A new group of students and a new sponsor has joined the Allen Flame as news reporters and the editor for the 2021-2022 school year. This group replaces last year’s graduating students and previous sponsor.

The fall 2021 semester began with The Flame receiving a new sponsor, Alex Simpson, and a group of four new student reporters, each one on the news practicum scholarship. The new reporters are a mix of incoming freshman and sophomores with a wide range of previous experience in news and article writing.

The Flame’s new sponsor, Alex Simpson, has a passion for writing with an English degree. Alex has taught composition for several colleges in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas before joining Allen as a full-time employee in 2020.

Each of the new student reporters brings something special to The Flame. Jailyn Goforth is a Freshman this year and plans to major in Biology. While in high school, she was Editor-in-Chief of the Cub Tracks. This experience led her to pursue her interest in journalism by joining The Flame staff.

Daniela Gonzalez is a freshman and wants to major in Pre-Medicine with an associates in Biology. She likes to openly talk and socialize with people, being one of the main reasons why she joined The Allen Flame. Daneila also plays on the women’s soccer team.

Sara Navidad is a freshman and is the first in her family to go to college, making her mother very proud. Sarah is excited to be writing for The Allen Flame and to start increasing her communication skills, getting herself more comfortable with the school, and learning more about the community. She also plays on the women’s soccer team as a mid-fielder.

James MaGuire is a sophomore transferring from Iowa Central Community College and is majoring in Communications. He is also on the Allen baseball team where he will be playing first base.

Each of The Flame’s new staff is excited to start writing their first articles and sharing important stories with The Flame’s readers.