Nicholas S. Wendelboe

Nicholas S. Wendelboe is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania. He is currently a Junior majoring in Integrated Media and Strategic Communication. He helps run Laker Student Media or LSM for short. He also has a passion for music.

Nicholas is a critical player in the success of Laker Student Media, as he does not only have a passion for media production, but he has actively begun pursuing work in that field. He does professional videography on the weekends to gain the skills to achieve success in the media and marketing field. His goal is to become successful in the digital marketing field, while he continues to run his own videography business on the side called 'Wendelboe Media.'  He hopes that his experiences will lead him to become a critical team player at Erie Insurance or another local digital marketing and advertising firm. 



Nicholas has a passion that goes beyond media production, which is music. He has been a guitarist for the past six and a half years. His favorite type of music to listen to is the 1980's hard rock and can often be found jamming to 80's rock music with his friends. He plans to develop his future band further, "Anemoia." He can go on endlessly about music and his passion for it. Since he has a strong passion for 80s rock hard rock music, the head of the Communication department Brian Sheridan. will often talk about Nicholas in some of his Lectures as they have similar tastes in music. Their overlapping tastes in music sometimes correlate with the material Brian is teaching. Brian uses Nicholas as an example as it becomes more relatable to his students. 


Nicholas would describe himself as a history nerd, as he enjoys the subject matter. The specific part of history he is fascinated the most by is the European Theatre of World War II. 

Nicholas is active in and out of the Mercyhurst Community and has many skills in various areas of video production. He can talk to you and take the time to teach you the basics of video production and help you improve your skills over time. If you have a chance to talk to him, I would recommend it, as you may learn a lot. 

- Isabel C. Merriman 

Nick Woll

Nickolas "Nick" Woll is a senior who is double majoring in Psychology and Religious Studies. He is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania. He is an active member across campus and is always searching for new organizations to join. 


Nick is quite active across campus; he is always doing something and rarely takes time for himself. He is currently Vice President of the Ambassador program. He is always looking to recruit more students into the program and getting more students to apply and enroll in the university. This year he became a Laker Leader for the first time and is enjoying every minute of it, as he has a passion for helping others. In the past, he has helped with the PASS Program. The PASS Program is a three-week-long program at the end of the summer, to assist students with learning differences in adjusting to college by taking classes in a structured setting. This past summer, Nick helped with the CREATE Program, which is similar to the PASS Program, but it is geared more towards the students in the AIM Program. The program is a little longer and a little more extensive than PASS. As he is always looking to help others and search for opportunities to grow, he has done various other forms of volunteer work and always puts others before himself. In the past, he has been apart of about a dozen clubs and organizations during the year. He is never afraid to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to him. As he takes everything, he does seriously.

Nick is strong in academics as he excels in his classes and puts his all in anything he choices to pursue. He took one acting class last semester and received the role of Miles in the production "She Kills Monsters," which was shown at the start of October. He is someone who enjoys planning; he began looking into Graduate school since the Summer of 2018 and is currently in the process of applying for graduate school for Religious Studies. 


Nick is easy to talk to and can be found around campus doing just about anything, and when he is not on campus, he is more than likely conducting some form of volunteer work in his spare time. He is someone you should take the time and get to know as he can easily teach you something new and put a smile on your face. He will be more than happy to share quite a bit of information and facts about the university if you ask him. 

- Isabel C. Merriman

Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh is a 22 year-old native from nearby Bemus Point, New York. He is currently a senior at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania where he is studying both Hospitality Management and Marketing.

Mitchell was drawn to Mercyhurst as a result of their high-ranking in the field. The University’s Hospitality Management Program is ranked #2 in the nation. His pre-enrollment visits, meeting with the professors and students were very positive. He didn’t originally plan on pursuing a dual major. When he enrolled at Mercyhurst it was initially in the Hospitality Management Program but after being in the program for a few semesters, he discovered that he had a passion for marketing so he added this second major to his studies.

Mitchell loves being at Mercyhurst University. He describes his experience in this way, “After being here for almost four years, I have been able to be involved in so much in such a short period of time, and it truly has made it a great experience. Seizing the day at Mercyhurst is one of my favorite things to do and I am able to do it because of the welcoming community.” I couldn’t have said it better.

