Meet the Fellows

Ashleigh Hampson is originally from Alpharetta, Georgia, and graduated cum laude from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics & International Affairs and Religious Studies. Her senior seminar thesis bridged both disciplines, exploring the use of Christian nationalist rhetoric in Donald Trump’s recent U.S. presidential campaigns. She graduated with honors in Politics & International Affairs and was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society, and Theta Alpha Kappa, the religious studies honor society. She was also inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society, in the fall of her junior year. Upon graduation, Ashleigh received the J. Allen Easley Award in Religious Studies, presented to the most outstanding graduating senior in the department.

Drawn to Wake Forest by its motto, Pro Humanitate, Ashleigh immersed herself in initiatives and organizations that reflected its spirit. She was actively involved in the Office of Civic and Community Engagement, serving as a director of its pre-orientation programs SPARC and Deacon Camp, and contributing to the virtual tutoring and Civic Scholars programs. She served as Director of Philanthropy for her sorority, Kappa Delta, during her sophomore and junior years. Ashleigh also held roles as student manager of the Benson University Center’s Information Desk, co-chair of the Student Conduct Advising group, and was involved with the Episcopal Student Fellowship, Traditions Council, and served as a campus tour guide. Across all these experiences, she consistently worked to foster inclusive, supportive communities, even in times of transition or conflict.

Ashleigh’s summers further reflected her commitment to service and justice. She worked as a Servant Leader Intern at the Wake Forest Freedom School, helping prevent summer literacy loss in local elementary schools. She also interned at the Baptist Joint Committee (BJC) in Washington, DC, supporting interfaith initiatives and promoting the separation of church and state in pursuit of a pluralistic society.

Ashleigh is excited to join the Campus Life team as a Fellow, where she looks forward to contributing to a vibrant, inclusive campus culture. She is eager to collaborate with and learn from her cohort as they work to ensure that every student feels seen, supported, and empowered to thrive at Wake Forest.

Lillie Sutton is from Clemmons, NC and grew up with Wake Forest just down the road from home. Lillie was drawn to Wake Forest’s commitment to the Pro Humanitate motto and sense of community in addition to many opportunities in her field of study. As a Guy T. Carswell scholar, she graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a minor in Neuroscience on the pre medical track.

In her time at Wake Forest, Lillie had many meaningful campus and community involvements. Her time as a Leadership and Character Scholar instilled a passion for ethical leadership, mentorship, and exploration of global perspectives through intentional programming and cohort activities. Lillie continued to foster her love for music by performing as a violinist in the Wake Forest University Symphony Orchestra in each of the 7 semesters she was on campus and studied privately with Music Department Chair Dr. Jacqui Carrasco. Lillie was able to take on leadership roles as a founding member of the University Orchestra’s Board of Advisors, serving as President her senior year. She also played in Copenhagen’s Student Orchestra during her semester abroad in Denmark, rediscovering her love for music in a new international setting.

Lillie was able to explore the field of medicine in a variety of ways in her time at Wake Forest, solidifying her plans of becoming a physician. From volunteering in the NICU and ED at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital to assisting laboring mothers as a Deacon Doula with Wake Forest’s School of Medicine, she is passionate about creating positive patient experiences and serving her communities through intentional care. Lillie worked for two years in an immunology lab at the School of Medicine, exploring macrophage activation in atherosclerosis and multiple sclerosis rodent models. She additionally completed research during a summer internship at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Department of Rheumatology, publishing and presenting a first author abstract about treatment outcomes for refractory uveitis patients.

Lillie is excited to combine her research and clinical skills, as well as continue to learn from exceptional physicians and administrators during her time with Atrium Health. She is honored to serve her Wake Forest community in her upcoming year as a Fellow.

Jackson Brown is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He chose Wake Forest University because he knew it would challenge and push him both academically and personally. He was also drawn by a deeper purpose recognizing the importance of being part of the change he wished to see at a predominantly white institution (PWI), he committed himself to building a more inclusive and supportive campus community.

Jackson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science, complemented by minors in Sociology and Entrepreneurship. His academic path reflects his unique interest in the intersection of people and technology: how human interactions are shaped by and can shape digital spaces.

Beyond the classroom, Jackson was deeply engaged in student life and service. He served as a Resident Advisor, supporting and mentoring fellow students in the residential community. He worked as a student worker in the Office of the Dean of the College, gaining first hand insight into the academic and administrative life of the university. Jackson was also the women’s basketball team manager, and spent time at the Wake Forest Tennis Center teaching children the fundamentals of tennis.

