Our Mission

Shards of Light Staff

Kat Shaneck

Editor-in-Chief & Web Designer

Kat Shaneck is a boss, THE boss you might say. She is a senior double major in Computer Science and English. She likes headbanging to Metallica, video games, hockey, and Shards of Light. She also likes trying to convince the rest of the Shards of Light staff to do her TikTok ideas. Currently, she is in her dinosaur era.

William Newton

Editor-in-Chief

Will Newton is this year's co-editor-in-chief of Shards of Light, alongside the lovely Kat Shaneck. He is a junior English literature major with minors in pre-law and philosophy, politics, and economics who has absolutely no clue what he wants to do with his life post-grad. He is socially awkward, but he knows how to use it well (or so he thinks). His current obsessions are How I Met Your Mother, The Backseat Lovers, and telling jokes that never land. He also, occasionally, likes to read.

Lydia Wood

Associate Editor

Lydia Wood is a sophomore English major with a creative writing emphasis. She has a major caffeine addiction, loves indie rock bands and dreams of traveling Europe. She hates Shakespeare and can most often be found jamming out to music in coffee shops or reading in the park.

Nattilie Kirby 

Head Graphic Designer

Nattilie Kirby is a Senior double majoring in Graphic Design and Photography and minoring in English. This is her seventh semester on the Shards of Light staff and she currently serves as the Visual Art Editor and Journal Designer. On her very limited free time, she can usually be found consuming a concerning amount of caffeine, creating weird art, flea marketing, or vibing in an old cemetery.

Elijah Patterson

Staff Member

Elijah Patterson is a sophomore English major with an emphasis in Creative Writing. He loves listening to and creating music, having deep conversations, and laughing at anything. He’s tried and enjoyed many forms of creative writing, but he loves poetry most of all. Don’t ask him for help with papers unless you really want it because he’s a bit of a writing a diva, and his passion only grows with every semester.

Leah Dollof

Staff Member

Leah Dolloff is a Senior English major with a Creative Writing emphasis and an Art and Illustration minor. She loves running, black coffee, and matching pajamas sets. Her favorite forms of writing are poetry and nonfiction.

Danny Friesen

Staff Member

Danny Friesen is a senior English major from North Newton, Kansas. He enjoys reading Cormac McCarthy, pre-2000s Stephen King, and Fredrik Backman. He also likes playing guitar and cello, hitting the gym a lil bit, writing, and eating authentic Mexican food.

Ellie Nelson

Events Director

Ellie Nelson is a sophomore English Major (Creative Writing) minoring in Illustration. Her home is in New Braunfels, TX. In addition to spending long hours riding her horse, she loves writing, talking with friends, and talking with friends about writing. She hopes to become an author or teacher at some point but also isn't against moving to a cabin in the woods after graduating.  

Ali Jargo