Interestingly, Mitchell is a triplet. He finds this beneficial in terms of comparing other institutions to Mercyhurst through his conversations with his siblings. His time here at Mercyhurst has been very fulfilling for Mitchell and although he didn’t mention any concrete future plans, he feels that his experience at Mercyhurst has prepared him well.
-Justice

Caroline Mangano

Caroline Mangano

Ms. Caroline Mangano is a 23-year-old graduate student at Mercyhurst University in Erie Pennsylvania. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Ms. Mangano received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Intelligence Studies from Mercyhurst University in 2018 and is currently enrolled at the university as a 2^nd year graduate student majoring in Criminal Justice Administration. She hopes to complete her studies in 2020.

Along with concentrating on her studies, Ms. Mangano serves as a Hall Director for the Office of Resident Life and Student Conduct. She lives in the Mercy Apartments, overseeing the safety of all the students in the apartments as well as overseeing two Resident Assistants. Her job also includes meeting with students on a weekly basis. The meetings involve planning and hosting educational and social programs for students to attend.

Originally, Ms. Mangano was interested in Aeronautical studies and enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. After realizing that she didn’t like the school or the major that she had chosen, she transferred to Mercyhurst University. She chose Mercyhurst because it was close to home, was a smaller school, Embry-Riddle had nearly 7000 students, and Mercyhurst was one of the top schools offering degrees in Criminal Justice.

Ms. Mangano enjoys sports of all kinds, but she particularly likes softball, a sport that she played for over 10 years while prior to coming to Mercyhurst. She has a special place in her heart for Violet, her Old English Sheep Dog who is constantly at her side when she is at home.

She has found a welcoming home here at Mercyhurst University and is happy to have made the choice to come here and be part of the team.

Dr. Courtney Lang

Dr. Courtney Lang

Dr. Lang is currently a faculty member in the Department of Communications at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. This is her third year as a full time member of the faculty. Prior to her accepting this position, Dr. Lang worked as an adjunct in Communication and also as an adjunct for the English Department between 2010 and 2016.

Dr. Lang’s educational credentials are very impressive. She attended Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pennsylvania where she earned a Master’s Degree in Specialized Studies. Within the scope of this study, she concentrated in Creative Writing, Printmaking, Spanish, and Geosciences. She also studied at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania earning a Master of Fine Arts, Creative Writing, with concentrations in Poetry and Travel Writing. Dr. Lang is currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Education, Leadership and Learning Organizations at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

When deciding where to accept a teaching position at the University level, Dr. Lang chose Mercyhurst University. The school’s strong mission of educating students and its dedication to that mission were factors that brought her here.

Born in Saxton, Pennsylvania, Dr. Lang has a keen interest in athletics. She was a member of a fast pitch softball team and a club hockey player where she could unwind from the rigors of the academic world and put her athletic talents to good use.

Her talents and interests are not limited to teaching and sports. She once worked as a lithographer during her early teaching years. Her work with lithography allowed her to use that skill in her travel writing. Her travel experience is quite extensive. She has been to the Galapagos Islands and the Bahamas. Those two stops allowed her to visit the communication outposts for the United States during WWII. It also gave her the experience of seeing both the Pacific and Atlantic approaches to island outposts.

 Her travels also included every State in the United States except for four and she visited all but three Canadian Provinces.

Mercyhurst University is very fortunate to have someone of Dr. Lang’s education and experience on its faculty.

Braeden Nearhoof

Braeden Nearhoof is a freshman from Waterford, Pennsylvania. He is majoring in Public Health and is planning to double major in Psychology. He plans to become more active around campus. 

Braeden is majoring in Public Health as he has a fascination with diseases related to the Centers for Disease Control. He has the career goal of becoming an Epidemiologist as an Infectious Disease Specialist. He hopes to earn his doctorate in Epidemiology from Boston University. 

Braeden has an interesting commonality with some of his relatives, as he has the same birthday as his grandmother and great-grandfather on different sides of his family. The odd of this are slim to none. He can recall this unique family connection as he can remember all dates and times.

Braeden is looking to become more active around campus. He is currently in the Public Health club and has been asked to attend Scholar Bowl in St. Louis, Missouri. He has more knowledge about public health than many of his classmates, as his father works for Erie Coke. As his father does work for Erie Coke, the number of controversies around public health issues, Breaden has been exposed to many aspects of the Centers' Disease for Control and Prevention. Some of his classmates, such as myself, have persuaded him to join Laker Student Media, as he has done similar work in high school. He was an anchor for the morning announcements of his elementary school. He attended one meeting and has fallen in love with the club and has decided to join. 



