MJ
President
Mary Jane (or MJ, as she is known by friends and family) was born and raised in Grand Rapids, MI. She graduated from East Kentwood High School in 1997. She achieved her associate’s degree in general studies from Grand Rapids Community College in December 2021. She transferred to Ferris State University in Fall 2023. Her major is Integrative Studies, with an emphasis on Television and Digital Media and Community Leadership.
Professionally, she has 25+ years of experience in Customer Service, Guest Experience, Administration, Leadership, Project Management and Community Building. She’s worked for companies like AT&T, Spectrum Health, and Trinity Health.
In 2009, she spearheaded the charge to host the first LeakyCon (a Harry Potter Conference hosted by superfan website The-Leaky-Cauldron.org) in Boston, MA. As co-creator of that event, her company was approached by Hank and John Green (VlogBrothers, CrashCourse, New York Times Bestselling Authors) to help with the organization and execution of the first VidCon in 2010 in Los Angeles, CA.
In her spare time, she enjoys telling her dog, Mila, how naughty she is…whilst simultaneously hugging her too tight and giving her too many treats.
Linnea
Secretary
Linnea or Lin Smith (any pronouns) is a student in their junior/senior year at Ferris State University. They are currently pursuing a bachelor’s in game design with a concentration of 3d modeling. The ultimate goal is to work as a character sculptor. Their specialties programs include various Adobe products and Zbrush.
Lin was raised in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Their love for gaming and art stemmed from playing Nintendo 3DS games and growing up in a family of crafters. This inspired them to draw and write stories of their own for the RPGS she envisioned making. Their parents would take note of this passion for creation. As a result, Lin would be signed up for game design activities such as the “Hello World” coding camp.
During their time as a secondary student, they attended the UCS Center for Science and Industry (CSI) studying multimedia design. Their love for construction grew as they learned programs such as After Effects and Photoshop. Lin may have not been the best at gen eds but excelled in writing and art electives. At CSI, a group project they animated for would earn the school’s Peter Paulon Award for Best Multimedia Innovation. In 2021, they will graduate from there and Henry Ford II High School.
Afterward, they would start community college before finally transferring to Ferris. It was here they would discover people who shared their same interests through MCA. This compelled them to run for the board. Lin will be going onto their second year as Secretary for MCA while being in honors.
In their spare time, Lin works third shift at a care home through Spectrum Community Services. Their hobbies include exercising, journaling, and drawing. Of course, Lin is an avid gamer. Some of the franchises they enjoy include Metal Gear, Shantae, Fire Emblem, Stardew Valley, and The Legend of Zelda. Other infatuations include lost media and comics.
JT
Vice President
John Thomas (known as JT to friends and family) was born in 2003 in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Clonlara High School in 2022 and started attending Ferris State in the Fall of 2022, majoring in Digital Animation and Game Design. He hopes for a career in the video game industry as either a technical artist or a VFX artist.
JT has been actively involved in scouting since the age of seven. He was the senior patrol leader for Troop 3241 in Central City, Kentucky for around 2 years. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2021, after the completion of a refurbishment project he led for a food pantry in Drakesboro, Kentucky. After this, he helped lead the Troop by serving as assistant scoutmaster before leaving for college in 2022.
In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, playing the guitar, playing video games, volunteering, and working on craft projects.
Teeghan
Event Coordinator
Teeghan Rosas (He/Him) was born in 2003 and was raised in Gaylord Michigan. He graduated from Gaylord High School and started attending Ferris State in the fall of 2022 as a Television and Digital Media Production Student. Teeghan grew up with Television at a young age, and he hopes for a career in the entertainment industry as a cinematographer.
Teeghan has been actively involved in multiple different student-led social clubs and organizations. He is currently a member of the National Theatre Honors Society RSO known as Alpha Psi Omega, A current member of the Ferris State Honors Program, and is also involved in the Ferris State Jazz Orchestra on campus. Overall, Teeghan Rosas hopes to bring more entertainment and student involvement to MCA by collaborating with other RSOs, creating interesting events, and creating a safe and fun environment for everyone.
Andrew
Faculty Co-Advisor
In 1998, Andrew discovered his passion for creating video. He went on to graduate from Ferris State University in 2004 with a degree in Television and Digital Media Production.
Andrew’s expertise spans shooting, editing, animating, and live video production. From 2006 to 2019, he ran a successful video production business in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2020, he transitioned to academia, initially joining Ferris State University as an adjunct instructor in the Television and Digital Media program, and then becoming a full-time Assistant Professor in 2022. Passionate about both his craft and education, Andrew combines his extensive industry experience with a dedication to teaching, inspiring the next generation of media professionals.
Rylynn
Treasurer
Rylynn Hautala was born and raised in West Michigan, being born in Grand Rapids and
living in places such as Sparta, Caledonia, and East Kentwood. She graduated in 2023 at
Caledonia High School and currently pursues a higher education in Ferris’s Digital Animation
and Game Design Program. The road however, was not an easy one to reach this point.
Rylynn became interested in the game design process early into her life, getting invested
in video games for as long as she can remember and becoming a Game Master for tabletop
role playing games back in middle school. Tabletop role playing games would be the first
chance for her to sink her teeth into creating games, worlds, and mechanics for her friends,
cementing her career path long before many others could. She would begin taking and excelling
in coding classes in middle school to get her foot in the door for her future.
Not everything was easy in this time period however. Throughout this time, she would
struggle with mental health challenges she was not prepared to deal with for years originating
with puberty. After a few years of high school and extra time to reflect on herself in the years
following the Covid pandemic, she would learn of her transgender identity, and why she was
struggling. Coming to that realization was terrifying, but reassuring, and steps were finally made
to get her going. From a guy being dragged out of her bed every morning by siblings, to a girl
who has made major steps in mental health recovery, Rylynn hopes to bring that positive
direction and knowledge and care of those struggling to MCA’s e-board.
Andres
Social Media Manager
Andres Hyde was born and raised in Greenville, MI. He graduated from Greenville High School in 2022. His major is Television Digital Media Production and he expects to graduate from Ferris in the fall of 2026.
Work experience: 2 years working at Berlin Raceway as a camera operator, and 1 year at First Congregational Church of Greenville as an audio engineer. He also has 2 years working at Media Supply, and 3 years at Meijer as a produce worker.
His favorite hobbies are playing video games and his favorite games are Borderlands 2 and Arkham City. He enjoys playing board games as well. His favorites are old-school tactical and Dale of Merchants. He also enjoys hiking in the great outdoors. Andres listens to a wide range of music from different genres, his favorites being Folk, Rap, and Alternative.
George
Faculty Co-Advisor
During the past 25 years, George has worked in the animation industry as an animator, modeler, and effects artist for both animated and visual effects projects. He has worked as a Production Manager and Visual Effects Director for 3D movies and large-budget visual effects movies for the internet.
He believes that students need to find their own voice and way of expressing themselves through media. His goal is to help students gain the skills they need in media production and the attitudes and habits of mind that will help them become successful artists.