Nathan J. Nitczynski

Nathan Nitczynski is an Academic Counselor at Mercyhurst University. Along with his job as an academic counselor, he is a Dance Instructor at Infinity Dance Academy.


Nathan attended Mercyhurst Prep for high school. He was an active student at his high school;  he participated in Spanish Club, Bible Study, Show Choir, Dance Company, Theater, and was a member of the International Thespian Society. His passions and extracurricular activities continued when he continued his higher education.

Nathan earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Thiel College. He was a member of the Student Government Association, Theater, Musical Theater, Varsity Danceline, and was on the Competitive Dance Team. His highlights at Thiel College consisted of being on the Competitive Dance Team, earning Alpha Psi Omega, Thiel Players, and The Student Government Association (SGA). He went on to pursue his Masters of Science in Education, College Counseling and Student Affairs at Youngstown State University.



Nathan has an impressive job background in the dance field, some of his past jobs in dance

have included; he was a Dance Teacher at Kristin's Dance, in 2016. As a Dance Teacher, he instructed dance classes to students among different age groups and skillsets. His focus was on tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical dance. As he worked as a Dance Teacher, he was a Choreographer at Greenville Area Community Theater. Through this, he would teach dance and movement to cast members of the theatrical productions for this community theater program. From 2016 to 2017, he was a Competition Team Director for AC Dance Company. Through this program, he implemented and designed a curriculum for Dance Team in two different genres of dance. He coordinated competition and convention events with parents of students of the teams. He choreographed routines to be adjusted to regional events. As he was a Competition Team Director for AC Dance Company, he was the Assistant Director at ViBe Dance Academy. As the Assistant Director, he would teach dance to students from age five through adulthood. He would continue to choreograph dance routines in various genres, as he coached competition teams. His main areas of choreography consisted of jazz, ballet, tap, lyrical, pointe, and hip hop. As he works as an Academic Counselor at Mercyhurst, he continues to work as a Dance Instructor at Infinity Dance Academy. He teaches dance to people of any age group.


Nathan has worked as an Academic Counselor at Mercyhurst since March of 2018, and from January 2018 through February 2018, he worked as a graduate intern for The Office of Academic Support and Learning Differences at the University. Before working at Mercyhurst, he worked as a Career Development Graduate Assistant at Hiram College. Through this, he would coordinate undergraduate interns at Hiram College to ensure satisfaction among each internship group. He would meet with several diverse undergraduate students to review their resumes, assist them in writing cover letters, and discuss their career goals. He would plan and execute programming and events for undergraduate students to  engage in their professional development. His past work experience in the field of academia is continuous and impressive for his age.


Nathan's past experiences have set him up to assist students in achieving success in their academics at Mercyhurst University. If students ever need assistance for anything or advice, Nathan is a great person to go to. He works with students in the Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences, and his willingness to go above and beyond to help anyone he can.


- Isabel C. Merriman

Jihad "Gigi" Karrat

Jihad Karrat, better known as Gigi, is a freshman who is majoring in Integrated Media and Strategic Communications with a minor in Theater. She comes from a unique background and has an interesting story that you may not expect by looking at her.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Gigi grew up in the Netherlands in the city of Amsterdam. She grew up without a father due to unfortunate circumstances, as it was not healthy to have him around. Her mother and father divorced when she was six months old, and part of it was due to her health and safety. She grew up with her mother and her mother's family, which included her mother, five brothers, and Gigi's maternal grandparents. It was in a small apartment in the Netherlands.

When Gigi was 24, she reunited with her abusive father as his last wish was to see her. She traveled to Morocco to fulfill his last wish to see her as he was on his deathbed. He was suffering from a brain hemorrhage/stroke. She knew this would be the last time she would meet her father; they did not have a real chance to talk as he was close to paralyzed at this point. Through this visit, she was exposed to several family members on her father's side that she never knew existed. She met her half-brothers and sisters and her two stepmothers. She found out one of her stepmothers who had divorced her father, was a Dutch woman who had converted to Islam and continues to live with her father's family in Morocco. Gigi felt that finding her family she had never known about was interesting as they were very similar to her. She feels that these are her true family members. Gigi explained the day after she left to go back home from visiting her father, was the day he passed away. She knew that in the end, she had to put the past aside and allow herself to meet the family she was never exposed to growing up. She is now 30 and has been living in the United States since she got married two years ago.

Gigi has a more complex story that I hope to share in the future as her story is unique. I would highly recommend talking to her and getting to know her better.


- Isabel C. Merriman

Marina Boyle

Marina Boyle is a junior from Dublin, Ireland, who is majoring in Business and Competitive Intelligence. She is quite involved around campus, as she is apart of several clubs.