Breaden is musically gifted as he plays approximately five instruments. He is apart of the marching band as he has played Mellophone for the past three to four years. He is al looking to learn new instruments.

Mellophone

Braeden is easy to talk to, and if you ever have the opportunity to have a chat with him, I would highly recommend doing so. You will meet a friendly and outgoing member of the Mercyhurst community, and probably one of the biggest nerds out there.


- Isabel C. Merriman

Marko Sadikovic

Marko Sadikovic

Marko Sadikovic is a grad student, into the second year and Hall Director for a second year for Residence Life as well as Organizational Leadership with a focus on Strategy and Innovation. He is also a volunteer assistant coach for the Mercyhurst Water Polo team. He has played water polo for 18 years (in Serbia for the junior national team, continued playing at Gannon).

He is currently 25 years old. He is from Niš, Serbia. Located in Central and Southeastern Europe. His education consists of graduating high school in Niš, Serbia, coming to Pleasant Hill, CA, attending Diablo Valley College for one year, transferring to Gannon University, and graduating in 2017 with a degree in Entrepreneurial Studies and Business Administration. He currently attends Mercyhurst University in pursuing a degree in Organizational Leadership Hoping of getting a PhD someday. He enjoys playing the guitar. He has a twin brother Zarko, who also lives in the States and taught him how to play the instrument. He also enjoys reading books about astronomy and astrophysics (ones he can understand at least). He is trying to learn Japanese, though it's not going well. He is also too lazy to get his U.S. driving license.

He chose Mercyhurst because of its Organizational Leadership program, and the opportunity to be a Hall Director. He also thought that the beautiful campus was a nice bonus too.

-Justice Alleruzzo

Alex Wargo

Alex Wargo is a Sophmore from Irwin, Pennsylvania, majoring in Accounting with a Communication minor. He is considering double majoring in Accounting and Economics. He is an active member of Laker Student Media (LSM). 

After Alex graduates, he intends to get a job as an accountant. He finds that accounting is easy and that finding a job will not be an issue as there are several jobs in that field. He is a firm believer that he will not have a problem finding a well-paying job. 

Alex in an LSM segment 

Alex joined Laker Student Media because he has a passion for media work for quite a few years. He began doing clubs like Laker Student Media throughout high school and has had a passion for it since he started. Alex appears in several segments, including 'Movie Minute,' which you can find on the Laker Student Media YouTube page. He enjoys the whole process of creating the content for the club. His minor in Communication has assisted in creating popular content. He is constantly coming up with new segment ideas for Laker Student Media, and it is evident he is passionate about the different aspects of the club. 


Alex grew up with his family and their dog. His father is named Denis, and his mother is named Maure. Denis does Data Entry for a living, and his mother is an Audiologist at the VA, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. His sister Abby is a senior at Duquesne, majoring in Criminal Psychology. He also has a pet dog named Rolucy, who has been apart of his life for the past five years. 

Alex is known for cracking jokes and being a free spirit. In his free time, you can often find him in the studio working on new projects for Laker Student Media. He is passionate about this club, and he can bring valuable experiences to the table. 

- Isabel C. Merriman

Jillian "Jill" Marcelli

Jillian "Jill" Marcelli is a senior double majoring in Graphic Design and Communication. She was born and raised in Olean, New York. 

Jill's goal is to achieve a high-paying job doing Graphic Design for companies that work alongside their customers to create personalized advertising. She has taken advantage of several internships to reach her career goal. Some of her internships have consist of; several writing internships in communication and working on web design for companies like DOT FM, Mercyhurst Athletics, Menergie, and Studios. 

Jill is an active member around campus Mercyhurst, as she writes for The Mercaid and is involved in Photo Club. These two organizations that she is a part of are setting her up for success in the field she hopes to enter after she graduates. 




Jill's parents provided her with different tools to help her achieve success in Graphic Design. Her parents often gave her art supplies, and she was able to create more through that. She was always encouraged to be active and go outside, unlike her friends who stayed inside and played video games. She believes it was a good thing that she was encouraged to go outside and do art, instead of staying indoors playing video games, as her friends did. She thinks if she had played video games. She would not be as dedicated and passionate for what she hopes to achieve. 

