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Marc J. Spears
Senior Writer, ESPN鈥檚听Andscape听| Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee

Marc J. Spears is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Curt Gowdy Media Award. As a senior writer for ESPN鈥檚听Andscape, Marc is widely regarded as one of the most influential storytellers in sports, celebrated for elevating narratives at the vital intersection of basketball, culture, race, and humanity.

With over 27 seasons of NBA coverage, Marc鈥檚 award-winning journalism has shaped the conversation at听Yahoo! Sports,听The Boston Globe, and听The Denver Post. Beyond the page, he is a fixture on ESPN鈥檚听NBA Today听and听SportsCenter, a co-host of Hulu鈥檚听The Conversation Project, and a featured voice听in听Netflix鈥檚听Starting 5.

A true polymath, Marc also serves as a Wine Ambassador for Kendall-Jackson and has co-produced the award-winning documentary听Katrina Cop in the Superdome. He holds a Master鈥檚 in Sports Business Management from LSU and an Honorary Doctorate from Langston University, reflecting a career built on depth, authenticity, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

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Hannah Buchanan

Hannah Buchanan is a wife, mother,听grandmother, born听and bred听Texan, and most recently a Western听Governors听University听graduate.听

After听a challenging听upbringing and early struggles听through life, finishing college听wasn鈥檛听an option听for听Hannah. In 2021, following what she jokingly听referred听to as an 鈥�18-year听spring听break,鈥� Hannah decided to give college another try and enrolled at Western Governors University. There, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management in October 2025听and acted as a student speaker听for听her fellow Night Owls at the March 2026 commencement ceremony.听听

Hannah currently serves as an Inflight Learning Instructor for Southwest Airlines, where she helps aspiring flight attendants navigate training and launch successful careers. She splits her time between the Dallas-Fort听Worth听metroplex and the Texas Panhandle.

听Hannah credits her life, family, and career achievements to Jesus Christ, believing that through His redemption, anything is possible. When听she鈥檚听not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters at Disney World, reading, sewing, and shopping.听听听听

Jacobi Mitchell

Jacobi Mitchell听originally听hails from听the Bahamas,听and most recently Florida听bringing a uniquely disciplined and听resilient background to his academic and professional journey.听

A former elite athlete听in track and field听who competed at world-class and Olympic-caliber levels, Jacobi learned early听on听the听principles and听importance of preparation, perseverance, and performing under听pressure听that听later guided听his听transition into听a career in听technology and cybersecurity. He is earning his Master of Science in听Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Western Governors University to formally align his lifelong passion for technology with his leadership experience,听and to deepen his ability听to protect organizations in an increasingly complex digital landscape.

While pursuing his degree, Jacobi balanced demanding professional responsibilities, leadership growth, and family life, navigating personal loss and major life transitions that further strengthened his resolve. The flexibility and competency-based model听that WGU听offers听 allowed him to continue advancing academically while working听full-time in the cybersecurity field.听

Jacobi currently serves as an Information Security Engineering Manager in the healthcare sector;听where he leads teams responsible for identity, endpoint, email, and cloud听security and听helps听shape enterprise-wide security strategy.

Outside of work and academics, Jacobi enjoys fitness, continuous learning, mentoring others in technology, and spending time with his family. He听remains听deeply committed to personal growth, leadership, and using his skills to make a meaningful impact both professionally and听personally听in his community.

Katelin Krause

Katelin Krause, is a dedicated educator currently based in Southern Illinois. Driven by a passion for higher education and a desire to share her knowledge with others, Katelin found Western Governors University to be the ideal fit for her to pursue听a听Master鈥檚听Degree in Teaching. With her deep commitment to accessibility and inclusion, Katelin found a way to better serve students with diverse learning needs听through her coursework and learnings.听

Her academic journey was marked by significant transitions, including moving four times while balancing a diverse array of seasonal roles; these experiences ranged from serving as a lifeguard at her local water park听and听the Aquatic Zoo, to sharing cinematic history as a tour guide at the iconic听A Christmas Story听House and Museum.听听

Katelin now channels her love of teaching into her career听and finds deep fulfillment in being an active member of her community. A true lover of extremes, she counts a Minnesota winter as her favorite season, finding a unique beauty in frozen lakes and a distinct calmness in frigid temperatures. In addition to her background in competitive swimming and figure skating, Katelin is an avid snowboarder and backpacker who is always looking for the next adventure.听

Makiya Newman

Makiya鈥疦ewman,听a 2026 graduate speaker in New Orleans,听originally from Arkansas and听now听Texas听local,听earned her Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Management from鈥疻GU. She听pursued听this degree听to strengthen听her leadership skills and听expand听her impact on maternal and postpartum care.听

While completing her graduate studies,鈥疢akiya鈥痓alanced the demands of new motherhood and nursing leadership, an experience that further shaped her passion for advocacy, equity, and compassionate care for women and families. She works as a听nurse听supervisor on a mother/baby unit at鈥疊aylor Scott & White Health, where she focuses on team development, patient safety, and quality improvement initiatives.听

Outside of work and school,鈥疢akiya鈥痚njoys volunteering in youth and women鈥檚 organizations and spending meaningful time with her husband,听Eric,鈥痑nd听daughter, Madisyn.