Marina was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. She grew up with her mother Fiona, her father Gerry, as well as her older sister and older brother.

Marina has a wide range of campus involvement. She is a Residence Assistance (RA) in the upperclassman living area and is currently the Class of 2021 Senator for Mercyhurst Student Government better known around campus as MSG. On top of that, she is the current Managing Editor for the Merciad and is an Ambassador as well. She tries to do any service work she can fit into her hectic schedule. Marina is involved in a few clubs on top of her extraordinary amount of campus involvement as she is apart of Habitat for Humanity, Irish Club, and the International Student Association. When she has free time, she enjoys walking around and exploring Erie, reading, cooking, and swimming.

Marina has accomplished a lot during her two and a half years at Mercyhurst. She has maintained a high GPA and has received the Jim Mathews Competitive Intelligence Award. As well as the Keystone Press Award for her writing she has done for the Merciad.

Marina has strong plans for her future that will assist her in having in achieving great success. Her career goal is to find a good job doing Competitive Intelligence for a multinational firm. Following

her goal of a job in doing Competitive Intelligence for a multinational firm, she intends to start her own business in the Hospitality and Tourism industry, and eventually, and a start non-profit organization. She hopes to get a job that provides her with an opportunity to travel, so she can continue to explore the world.

- Isabel C. Merriman

Casey Ball

Casey Ball is a freshman from Warren, Pennsylvania. He is majoring in Psychology and is considering picking up a minor in the future, yet he is uncertain what it will be yet. He has become more social as the semester has gone on.

Casey is currently a member of Psych Club, and he can utilize the club to gain knowledge for a successful future as a Psychologist. This club allows students to listen to speakers who are professionals in this field. This club will assist him in gaining the knowledge that is essential for a successful career. He decided he wanted to major in Psychology in his sophomore year of high school. He found it to be the most interest career path to pursue.

Casey is big in music as he plays a total of five instruments. These include; the guitar, ukulele, the mandolin, drums, and he can sing quite well. He was in a band for about a year. In the Fall of 2018, they did a show for a fundraiser for his classmate who passed away. Through this show, they were able to raise over two thousand dollars. The fundraiser was the last show they did together, and it was the most successful show they had as a band. His band decided to split at that time as their lives became too hectic at that time.

Casey grew up in a unique family dynamic. He has three biological brothers, and his parents were never together. They do not have the same sets of parents. He finds this to be an interesting dynamic to grow up with, as he found it fun to have three older brothers growing up. He was in several bands, and his one brother was in one of those bands. He periodically fills in for his brother's band as he enjoys spending time with him, and he can pursue his love of music.

Casey has a unique background and is quite easy to talk to. He can be shy at times when meeting new people if you have a chance to meet him, I would highly recommend doing so. He is outgoing and is looking to meet fellow members of the Mercyhurst Community.



- Isabel C. Merriman

Darby Shafron

Darby Shafron is a sophomore from Cleveland, Ohio. She is majoring in Public Health with a minor in Theater. She is a member of several clubs on campus.


Darby is setting herself up for a successful future, as she is finding ways to develop skills for both her major and her minor. She is a member of the Sustainability Club, as it will help prepare her for a successful future in the Public Health field. Darby can utilize this club to develop knowledge in the Sustainability area of Public Health. She is setting herself up for success in her Theater minor by being an active member of both the Theater Club and Modern Cinema Club. The Theater Club provides Darby with regular experiences in Theater. Through the Modern Cinema Club, she can stay up to date with the latest movies. By having the opportunity to stay up to date with movies, it will help her write and learn about the newest media out and use that for success in Theater.

A play she worked on this year

Darby has made accomplishments in Theater, as she is currently the Production Stage Manager of the Mercyhurst Theater Production. This position is a significant accomplishment, as it is not an easy thing to accomplish. Darby has worked hard over the years to move up and gain skills that are essential for a successful career in Theater. She has taken advantage of the opportunities she has been presented with.

Darby has figured out what she plans to do after she graduates with her Public Health degree. She plans to go to Medical school after graduation to pursue a career as either a General Pediatric Surgeon or as a Sexual Health Educator.





Darby grew up in a loving family that helped her become the person she is today. She grew up with her parents and her two brothers--She has an older brother named Robyn and a younger brother named Spencer. Her family has helped her achieve the success she has today, through their love and support over the years. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out and watching with friends. She enjoys taking time to relax through, reading, baking, and listening to music.




Darby is someone you can tell is hardworking and passionate about anything she does. She works hard for what she wants to achieve.

