Student Contributors

Alondra Arevalo, High School Senior

Alondra is a senior at Colony High School in California. She is in ASB, Varsity Cross Country and Track, and a part of her school's AVID program: all since her freshman year. She also has a passion for writing and politics and is planning on dual majoring in Journalism and Foreign Affairs to continue to pursue her dream of becoming a political analyst.

When she is not focused on her studies, she enjoys playing the guitar and piano, staying active, and spending time with her friends and family. She also loves to travel and is always planning her next adventure to introduce herself to new cultures world-wide.

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Aleena Islam, College Freshman

Aleena Islam is a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is planning to double major in economics and political science, although she’s interested in exploring new fields. Outside of academics, Aleena enjoys writing and editing and has worked as an editor in various capacities. She especially excels at business writing, as she is a four-time DECA State Finalist, as well as International first-place winner.

Aleena loves traveling, exploring the world, and learning about new places, languages, and cultures. She is excited at the prospect of being able to study niche topics relating to the world we live in in college. In her spare time, you can find her reading, writing, and baking for family and friends.

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Jasmin Kaur, College Sophmore

Jasmin Kaur is currently a sophomore at the University of Dallas. She plans on double-majoring in history and English, with a concentration in Spanish. Jasmin enjoys spending time with family and going on walks with her Shih Tzu, Saffy. You can find her reading a novel from any plethora of genres, with fantasy and historical fiction preferred, attempting to learn a new language, or writing whenever a creative thought piques her imagination.

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Charles Schnell, College Sophomore

Charles is a sophomore at Emory University. He has not determined his official majors. When he's not writing, he likes to study and discuss theology, study history and philosophy, swim, sing, read, kayak, and explore the world to the fullest extent that he can. He looks forward to communicating with the Fastweb community as he zooms towards his degree.

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Mary Bellm, College Senior

Mary Bellm is a college senior at Truman State University. She will be graduating with a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Design. She hopes to find a position somewhere in the publishing field. Mary wishes all students currently enrolled in college "Good Luck!" and hopes her articles help them in their pursuit of their degrees.

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Allison Willrich, College Junior

Allison is currently a junior at Whittier College, located in sunny Southern California where she was born and raised. She is self-designing a major in Advertising, combining the disciplines of business and graphic design.

Allison serves as a Student Ambassador and Campus Tour Guide for her school and loves to help students on their college application journey. When she isn’t on campus, she enjoys shooting film photography, spending time in her garden, and designing fancy floral arrangements.

As a Student Contributor at Fastweb, she hopes to provide great insight and clarity for her fellow students, and she is super excited to share her experiences with the community!

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Jason Macaranas, College Freshman

Jason Macaranas is a freshman at the University of California - Merced. He is currently majoring in Economics, although he is also leaning toward majoring in English as well. Besides writing, Jason also loves to read books and play video games. His favorite hobby is to play golf--Jason was actually a golf player for his high school, representing 4,000 students. In high school, he was managing editor of his school newspaper, The Courier. Jason aspires to become a best-selling and popular writer in the future.

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Rachel Lechwar, College Sophomore

Rachel is a sophomore at Florida State University. She is currently majoring in English Creative Writing. She loves reading (mostly YA fantasy) and spends much of her free time writing anything from poetry to short stories to creative nonfiction. She was also Editor-in-Chief of her high school’s literary magazine Pieces and Copy Editor of The Shield newspaper. She’s currently a mental health writer for Cathartic Literary Magazine. For her, writing serves as a way to connect with people, bring important stories to light, and provide a creative outlet for her own thoughts and ideas. She has a passion for nature and mental health awareness.

When she isn’t writing, Rachel can be found spending time with friends and family, trying to organize her life by checking off tasks on seemingly never-ending checklists, or giving herself much needed mental breaks from the weight of responsibility. She believes it is important to find that balance, as difficult as it can be. Some of her outlets include meditation, journaling, baking, and exploring the great outdoors (especially if there are rainbows or sunsets to chase).

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Piper Megellas, High School Junior

My name is Piper Megellas. I am currently a junior at Reeds Spring High School in Missouri. I have always loved expressing myself through writing and can’t wait to start writing for Fastweb. Outside of the classroom, I have danced for the past twelve years and have won awards on the national level. I am also a member of my school’s student council and academic team, and the VP of our NHS chapter.

I participate in my local hospital’s medical explorers program and intend on eventually going to medical school to fulfill my dream of becoming a doctor. In my free time, you might find me baking, reading, or playing card games.

I feel so grateful to have this opportunity, and I hope that I can use my platform to help other students navigate the admissions and scholarship processes. Whenever things get difficult, just remember you’re never alone and we are all going through this together!

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