Meet Our Writers for Spring 2025

Book in Spring Grass photo

Phi Beta Kappa and The Key Reporter are pleased to announce our staff of ΦBK Writing Interns for spring 2025.

The Society’s Writing Internship Program serves new ΦBK members who are looking for an opportunity to gain professional experience and support ΦBK’s mission to advance excellence in the liberal arts and sciences in higher education.

The program is open to members in their first year and recent graduates. Each intern receives a $1,000 stipend for their articles published on our website, keyreporter.org

ALLISON BARNETT (ΦBK, University of Mississippi)

Allison Barnett recently graduated summa cum laude from the University of Mississippi, earning a B.A. in English with a creative writing emphasis, as well as minors in Southern studies and cinema. During her time there, she held leadership roles in her sorority, student government, and Mortar Board. Leaning into her writing background, she has had both her short fiction and investigative journalism published in Cowboy Jamboree MagazineAnchora, and The Daily Mississippian. Currently, she works as a post-production assistant for an upcoming Apple TV series. Allison was inducted into the Beta of Mississippi chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in 2024.

BRITTA ELSBERND (ΦBK, LUTHER COLLEGE)

Britta Elsbernd will graduate from Luther College in May 2025 with a B.A. in music and visual communication. At Luther, she plays the oboe in several music ensembles and is the president of the symphony orchestra. She was inducted into Luther’s Eta of Iowa chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in May 2024. She is currently applying to graduate school for music and hopes to eventually teach oboe at the collegiate level. 

ROSA WOOLSEY (ΦBK, WHITMAN COLLEGE)

Rosa Woolsey is from Seattle, Washington, and graduated magna cum laude from Whitman College in 2023 where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa by Whitman’s Beta of Washington chapter. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with an accompanying minor in religion and a concentration in global studies. Rosa intends to pursue a PhD in sociocultural anthropology; her primary research areas focus on migration, diaspora, heritage, and identity. She is particularly interested in religion and language as related to cultural and ethnic identity construction, especially in Cambodian-American contexts. With a background in journalism, oral history, and ethnographic research, Rosa is passionate about applying qualitative research methods to reach community and justice-centered goals.

About Our Program

Phi Beta Kappa’s writing interns help publicize the work of the Society and write stories about our alumni members. Applicants must be new members of Phi Beta Kappa within their first or second year to be considered for this position. Interns make a five-month commitment to the program and prepare a minimum of five short articles about Phi Beta Kappa alumni, news, or events for The Key Reporter website. Interns write and conduct research remotely. A staff presence in the national office in Washington, DC, is not required. 

The deadline to apply for a fall 2025 writing internship is June 6, 2025. Interested in writing for Phi Beta Kappa? Read about our program and apply online!