2018-2019 Staff
Jack Stenzel
Editor-In-Chief
Jack Stenzel is currently one of The Highlander's three Editors-in-Chief. He previously served as a Sports Editor and contributes mainly to the Sports and In-Depth sections. His favorite hobbies are surfing and hanging out at jour...
Emily Jackson
Copy Editor/Online Opinions Editor
Emily Jackson is a junior at McLean High School. She is a copy editor for The Highlander and an online opinions editor for the website. Outside the classroom, she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family....
Dua Mobin
Reporter
Dua Mobin is a sophomore and a first-year journalist. She enjoys public speaking, long distance running, and painting outside of journalism.
Camille Blakemore
Reporter
Camille Blakemore is a sophomore in her first year of journalism, who focuses mainly on the A&E and news sections. She enjoys playing lacrosse, field hockey, and basketball for McLean, spending time with friends, and endlessly re...
Haine Jung
Reporter
Haine is a sophomore and a first-year journalist. She loves dogs and food and candle scents. In her spare time, she studies Japanese, reads books and essays, writes, and listens to music.
Marina Qu
Reporter
Marina Qu is a sophomore and a first-year journalist. She enjoys reading, writing, and watching movies. She is a strong advocate for women's rights and gender equality.
Talia Blakemore
Reporter
This is Talia's first year in journalism. She is currently taking her fourth year of broadcast journalism. Her interests include volleyball.
Aleena Gul
Reporter
Aleena Gul is a freshman in her first year of Journalism at McLean High School. She is interested in reading current affairs, following political news and enjoys writing about them. Apart from her studies, Aleena enjoys spending ti...
Emily Simon
Reporter
Emily Simon is a sophomore in her first year of journalism. She was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She enjoys reading, petting her dog, Mazie, and she is a little bit forgetful (okay, maybe more than a little bit)....
Cc Palumbo
Reporter
Cc Palumbo is a freshman in Journalism 1. She enjoys spending her time reading, listening to music, and re-watching the Office and Friends on Netflix. She will not share her opinion on if Ross and Rachel were on a break because it...
Maya Kalish
Reporter
Maya Kalish is a sophomore in her first year of journalism. She plays field hockey for the school and likes to go to all the football games. Maya also enjoys managing lacrosse and cheering friends on....
Mae Monaghan
Reporter
Mae Monaghan is a freshman in her first year of journalism at McLean High. She enjoys soccer, reading, music, and hanging out with friends and family.
Sydney Langston
Reporter
Sydney Langston is a freshman in her first year of journalism at McLean High School. She enjoys hanging out with her friends, and playing with her dog, Dickens.
Heran Essayas
Reporter
Heran Essayas is a first year journalism student as a sophomore. Heran enjoys playing field hockey with her friends, and spending time with them. She also loves showing her school spirit!
Cordelia Lawton
Reporter
Cordelia Lawton is enjoying her first year of Journalism 2. She loves writing and can rarely put a book down. Having lived all over the world she tries to apply her international perspective to her writing. She has just transferred to...
Zach Anderson
Reporter
Zach is a junior at McLean High School. It is his first year working for The Highlander and second year in broadcast journalism. He enjoys hanging out with friends and doing activities outdoors.
Ana Paula Ibarraran
Reporter
Ana Paula Ibarraran is a freshman taking her first year of journalism at McLean High School. In her free time she enjoys playing soccer, spending time with friends and family, and learning songs on the guitar.
Isaac Lamoreaux
Reporter
Isaac Lamoreaux is a first-year journalist on The Highlander. He recently transferred from McLean from the Republic of Georgia, a small country in Eastern-Europe. He is excited to be on The Highlander staff and is currently enj...
Waseema Khan
Reporter
This is Waseema's first year in journalism and she is enjoying it very much. She loves plants and animals and loves binge watching TV shows and movies.
Ava Rotondo
Reporter
Ava Rotondo is a junior at McLean High School. She is very excited to begin working on the staff of The Highlander in her first year of journalism. She loves sailing and taking long hikes.
Sarah Solis
Reporter
Sarah Solis is a student in her 2nd year of journalism. She enjoys playing sports and spending time with family.