Jackson’s leadership extended into cultural and community spaces on campus. He became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, a historically Black fraternity committed to service and achievement. He also held leadership roles in the Black Student Alliance, where he contributed to advocacy, programming, and community building efforts.

Looking ahead, Jackson is excited to pursue a career as a software engineer, where he hopes to apply his technical skills to projects that make a meaningful impact. Whether through tech, mentorship, or community involvement, he aims to continue building connections and driving positive change wherever he goes.

Gabe Martineau grew up in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona where he spent his free time playing tennis and video games. After completing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in high school, he moved to Georgia with his parents and went to his first choice of college: Wake Forest University. After completing a BA in Psychology, he is ecstatic to return for another year as the Wake Forest Fellow for Information Systems. 

As an undergraduate student, Gabe spent his time exploring the various student organizations at WFU. For the last three years, he focused on WFU Esports in particular: an organization that flourished in both casual and competitive gaming. Gabe organized dozens of travel events for all kinds of students, helped a few get placed into jobs in the gaming industry, and even organized large-scale events at Wake Forest where college students across the country came out to play for thousands of dollars in prizes. When he wasn’t working behind the scenes for these events, Gabe would compete alongside his fellow Deacs in all kinds of gaming genres from tactical games like Valorant to more casual games like Super Smash Bros.

Outside of esports and gaming, Gabe was an assistant to the Student Organization Financial Office, a member of the Student Activity Fee Committee, a Themed Program Adviser for WFU Residence Life & Housing, and a Peer Ambassador for the Office of Personal & Career Development. As a first generation college student, he loved to spend time furthering the professional and personal skills of his peers in whatever way possible. In his free time he continues to play tennis and beat any and all escape rooms he can with the friends he made at Wake Forest.

Rujing Fan grew up in Shenzhen, Guangdong—a vibrant and fast-paced city in southern China that nurtured her curiosity for technology, data, and innovation. She was drawn to Wake Forest University for its small class sizes and the meaningful connections formed between students, faculty, and staff. These close-knit relationships helped shape her academic and personal growth throughout her undergraduate journey.

Rujing sought for opportunities to be the bridge that makes students’ voices heard more directly. After her freshman year, she found fulfillment in mentorship. She served as a student advisor for incoming freshmen and transfer students, giving advice, and helping them navigate their transition to college life.

During the summer following her sophomore year, Rujing interned at a local television station in China. There, she helped design algorithms to boost the popularity of short video clips offering legal advice to local residents. This experience deepened her interest in data modeling, content strategy, and using technology to offer more personalized service for users.

Rujing graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Statistics. In the fall of her senior year, she participated in research focused on sports analytics. Her research was based on raw data from Major League Baseball to build predictive models of swing types, seeking strategy improvement for coaches and players. This experience opened the window for her to use her data analysis skills to solve real-world problems.  

In her final semester, Rujing completed two Computational Statistics projects. The first involved implementing Adaptive Acceptance-Rejection Sampling, a modified Monte Carlo technique for generating random samples from complex probability distributions, while she used both a mathematical derivation of key algorithmic steps and a full code implementation in R, showcasing her interest in adapting and extending statistical methods. The second project focused on Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE)—a method used to model correlated data such as repeated measures or clustered observations. Working collaboratively with her group mates, Rujing applied Newton’s method to estimate regression coefficients, conducted simulation studies to explore the effects of within-group dependence, and implemented the approach in C++, demonstrating her strong coding skills and applied statistical understanding.

Rujing looks forward to using her analytical, statistical, and data modeling skills as a member of the Information Systems Office to design, develop, and deploy innovative AI-powered solutions that drive adoption and enhance productivity for Wake Forest students, faculty, and staff.

Leanna Bernish grew up in Winston-Salem and Clemmons, North Carolina. Wake Forest spoke to her because of its emphasis on meaningful dialogue between students, faculty, and staff, something of great value to her as an undergraduate, and which she fosters in her Fellowships. As someone involved in both the sciences and the arts, Leanna explored her passions for critical thinking, meaning-making, community service, and storytelling through research and her roles in multiple campus organizations. As a Stamps Scholar, she graduated magna cum laude with honors in psychology and a minor in health and human services. 