In Jill's free time outside, she played year-round soccer and ran track in High School. She was more active and driven than her friends. She had a goal to continue in college, but that was not an option as she suffered a dislocation in her left shoulder from soccer. She hopes to find a way to pursue her passion for soccer in the future.

Jill is an incredibly kind person, and it easy to talk to. She can often be found working on different Graphic Design projects as she is driven to achieve success in the goals she hopes to achieve. She will find success in the area of Graphic Design with her strong work ethic and passion for her studies. 


- Isabel C. Merriman 

Bailey Brillman

Bailey Brillman is a sophomore from Buckingham, Pennsylvania. She is majoring in Applied Forensic Science with a concentration in Biology, and she is minoring in French and Biochemistry.

Bailey wants to continue her education after getting a bachelor's degree at Mercyhurst. By applying to Cedar Crest College's Forensic Science Master's degree program and specializing in Blood Studies Analysis. Her goal is to work alongside law enforcement in a federal agency. She wants to help victims find closure by finding it hard to get evidence to solve the case.

Outside of academics, Bailey likes to participate in several clubs across campus, including; the Forensic Science, Theatre, French, and Biochemistry clubs. From freshmen year of High School to now, Bailey has been a part of Marching Band.

Bailey has several accomplishments, both inside and outside of the classroom. In High School, Bailey was active in Marching Band earning, as a team, first place in the U.S. Band Championship competition out of twelve other high school bands. She won the Patriot award for investment in her senior year. Bailey is a proud active Girl Scout Alumni complete with a Bronze and Silver Awards, and she has a lifetime membership. The Bronze and Silver awards and service projects totaling over 100 hours of community service.

During her primary education, Bailey was involved in several school theatre productions, including 'Twinderella,' 'The Big Bad Musical,' 'You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown,' 'Dear Edwina,' 'Seussical the Musical' and 'Mary Poppins.' She had put her passion for theatre performances aside to continue pursuing higher education.

Her family is an important part of her life; at home, she lives with her mom, dad, sister Corey, and their lab-whippet mix named Liberty.

Bailey would describe her as a typical Ravenclaw. Yes, she's obsessed with the Harry Potter series. She is intelligent, not afraid of challenges, and loves to help others.

- Isabel C. Merriman

My name is Justice Alleruzzo and I am the other contributor for this blog. I am currently a student at Mercyhurst University. I am a Junior with a Communication Major and a Theatre Minor with a concentration in Secondary Education. I have been in college since 2017. I am 21 years old and I was born and raised in Erie, PA. As a sport, I play recreational golf. There are times when I love to go bowling as well.

A little more about myself is that I’m currently a lead guitarist/vocalist in a metal band. I have been in this band for three and a half years. I once wrote my own musical and I can do voice impressions. I am big into video games, one of which is the Final Fantasy series.

I love Mercyhurst because it’s a warm and friendly environment. I also love love loooove the theatre program. Dr. Brett Johnson is simply the best, but I also thoroughly enjoy all of the instructors there as well as the staff in the other departments such as councilors, maintenance, campus dining, and even as small as the event drivers. I do hope you enjoy our blog.

-Justice H. Alleruzzo 

Jahmyire Jones

Jahmyire Jones is a senior from Columbia, Maryland, double majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. He is into physical fitness, gaming, and fashion; he is always looking for new ways to make some extra cash. He uses his intelligence and athleticism to make the most optimal results in any situation.  

Jahmyire wrestled in high school and for Mercyhurst his freshman year. He stopped competing due to concussions. He remains physically active as often as possible. He takes  Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu classes close to campus. He also takes advantage of the university's gym, as well as the area to work out in any way he can. 

One of Jahmyire's wrestling matches from High School

Jahmyire is a competitive gamer and has used it to his advantage. He used to make gaming videos for entertainment for other gamers and was able to make money through doing so. He has found through competitive gaming and his studying of neuroscience he has conducted studies on the correlation between gaming and impulsivity. He was told that his the potential to be published in the future.  

Jahmyire is into fashion, and he has proven while working at the clothing store Tilly's. He is one of the top sales personnel. He can sell thousands of dollars worth of clothes in a single day through customers trusting him to style them and purchase items they would least expect. He has had discussions of having a higher-level position but has turned it down so he can focus on his studies. 