Joshua Bass
Reporter
Joshua Bass is a freshman at McLean High School. Joshua enjoys reading and writing, practicing lacrosse, and hiking on the weekends. This is Josh’s first time taking journalism and he believes he is learning a lot of relevant i...
Paarth Soni
Reporter
A boy named Paarth Soni is now a freshman at McLean High School. This is his second year of taking journalism 1 and he finds it very fun. Paarth Soni also loves to play basketball and hang out with his friends. He also loves to...
Benjamin Pham
Reporter
Hello, person reading this! This article was written by a amazing person called Benjamin Pham a junior in his first year in journalism. He hopes you enjoy the read although he knows you probably won’t. ...
Emily Friedman
Reporter
Emily Friedman is a freshman in her first year of journalism at McLean high school. She enjoys swimming, playing volleyball, and spending time with her friends and family.
Laine Phillips
Reporter
Laine Phillips is a freshman at McLean High School in Journalism 1. She enjoys sports and spending time with friends and family.
Kaan Kocabal
Reporter
This year is Kaan Kocabal’s first year at Mclean high school and first year taking journalism. He is a soccer player, basketball player, and enjoys spending time with friends.
Noah Barnes
Reporter
Noah Barnes is a freshman in his first year of journalism at McLean High School. He enjoys playing soccer, going to the movies, and spending time with friends.
Zeyad Zaeean
Reporter
Zeyad Zaeean, is a junior, and it is his first year in Mclean High School, after spending two years in Herndon High School. Zeyad is a very active person, practicing many sports and activities, such as, soccer, Basketball and Fo...
Pran Kittivorapat
Reporter
Pran Kittivorapat is a junior AFS exchange student from Thailand, who takes a full-year experience at McLean High School. He enjoys taking photos and listening to pop music.
Andy Chung
Reporter
Andy Chung is in Journalism 1 for the 2018-2019 school year. Andy has a brother that was an editor-in-chief last year. Andy enjoys journalism.
Matthew Zarkani
Reporter
Matthew Zarkani is a very dedicated and motivated young man. A very intellectual being. Matthew is a very great basketball player, and a scholar. Everyday he enjoys eating, playing Xbox, and playing basketball. Matthew ha...
Zach Hasan
Reporter
Zach Hasan is a freshman at McLean High School. He likes to play basketball, and he plans on trying out for the freshman team. He also likes to code. He is in his first year of journalism.
Erica Bass
Reporter
Erica Bass is a junior in her first year of Journalism at McLean. She’s an avid participant in McLean’s theatre department, a blanket lover, and a keeper of Scooby Doo trivia. She is currently investigating if “French Fry Con...
Skye Sunderhauf
Reporter
Skye Sunderhauf is a sophomore at McLean High School. She loves swimming and has been swimming competitively year round since nine years old. She has a younger sister and a golden retriever.
Katie Romhilt
Reporter
Katie Romhilt is a sophomore in her second year of journalism. She plays ECNL soccer and often travels around the country for games. Last year, she went to Italy with her team. She has an active role in the community, including co...
Michelle Cheng
Reporter
Michelle Cheng is first year journalist for The Highlander. Outside of school she rows for McLean Crew, plays piano, and debates in Model UN. Michelle also enjoys painting, watching Netflix, and eating food.
Sam Naemi
Reporter
A junior at McLean High and a first timer of Journalism whose back hurts carrying the so called "veteran" Rohan Mani.
Kyle Hawley
Reporter
Kyle Hawley is a sophomore at McLean High School. He likes writing in the news and opinions section regarding political matters and public affairs.
Nick Monroy
Digital Media Editor
Nick Monroy is currently the Digital Media Editor for The Highlander and the host of The Highlander News Podcast. He previously served as the Features Editor for The Highlander from 2017-2018. He has been a member of The ...
Charley Roth-Douquet
Author
Charley Roth-Douquet is a junior at McLean High School. Charley enjoys a variety of music, traveling, and not failing classes.This is his first year in Journalism and he hopes to share his opinions and improve his writing skills....