- Isabel C. Merriman 

William Alexander Shick

William Alexander Shick, better known as Alex Shick, is a Sophomore from Hornell, New York. He is majoring in Criminal Justice and is a semi-active member of the Mercyhurst Community.

Alex is majoring in Criminal Justice as his career goal is to become a Defense Attorney. He is a member of the Criminal Justice Association, a club on campus, as it will help prepare him for a successful future in the legal field.

Alex is a member of the Mercyhurst Men's Cross Country team. He was on the cross country team in high school as well. Through his training in cross country, he was able to accomplish his goal of completing a triathlon earlier this year.

In his spare time, Alex enjoys cooking, working out, and catching up on sleep. As well as hanging out and watching movies with his friends, he knows an endless number of films and is always looking for new movies to explore when he is looking for a new movie to watch that night. He is also a massive fan of the television show 'Friends.' He can recall the smallest moments of trivia and has watched every episode roughly ten times each.

Alex grew up with his parents and his two siblings. He has an older sister named Abbie and a younger brother named Joe. He has two dogs back home that he grew up with and, they helped to play a role in shaping him into the person he is today.

His freshman year, he was able to make a solid friend group that he remains close to this day. You can often find him hanging out with them in his free time. Alex is an outgoing spirit with a selective friend group, as he is sometimes shy at first but does not take much time to become quite social once he builds strong bonds with others.

- Isabel C. Merriman

Christa Knipes

Christa Knipes is a Junior from Lebanon, Ohio, and is double majoring in Dance and English and minoring in Psychology. She is involved with several clubs on campus.

Christa did not have your typical upbringing; she started her education through being homeschooled in her rural town, with not much to do. She expressed she was unlike the other students in her hometown that were homeschooled. She knew this form of education was not a good fit for her, as she has a passion for dance.

Christa knew to achieve success in the field of dance; she needed to take a leap of faith. So, in her Junior year of high school, she decided to enroll in Interlochen Arts Academy. She knew boarding school would be different, but with her bubbly personality, she excelled and reached her goal of majoring in dance at the university level.

Christa grew up with her parents, her dog, and her older brother Connor who was homeschooled with her from a young age. She believes her family has been vital in achieving the success she has today, as they have been both supportive and inspiring as she took steps to reach her goal of pursuing dance at a higher level. She jokes that her family is like a real-life sitcom. The laughs and love her family has provided her throughout her life, has helped her stay grounded and be her true self.

Hurst Day 2019, Christa is on the far right. 

After graduation, Christa has several goals in mind. She plans to receive a Master's in Secondary Education and intends to become a professional ballet dancer for as long as she can. She also hopes to utilize her degree to teach English to middle schoolers and high schoolers.






Christa is active in several clubs on campus and has very little free time between her involvement on campus and her studies. She is in Dance Club, Phi Chi, Phi Eta Sigma, and NHSDA. Christa is currently the Co-President of Dance Outreach as she has limited time to herself, from her studies clubs, and her job on campus. She utilizes her free time for catching up on sleep, reading, writing, and having sarcastic conversations with her friends.


She prides herself in reading the entire Harry Potter series out loud to her dog when she was in elementary school. Her passion for reading at a young age has helped her excel as an English major, as she picked up on grammatical structures at a young age from the extensive reading she would do in her spare time. 

Christa is a student who is always on the move. If you are lucky enough to have a class with her or find her in her free time, I would suggest taking the opportunity to have a conversation with her.  You will be able to meet someone who has a unique background and has continued to work her way to the top while redefining the odds.

- Isabel C. Merriman

Jenny Sabliov

Jenny Sabliov

Jenny Sabliov is both a student and a member of the staff at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio Jenny serves on the staff of Mercyhurst University as an Office Assistant for the office of Residence Life. She also works for the Mercyhurst Institute of Arts and Culture as a House Manager.

Her educational background is quite extensive. In 2018 she received two degrees from Mercyhurst University. Her double major led to a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forensic Anthropology. She is currently enrolled a Post-Baccalaureate certificate program in the Pre-Health Sciences at Mercyhurst.

Her choice of Mercyhurst University is a result of extensive research aimed at finding the best institution that offers a solid education in the Forensic Sciences. The beauty of the campus and the welcoming atmosphere of a Catholic institution added to the reasons for choosing Mercyhurst University.

Jenny’s family is from Romania and she is the first person out of her entire family to be born in America. With her family speaking Romanian around the house, her first language is not English but Romanian. She learned English primarily by going to school in Cleveland. Music is very important to her. She has played the violin for 14 years and finds it to be most relaxing.

She someday hopes to become a doctor and work within the Medico-Legal system.

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

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

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