
Student Contributors
Fastweb's Student Contributors series allows you to gain insight on important student topics as your peers experience student life throughout the academic year.
Discover, learn from and relate to articles written by students of all ages which share first-hand encounters with vital student endeavors, such as scholarship search and college admissions processes, which matter most to you.
Get to know each of this year's student contributors below!

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.
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES:
Top Questions to Ask Your School Counselor
The Best Study Music for Students
The Lost Act of Self Care: Reading
How to Combat Senioritis
4 Ways to Organize a College Search List
What I Learned During My High School Internship
Making the Most of Your Junior Year in High School
Fun Summer Jobs for High School Students
Student Travel Destinations After COVID
Taking the College Search to Social Media
9 Ways to Spread Love This Spring
New Year's Resolutions: Eat Heathier on the Keto Diet
Why You Should Consider AVID
Ten Spotify Playlists Students Should Try Out
Understand the FAFSA as a High School Junior, Common Misconceptions
Virtual Volunteer Opportunities Despite COVID

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.
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES:
8 Must-Have Apps for all Students
Discover Spring Break 2022 Destinations
How to Beat Feeling Homesick in College
10 Last-Minute Gifts for College Students
Finding Your Dream College through Social Media
A Student's Guide to Breaking Down the FAFSA
The Art of Productive Note Taking
Creative Scholarships for all Interests
Turn Your Graduation Cap into a Memorable Piece of Art
The Hottest New Trend: Indoor Plants, Reasons You Need a Few
4 Ways to Commemorate Your High School Days
Students Will Travel the World with These TikTok Accounts
A High School Senior’s Guide to Financial Aid
8 Motivational TikTok Accounts That Will Inspire You
College Fairs: Virtual Edition
A Guide to Navigating Senior Year During COVID-19
How COVID-19 Impacts Standardized Testing for Juniors
How a High School Student is Making the Most of Coronavirus
Senior Year Prep
How To Get Fantastic Recommendation Letter
Tips for A Successful Second Semester
Is A Part-Time Job Right for You?
Navigating your Junior Year
Where to Find Internships & Why You Should Get One
Scholarships: The Basics

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.
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES:
10 Colleges with the Best Dorms
The Liberal Arts: Learning for the Sake of Learning
How to Pick College Classes
Best Books 2021: Historical Fiction, Mystery, and More
Withdrawing or Dropping a College Course
Note Taking in College: Finding Your Stride
The Freshmen Fifteen: Myths vs. Facts
Three Reasons College Students Should Consider a Covid Vaccination
Memoirs of a College-Bound Student: Finding the Irrelevancies
12 Skills to College Success from the Beginning
Discovering Internships during COVID-19
College Visits: Virtual Tours, What to Ask
Five Easy, DIY Gifts to Make This Holiday Season
The Opportunity of AP Classes
College Students Should Apply for Scholarships Each Year
The Social and Academic Ramifications of COVID-19
The Last Battle: Senior Year

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.
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES:
Notworthy College Start Up Companies
The 5 Rules of Being a Good College Roommate
College Roommate Problems and Solutions
Four Unfortunate Truths About College
5 Card Games to Play with Friends and Family
Four Noteworthy Banned Books and Their Significance
Three Books that Changed My Perspective as a Student
Six Ways to Start Your First Year of College Off Right
Five Summer Break Must-Do's
5 Ways to Succeed in Studying for Finals
3 Considerations When Considering a College Major
Five Things A College Freshman Should Know
Federal Work Study Jobs for College Students
Scholarships to Cure Winter Break Idleness
How to Write a College Paper in MLA Format
My College Dining Hall Experience in 2020
Zooming Toward Your Degree
A Valuable Lesson
Optimistic Ruminations For These Trying Times
Don’t Overthink the Process!
Academic Book Recommendations
Now What?
The Debilitating Process of Applying to College
How Many APs Should You Be Taking?
10 Factors to Consider in Your College Search
Are Campus Visits Worth It?

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.
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES:
College Grad Jobs: Best Places to Work in 2022
Finish Strong: 8 Motivational Quotes for School
Start Searching for Summer 2022 Internships Now
How to Kick Off Your Job Search
Art Lessons that Every Student Can Use
7 Ways Students Can Give Back in Their Communities
34 Ways to Have Fun on a College-Student Budget
First Day of College? No Problem!
How to Find a Part-Time Job
Navigating the Scholarship Search in College
3 Ways to Gain Work Experience
No Plans for Spring Break? Look No Further for Ideas
Free Resources in College? Yes, please!
10 New Year's Resolutions for College Students
20+ Ways to Prep for Finals
Why College Students Should Fill Out the FAFSA Each Year
How Three Midwestern Colleges Are Handling COVID
In Retrospect: Notes To My Past Self
Finals and Online Classes
Making the Most of Your Summer
Looking Back: Things to Consider When Choosing a College
New Semester Prep
Student Answers for Financial Aid Questions
The Importance of Hobbies
Whip Your Scholarship Search into Shape
A Student's Take on Internships

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!
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES:

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.
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES:
How to Navigate the Group Project
Making Friends in College: How to Find Them
Move Over, College Football: How Golf Helps in College
How to Cope with Depression During College
The Benefit of Playing Video Games in College
How to Push Through Scholarship Rejection, Continue to Apply

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).
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES:
How to Become a Great Leader
What is a Minor in College?
9 Tips for Creating a Balanced College Semester
Coming to Terms with the Disney Narrative
What Your Academic Advisor Wants You to Know
Major Decisions: Choosing a College Major
The College-Decision Process from the Perspective of an Indecisive Student

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!
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES:
What is Test Anxiety and How Can you Beat It?
120 Years: History of Prom (And Trends for 2022)
How to Aim High as a Student at a Rural High School
7 Things All LGBTQ+ Allies Should Do
7 Scrumptious Cookie Recipes for the Holiday Season
7 Squid Game Life Lessons (Minus the Risk)
Why High School Guidance Counselors are a Valuable Resource
Ten Brilliant Back-to-School Hacks for Students