spent the last four years covering various Syracuse University sports teams for The Daily Orange, the school’s independent student newspaper. From the national championship-winning men’s soccer team to the men’s basketball squad, he used his passion for sports to write stories about a goalkeeper’s pet pigs and an oral history of Tyler Ennis’s legendary 2014 halfcourt buzzer-beater. When he wasn’t writing about sports, Henry focused on becoming the most passionate film buff he could be. With the Goldring program, he hopes to become an expert in film criticism.

Mathilde Refloch

a person leans against a railing in Cinque Terre in Italy and smiles

Mathilde Refloch, alias “The Red Lips Truth,” offers reviews on movies, TV shows, music and books. This Paris-based journalist balanced her studies at l’ISFJ with contributions to a law magazine. Despite pursuing political science at La Sorbonne, she graduated in cinema from the same university, and completed an internship at Le Parisien. With a thirst for knowledge, she has extensively traveled, dedicating a month in Italy to learn Italian, adding to her fluency in French and English, with some proficiency in German. Her goal is to make art appreciation inclusive by infusing humor and accessibility into her critiques.

Ally Watkinson

a person in a white shirt and long brown hair smiles for the camera while sitting outside

Ally Watkinson graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2023 with a B.A. in English and a minor in theatre. There, Ally nourished and grew her love of Shakespeare, creative nonfiction and the power of storytelling across all mediums. Since then, she has spent her time working in libraries, where patrons young and old have shared their opinions on media with her. Ally hopes to use cultural criticism to connect with others and make all media, low- or high-brow, accessible to all.

Tori Wyffels

a person in a white dress poses for the camera while standing in front of a white wall

Victoria Wyffels recently graduated from Syracuse University in three years with a bachelor’s degree in political philosophy and anthropology. Her greatest passion is sharing and discussing the complexities of the performing arts. As a retired child actor, she grew up surrounded by artists and the fascinating stories they had to share about past productions. She hopes to continue to center her life around the beauty of the arts and its influence on our values, dreams and perspectives.