Her honors thesis focused on the predictive validity of post-traumatic growth on mental health and well-being outcomes. In addition to her thesis, she studied the roles and perceptions of music within the Wake Forest community during the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr. Donovan Livingston. She examined the uniting language of nature and art across the United States, Austria, and Italy through an original visual art exhibition after her time abroad at the Flow House in Vienna, Austria. As a Leadership and Character Ambassador, she collaborated with fellow students to write a collection of essays, Performing Character: From Stage to Page, on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their identities as artists and their sense of character. As a brother of Alpha Phi Omega and a DJ for Wake Radio throughout her four years at Wake, she met numerous fellow Deacons with whom she connected over new and shared passions, such as the agriculture of the Campus Garden and radio shows on the weekends. She grew in her appreciation and love for dance through her involvement in the Wake Forest Dance Company, classes with the dance faculty, and an original piece for Wakeville 2024 with her Campus Life predecessor, Gretchen Castelloe. 

As the Campus Life Fellow, she dedicated her focus to the mental health and public health of Wake Forest students, faculty, and staff, planning outreach events, serving on multiple advisory groups, and conducting institutional research to identify action steps for the betterment of Wake Forest. She is excited to continue her work at Wake Forest as part of the Program for Leadership and Character, a community of scholars who work to help people thrive. Leanna will also be conducting additional psychology research with Dr. Eranda Jayawickreme and Dr. Veronica Cole. She is grateful for the continued support of her family, friends, and mentors who helped her get here.

Michaela Re is from Sayville, New York. In May 2025, Michaela graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Affairs and minors in History, Italian Language and Culture, and Dance. At Wake Forest, Michaela engaged with students, faculty, staff, and members of the Winston-Salem community and, through establishing and cultivating lifelong friendships, discovered her Wake Forest family. During her undergraduate summers, Michaela attended Study Abroad Programs in Genoa, Italy, and at Casa Artom in Venice, Italy, and worked as a legal clerk at a New York law firm advocating for the elderly and people with special needs.

Embracing Wake Forest’s commitment to Pro Humanitate, Michaela actively participated in leadership, community engagement, and service projects. As President of the Wake Forest University Italian Club, she organized Italian language and culture events. Michaela served as Vice President of the Wake Forest Catholic Community and planned weekly social and religious events. Michaela also served as Vice President of Pi Sigma Alpha (National Political Science Honor Society) and arranged meetings with the Office of Personal and Career Development, hosted panelists, and moderated presentations of career opportunities for members. As Vice President of Omicron Delta Kappa (National Leadership Honor Society), Michaela led Service Days and reviewed membership applications. Michaela contributed to academic life as a Student Advisor on the Politics Department Advisory Board by interviewing and evaluating teaching candidates. Additionally, Michaela was a member of the Wake Forest University Chapter of Mortar Board, Gamma Kappa Alpha (National Italian Honor Society), Pi Delta Chapter of Delta Zeta Sorority, Wake Forest University Dance Company, and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International.

Michaela received the 2025 Student Impact Award for Outstanding Student Leader of the Year honoring a graduating senior who exemplifies leadership, collaboration, integrity, and a commitment to growth. Michaela has made a lasting impact through servant leadership– fostering inclusive community, organizing service projects, and uplifting others with purpose and care and is described by her professors and peers as a leader who leads with humility, warmth, and a deep dedication to others. In her home community, Michaela pursues her passion for community service through her involvement in local charitable organizations. 

Guided by her core values of faith, community, and service, Michaela has grown through her academic and leadership experiences at Wake Forest and welcomes new opportunities and challenges. Michaela is honored to continue her journey at Wake Forest serving as the Fellow to President Wente and her staff. Michaela aspires to be a Double Deac and attend Wake Forest University School of Law in the Fall of 2026.

Nelia Binder is from Apex, North Carolina, and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese Language and Culture as well as Environmental Science. She ultimately chose Wake due to its variety of majors and emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach, and is forever grateful for the learning opportunities Wake has provided both inside and outside the classroom. 

During her time as an undergraduate student, she presented in Japanese at the NC Japanese Language Student Conference for Atlanta’s Consulate-General of Japan, was chosen for the Outstanding Japanese Major of the Year honors award, and was awarded the Order of the Dogwood by the director of the North Carolina Japan Center. Her honors thesis focused on the revitalization and re-imagining of modern Japanese literature for contemporary audiences through supernatural detective anime. It was accepted for publication in the Johns Hopkins East Asian Forum & Review 2025 issue.