Addie Brown
Features Editor
Addie Brown is one of the Features Editors of The Highlander in her second year of journalism. In her free time, she plays soccer competitively and loves to hang out with her friends.
Dana Edson
News Editor
Dana Edson is a sophomore and currently one of the two news editors on The Highlander staff.
Imani McCormick
Managing Editor
Imani McCormick is Managing Editor of The Highlander in her fourth year of journalism at McLean High School. She was Copy Editor her sophomore year, and Managing Editor her junior and senior years. She is also an award winning pho...
Maria McHugo
Editor-in-Chief
Maria McHugo is the Editor-in-Chief of The Highlander in her third year of journalism at McLean High School. During her junior year, she served as the News Editor for the publication and loves the newsmagazine and its staff m...
Maren Kranking
Editor-in-Chief
Maren is an Editor-in-Chief of The Highlander, and this is her third year on the journalism staff at McLean. Previously, she has worked as a copy editor, features editor, and design editor for the newsmagazine. Aside from spendi...
Jack Shields
Sports Editor
Jack is in his second year of journalism at McLean. Jack enjoys playing soccer and eating.
Nicky Varela
Sports Editor
Nicky is a sophomore at McLean High School. He is in his second year of journalism. Outside of school, Nicky loves playing and watching football. He also hates Bryce Harper and Nick Monroy with a burning passion.
Ben Brooks
Sports Editor
Ben Brooks is a student in his third year in journalism. Ben is currently serving as one of the two sports editors.
Maya Amman
reporter
Maya Amman is a freshman at McLean high school and she is taking her first year of journalism. She is very athletic and is ready for any sports challenge. She loves dogs and enjoys taking care of them.
Saisha Dani
reporter
Saisha Dani is a sophomore and is in her first year of Journalism at McLean High School. She is new to the McLean community and enjoys watching TV shows, reading and drinking bubble tea.
Grace Gould
reporter
Grace Gould is a freshman in Journalism 1. She enjoys dancing, watching Friends, and going on walks with her dog.
Julia McElligott
Photography Editor & Social Media Manager
Julia McElligott is a senior at McLean High School, as well as Photography Editor and Social Media Manager. She has been on the staff for three years, and has decided to pursue it in college. When she isn't in the Journalism room s...
Sebastian Jimenez
Opinions Editor
Sebastian Jimenez is a transfer student who moved to McLean in sophomore year. He serves as an opinions editor for the Highlander, and intends to go into a field related to journalism later in life.
Carla Ballard
A&E Editor
Carla Ballard is a senior at McLean High School, as well as A&E Editor for the Highlander. This is her third year in journalism and she loves it enough to pursue it in college after she graduates. In her free time, Carla lo...
Matthew Abbott
Author
Matthew Abbott is in his first year in Journalism and he has really enjoyed the experience so far. His favorite animal is a cat. He loves to read books and his favorite food is supreme pizza.
Jeremy Siegel
Managing Editor
Jeremy Siegel is a third-year Journalist with The Highlander. He has previously served as a News Editor and Reporter. He has been featured on state finalist in-depth articles like A Grey Area (October 2017) and Clouded Judgeme...
Jessica Opsahl-Ong
Opinion's Editor
Jessica Opsahl-Ong is the Opinion's Editor and reporter for the Highlander. She can be found reading a good book while wrapped in a sweater. She is very antisocial, please do not talk to her.
Rohan Mani
Online sports editor, Reporter
Rohan Mani is in his 2nd year of Journalism and is a junior. He is currently the online sports editor and a reporter for The Highlander magazine. He enjoys following sports, hanging out with friends and family and overall...
Rebeka Rafi
Advertising Manager & Features Editor
Rebeka Rafi is taking her third year of Journalism and is the Advertising/Business Manager and Features Editor for The Highlander newsmagazine at McLean High School. She previously served as the Advertising/Business Manager las...
Dasha Makarishcheva
Website Editor in Chief, Designer, Cartoonist
Darya Makarishcheva is a Junior and has been the head cartoonist for the McLean Highlander since the end of her freshman year. She loves the Journalism Department and structures her life around contributing more to its success. He...