The KnoxCast

In this new mini-series, we spoke with Jaylen Carwell ’27 about his first year at Knox, the admissions process and onboarding at the College, and his goals as a student. Each year, we'll follow up with Jaylen to document the process through all four years of his education.

Melvin Taylor II ’14 embodies the spirit of hard work at Knox. Grinding his way through networking opportunities over a decade, Taylor is currently finishing up work on his debut as a filmmaker and executive producer, "Baldy". He spoke with us about life in the industry and career goals down the line.

Over the last few years, The Knox Student has transitioned from a weekly newspaper to a biannual full-color news magazine with a heavier focus on digital content. TKS Advisor Jane Carlson came on board in 2021, the same year as current Editor-In-Chief Eleanor Lindenmayer '25. Together, they have worked to rebuild the staff and enhance the quality of journalism at Knox.

When Arsalan Bin Najeeb '20 came to Galesburg from Pakistan, he was amazed by the open skies. Now, years after graduating from Knox, he spoke with us about the experience of being an international student in the Midwest.

Maurice McDavid ’10 currently serves as principal for Turner Elementary School and assistant pastor at the United Pentecostal Church of DeKalb. He sat down with us to chat about his opportunity to speak at Knox's Martin Luther King, Jr Day Convocation, his life as an educator and pastor, and his memories of being a Prairie Fire student-athlete.

Terry Smith '63 isn't your average Knox alum. At this point, he's a part of American history. From helping NASA in its own control center to helping develop the original software for Auto-tune, he spoke with us about his amazing career and his recent trip to Knox to celebrate his 60th class reunion.

In part two of this two-part special, we sat down with local historian Rex Cherrignton to discuss the founding of Galesburg, the early days of Knox, and the many interesting people buried in Hope Cemetery. Enjoy an in-depth look at the history of Galesburg.

In this two-part special, we sat down with local historian Rex Cherrignton to discuss the founding of Galesburg, the early days of Knox, and the many interesting people buried in Hope Cemetery. Enjoy an in-depth look at the history of Galesburg.

Photo Credit: John Heyer '68

JoAnna Novak '07 and John and Elaine Fellowes Professor in English Rob Smith have an interesting relationship. Smith was Novak's professor during her time at Knox. Currently, Novak has accepted her own teaching position and over the years, they have remained peers, each with their own writing careers. They sat down with us to discuss how Knox transforms writers and the many places those skills can take you.

Visiting Instructor Emeritus of Educational Studies Joel Estes has spent many hours working alongside Knox students and Galesburg community members as the leader of the local Blessings in a Backpack chapter. He spoke with us about his Knox career and his recently published novel, "Stand."

Addison Anderson '23 was chosen to receive the Sarah Ida Shaw Award, Tri Delta’s most prestigious collegiate award. She was chosen out of 13,000 national sorority members and was officially named at the yearly Collegiate Leadership Conference. She spoke with us about her time at Knox and the importance of sorority life on campus.

Derrick Jackson and Tyrell Pierce are Knox's newest track and field All-Americans. Derrick has been rewriting the Prairie Fire record book in the short sprints, while Tyrell has been doing the same with the long sprints. They spoke with us about what it means to them to be running some of the fastest times in the nation while representing Knox College.

Natasha Caudill '20 has become a TikTok star, amassing over 1.3 million followers and counting. Her content involves makeup, fashion, and most importantly, spreading awareness about her colorblindness and how it impacts her daily life. We spoke with Natasha about how her time on campus helped her transition into a life behind the camera.

Cortney Hill '17 embodies the Knox spirit. Following graduation, he decided to take his career in a number of exciting directions. From the film lots of California to his latest residence in New Zealand, Cortney has quite the tale to tell.

Adam Vitale is a lot of things: business owner, Knox College Trustee, and more. He sat down with us to discuss his story, from taking over the family business to opening a new line of meat stick snacks.

Nikki Malley '98 discusses her journey around Knox College: beginning as a student, returning as a faculty member, and, most recently, opening her own shop in Galesburg selling homemade jams and jellies.

How does a whale end up in a corn field town in Illinois? Professor Nick Gidmark tells the story. View photos of the project: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmmq9Amf

In this Founders Day special edition of the Knoxcast, Professor of History Danielle Fatkin shares how her love for Indiana Jones translated into a real-world archeological dig. See photos referenced in the talk here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjA9ccZ