Outside of the classroom, Nelia devoted herself to the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black Marching Band (SOTOGAB) and Japanese Studies Club. As a member of drumline, she loved being at school events like football games and promoting school spirit. Her senior year, she was President of Japanese Studies Club and spearheaded the annual East Asian Spring Festival, which helped her hone her project management and event planning skills. Additionally, outside of Wake, Nelia Studied abroad in Tokyo at Temple University, Japan Campus for a semester. There, she honed her language and cultural skills, and realized she wanted to attend graduate school for Japanese. 

Nelia is ecstatic to be a Wake Forest Fellow, where she can apply her learning and continue to grow professionally at the School of Business. She is looking forward to using her time as a Fellow to prepare for her Master’s program at Georgia Tech in Advanced Language and Intercultural Studies (ALIS) while giving back to the university that has provided her with so much.

Jane Alexander is a Winston-Salem local who was raised around Wake Forest’s campus. She entered Wake Forest with a presidential scholarship in visual art and graduated with double honors in Studio Art and Mathematics. 

In her time at Wake, Jane has been involved with the departments of art and mathematics. After TAing with the math and stats center, she went on the student acquisitions trip in her junior spring semester, a part of a group of students who bought eight works for the University’s Reece Collection. She went abroad to the Venice Biennale in summer 2024 and worked with Hanes Gallery as an intern her senior year.

Jane has also had close relations with stArt Gallery; she exhibited a solo show, mtf.zip, in January 2024, and an honors show, mommy whats brainrot, in May 2025. She is looking forward to continuing this relationship with stArt as its manager.

Alyssa Zaepfel was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a minor in German on the pre-medicine track. She was inducted into the leadership honors society Omicron Delta Kappa during the spring of her sophomore year. She also wrote and successfully defended her thesis “Using a Phosphine-Based Probe to Evaluate HNO Production in Bacillus subtilis” to earn departmental honors. She is currently applying to medical school.

During her undergraduate career, Alyssa enjoyed finding ways to give back to the surrounding Winston-Salem community. She was a volunteer doula through the Deacon Doulas, a program within the WFU Women’s Center and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist that aims to improve the maternal birthing experience for mothers from marginalized backgrounds or without support present. Through this program, Alyssa has aided in four births. She also volunteered weekly at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in patient transportation, helping patients navigate the hospital and moving patients by wheelchair to different departments within the hospital. She also incorporated her love of music into her volunteer work, playing calming flute solos in the lobbies of Forsyth Medical Center and participating in Musical Empowerment, a program to provide free, personally-tailored music lessons to underprivileged students in Forsyth County. Alyssa is very grateful to continue these volunteer opportunities during her fellowship.

Alyssa also immersed herself in the Wake Forest community. She participated in multiple musical ensembles on campus, including Wind Ensemble and Flute Choir. She was piccolo section leader for two years in the Wake Forest Marching Band and served as Recording Secretary for Kappa Kappa Psi as well. Alyssa was 2024 President of the Zeta Omicron chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, where she thoroughly enjoyed building relationships within her sisterhood as well as her mentors in her chapter’s advisory board and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Engagement.

Alyssa is thrilled to be the 2025-2026 Wake Downtown Fellow, where she will continue to give back to the Wake Forest and Winston-Salem communities through STEM outreach programs. Go Deacs!

Celina Seo is from South Korea and is thrilled to spend another year as a Demon Deacon by participating in the Fellows Program. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science, majoring in Business and Enterprise Management: Marketing and minoring in Communication.

During her undergraduate years, Celina explored a variety of academic  disciplines— from Marketing, Communication, English, and East Asian Studies. In extension of her academic interest, she received a Richter Scholarship from Wake Forest’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Center (URECA) in the summer of 2023 to study the portrayal of 1970-80s Martial Law in Korean Cinema and how the themes of trauma and pain are perpetuated in different lenses.

Besides academics, Celina focused her time in the Wake Forest chapter of the Korean American Student Association (KASA), an organization focused on fostering the Korean and Korean American cultures within the Wake community. As the President of KASA, she was heavily invested in event planning, communication, and member recruitment.

Celina also worked as a student employee at ZSR public service desk for four years of her undergraduate studies. Over the years, she became familiar with ZSR’s rich resources available for students and the Winston Salem community, and this experience greatly inspired her to join the Fellowship.

Outside of work, Celina likes to watch movies, read, listen to music, and go on a nature walk. She is deeply grateful for the warm welcome from the ZSR Library and looks forward to contributing to its continued success.