Jake May, of Grand Haven, Mich., is a senior studying photojournalism at Central Michigan University. Jake is known for his beard, but also his unwavering passion for storytelling. Jake was named runner-up College Photographer of the Year in 2009 and 2010 by the Michigan Press Photographers Association, and has also won award in the Hearst Photojournalism and national College Photographer of the Year competitions.

He has interned at the Jackson Citizen Patriot and is currently an intern at The Herald in Jasper, Ind.

Jeff Sainlar, a Louisville native, graduated from Western Kentucky University in May.

Bryan Thomas is a masters candidate at Ohio University's School of Visual Communication. He has interned at the Concord Monitor and the St. Petersburg Times. His work has been recognized by NPPA's Best of Photojournalism, PDNedu, the Associated Press, the Northern Short Course, and the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar; his work has also been published in PDN's Photo Annual and exhibited at the Getty Images Gallery.