Wasatch Magazine

2023-2024 Staff

Makena Klinge
Editor

Makena Klinge

Makena is going into her senior year at the University of Utah this fall and is studying Journalism and International Studies, along with a minor in Photography. She is from Boise, Idaho and loves the outdoors and spending time with family and friends. Her hobbies include photography, sports, reading, running, hiking, biking, and skiing. Makena hopes to work for a company like National Geographic as a p...

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Assistant Editor

Eliza Nelson

Eliza is a senior at the University of Utah, double majoring in English and Spanish. As a poet and an outdoor enthusiast, she loves using language to recreate what she experiences in order to let people take part in her adventures. Eliza enjoys hiking, backpacking, climbing, and biking. She plans to work for Patagonia as a writer and photographer. Eliza is currently focusing on becoming more comfortable...

Madysen Shalise Gailey
Platform Manager

Madysen Shalise Gailey

Madysen Gailey is an Environmental and Sustainability Studies major here at the U and is going into her Junior year. A Utah native, Madysen has enjoyed many of the state’s natural wonders from Goblin Valley to the Narrows. Her hobbies include watercoloring, reading, dancing, waterfall hikes, canyoneering, and listening to music. Madysen hopes to work in marine conservation somewhere on the West Coast...

Aloyious Soranno
Copy Editor

Aloyious Soranno

Al is a junior majoring in Writing and Rhetoric and minoring in Media Studies. A father of three kids, Al loves snowboarding, disc golf, and the occasional camping to get away from all of the noise and unwind for a while. Al also loves a good hike through the mountains, a good swim in Lake Tahoe, and writing poetry. 

Brandon Long
Writer

Brandon Long

Brandon is an Ogden native and is in his freshman year at the University of Utah. Having grown up surrounded by the diverse Utah wilderness, Brandon has come to love and advocate for the preservation of our native ecosystems. As an avid backpacking enthusiast and fly fisherman, he will always have a film camera and a notebook with him to document his experiences. Brandon hopes to make an impact with hi...

Auriana Dunn
Writer

Auriana Dunn

Auriana is a second-year student majoring in archaeology and biology, with minors in human biology and ecology. She is from Southern Utah, and spent all of high-school mountain biking and writing. She loves birdwatching, playing with her chinchilla, rereading Dracula, and the occasional sitcom binge-watch. Her goal is to go into wildlife conservation research as well as continue in environmental writi...

Ben Timm
Writer

Ben Timm

Ben is originally from New Mexico. He is a junior double majoring in environmental science and geography. He lives for skiing, but also likes to cook, climb, backpack and paint with watercolor and oils. He recently got into photography and his current goal in life is to learn the ways of the mountaineer so he can challenge himself in finding new gnarly things to ski, or hang out somewhere like a go...

Sam McGahay
Writer

Sam McGahay

Sam, a senior (ish), grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and is studying English with a minor in creative writing. He plans on attending law school after graduation, with a concentration in environmental law and policy. He loves spending time in the Wasatch mountains year round, and loves sharing stories about all the unique people and opportunities University of Utah has to offer!...

Aidan Cooley
Writer

Aidan Cooley

Aidan grew up in New Mexico and is a second year at the U studying data science. He loves to go rock climbing, hiking, snowboarding, and anything else outdoors. He is a member of the Utah Beekeeping Association and the U of U rock climbing team. This is his second year with the magazine and likes to tell his stories of the outdoors to those willing to listen.

Ren Shields
Writer

Ren Shields

Ren is a senior at the University of Utah, studying child psychology and environmental science. She dedicates most of her time to school and the U’s female/non-binary outdoors club, Backcountry Squatters. Ren is an outdoor enthusiast and, per the description, loves boating, skiing, climbing, backpacking or anything else outside. Additionally, she loves to write creatively through poems, short stories an...

Sophie Felici
Photographer

Sophie Felici

Sophie is in her fourth year at the U. She is studying documentary production with the hopes of applying it to outdoor recreation and environmental conservation. She enjoys long walks on the beach...etc. Most of all she is super excited to join the Wasatch team! :)

Miranda Galbraith
Photographer

Miranda Galbraith

Miranda (she/her) is going to be a senior at the U studying Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. She started working for Wasatch Mag last year as a photographer and is also on the executive board for WOLI, the Women’s Outdoor Leadership Initiative on campus, a club dedicated to getting female and non-binary students outside learning leadership and technical skills. Originally from New Hampshire, she fell in...

Maitane Woodin
Designer

Maitane Woodin

Maitane is going into her third year at the U and is studying Political Science. She grew up in Reno Nevada but chose the U for its proximity to incredible skiing. In the summer she looks forward to camping and lake days with her friends and family at Lake Tahoe. She is a member of the Basque Club of Utah and dances as a part of their dance group. When she’s not studying or planning her next...

Aidan Larsen
Designer

Aidan Larsen

Aidan is going into his junior year at the University of Utah and is studying Graphic Design. Here in Utah he loves spending his time skiing in the Cottonwoods as well as finding new hiking trails with his camera and taking nature photos of everything Utah has to offer, both in the mountains and in the desert. Because of his passion for skiing he is an officer of the Utah Freeskier Society here on ...

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