After graduation, Jahmyire hopes to enter the Air Force. So, he can continue to conduct studies on human behavior with those he serves alongside, but from more of a scientist's perspective. He believes it will be a fun experience and that he can learn a lot. 

Jahmyire is someone who always takes a more in-depth look into something; many of us would glance over. He puts his heart and soul into everything he does and is always looking for new challenges for his future. 

- Isabel C. Merriman

Kali Beutler

Kali Beutler is a sophomore from Tonawanda, New York, majoring in Integrated Media and Strategic Communication, as well as minoring in both Psychology and International Relations. Kali is an active member around campus, as she is a part of many clubs and organizations around campus. 

Kali is close to her family, which includes; her older sister, who works as a dog groomer, her mother, and pet dog. Kali's father passed away when she was seventeen years old. 

Kali's mother works in law enforcement and similar career goals to what her mother does for a living. Kali's goal is to work in the government doing crisis communication by developing natural disaster response plans. Her major, double minors, and her mother's background put Kali in an excellent place to achieve her career goal. 

 

Kali is very outgoing and friendly. She is always full of energy and shows she is passionate and hardworking in everything she does. Kali has demonstrated her success through hard work consistently through being both active around campus and in her academics. Kali is busy around campus as she huge with campus involvement.

Kali is a part of many clubs, including; Theater club. OAC, yoga club, modern cinema club,

Multicultural Activities Council, and Student Activities Council or better known as MAC/SAC to those around campus, as well as The Merciad. She does her work-study at the campus involvement center. 

Although she is active around campus, she has been able to achieve the perfect grade point average of a 4.00 consistently. Her excellent grade point average has resulted in her becoming an active member of Phi Eta Sigma. 

Kali was like this before college. She was quite active as well. She played tennis in high school, despite not being a fan of sports. Her hobbies consist of hiking, swimming, photography, reading, and painting. She describes herself as outgoing and kind. If you ever have an interaction with Kali, it is evident that she is both outgoing and helpful. 

- Isabel C. Merriman 

Joe Roxberry

Joe Roxberry is from Meadville, Pennsylvania. He has worked as a chef in Egan for the past five years; you'll often see him working at either Pizza or The Clean Plate. What most people don't know is that Joe has quite the backstory that will make you question if he is telling the truth. He is a human-encyclopedia to some, as he is full of useless knowledge to some, but it often helps in the long run. Joe has been through several series of unfortunate events, as he could have his own Wikipedia page. 

Joe has a tendency to get bored quite quickly, which leads him to learn about the most random topics; most would not think to look into exploring. Joe can absorb information like a sponge and has helped Joe; learn the skills to be a chef, the different ways to create and create his unique recipes. 

If you take the time to talk to Joe or ask him any question, he is more than likely to answer it quite thoroughly. If you ever are struggling to find the answer to something or are curious about something, if you ask Joe, he will be able to provide you with an answer. A question often leads to a never-ending conversation as he is quite interesting and entertaining as a person.

When Joe was a child, he was once buried alive by a half a ton of wood, as he was messing around with is friends at church one day. Although he was only buried from the neck down, it was still challenging to get him out. It was not the first or only time Joe has gotten himself in a questionable situation. 

Joe does not drive; he walks about two to four miles each way to work. He was once a victim of a hit-and-run and proceeded to walk to work, and he was advised to get check out at the hospital yet, Joe refused to do so. 

Joe does not believe in going to the hospital unless he thinks he is dying. He had even refused to go to the hospital when he was stabbed. He fell out of a tree and impaled his right tonsil on a stick. 

This is not his collection

Joe is a fan of many video games that have to lead him to many conventions, including Japan, which is on his bucket list to visit. Joe is a massive Dungans and Dragons gamer and brought his collection on Hurst Day 2019 for an outdoor station. Joe is secretly talented in the creation of origami, and that is part of is secret love for Japan. 

Joe grew up around many different religions. He is currently in the process of becoming a Jehovah-Witness, not only because he holds those beliefs, but also so he can marry the girl of his dreams. 

After one of his Witness Meetings 

There is so much more to Joe Roxberry than this summary. I hope to provide more information about him at a later date. I highly recommend sparking a conversation with him, as you might make a life-long friend. You can learn a lot from him as well.

- Isabel C. Merriman