2025-2026 Allen Flame Staff

Alex Simpson - Allen Flame Editor / Sponsor

Alex Simpson has a passion for writing with an English degree from Drury University. Alex has taught composition for several colleges in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas before joining Allen as a full-time employee in 2020.

Alex grew up in Southwest Missouri, near Springfield, MO. He’s a veteran of the armed services and has live most of his adult life in Springfield, MO. In 2020, Alex took an advising job at Allen Community College after his wife took a teaching job at Allen. They’ve since spent their time in Iola, building a new life in this unique area.

Gabriel Nunez - Student Reporter

Gabriel Nunez is a sophomore here at Allen Community College who has transferred from Newman University in Wichita, Kansas. He is here on a men's soccer scholarship as the starting goalkeeper. Nunez’s Major is in Communications, and as of this year, he is minoring in graphic design.

In Nunez’s future, he wants to be a coach as he loves the sport of soccer and loves working with and communicating with people. He also plans to travel to different locations upon completing his college, such as Africa and different parts of Asia, including China and Thailand.

Nunez spends his free time staying active with his friends and working on and listening to music. Nunez also plays the drums and piano.

Brielle Atwell - Student Reporter 

Brielle Atwell is a freshman at Allen Community College and graduated from Peculiar, Missouri. Atwell came to Allen looking to complete her associate's degree in communications while continuing her athletic career for the women’s soccer team.

Atwell’s goal is to stay around soccer, looking forward to working for the KC Current Communications team after her time at Allen.

When Atwell has free time, she likes to spend quality time with her friends. Whether it’s fishing or watching a movie, Atwell can usually be found in a social setting surrounded by friends.

Marisa Sawyer – Online Student Reporter

Marisa Sawyer is a sophomore at Allen Community College. She is working towards an Associate's degree in Business Administration and Communications. She previously graduated from Washburn Rural High School and chose Allen because of its flexible programs that allow her balance school, work, and family life.

Sawyer’s plan after graduation is to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Communications. She currently works in the home service industry, where she trains and coaches customer service representatives on communication skills. She wants to keep growing in the field academically and professionally.

Although Sawyer’s major isn’t specifically journalism, the Allen Flame provides her with opportunity to strengthen her communication skills in new ways. She also enjoys writing, storytelling, and connecting with people. She believes she can bring a strong, real-world perspective to the staff.

Outside of school, Sawyer is a wife and mother of three children, which keeps her very busy, but she feels it is very rewarding. In her free time, she loves traveling with her family, visiting national parks and zoos. Sawyer is excited to a part of the Allen Flame and contribute to sharing stories that matter to the Allen community.

Samantha Ludvicek - Online Student Reporter

Samantha Ludvicek is a senior at Allen Community College and a graduate of Seaman Highschool in Topeka, Kansas.

Ludvicek came to Allen through a program from the Community Action Head Start for early childhood education. After completing her Certificate in Early Childhood Education, she continued on to complete her Associate’s degree in Communication.  Ludvicek will complete her degree at the end of the Fall 2025 semester, with a goal of going into something human resources related in the future.

This is Ludvicek’s first time as a reporter for any kind of newspaper, and she is excited to learn, grow, and spread information to the readers of the Allen Flame.

Ludvicek was born and raised in Topeka, KS and has recently become married to start a family of her own with her and her three fur-babies.

Antonio Smith - Online Student Reporter

Antonio M. Smith is a sophomore at Allen County Community College. He graduated from Topeka High School in 2012 in Topeka, Kansas, where he was born and raised. Smith is now majoring in English, aiming to earn an associate degree in the same field. He has always been passionate about writing and creating content that interests him personally.

After finishing school, Smith plans to find a job that best suits his writing skills. Because of his deep admiration for fantasy, fiction, and nonfiction worlds, he also has a lifelong dream of someday writing novels and becoming an author.

During the day, Smith cares for his elderly grandfather, striving to make each day better than the last. While he has a vivid imagination, Smith also has a good sense of humor and can talk about anything. His grandfather believes he has a gift for the written word and for setting scenes, and he thinks Antonio can bring all that to The Flame and more.

Marquee Williams - Online Student Reporter

Marquee Williams is currently a sophomore at Allen County Community College. Williams graduated from Ridgeview Highschool in Jasonville Florida. He came to Allen for baseball and loved the school.

Willaims is currently a communication major, and if baseball doesn't work out, Williams plan on being a social media manager for a professional MLB team.

Other than that, Williams is a cool person who loves music and baseball. He is a very big on family and always seems to be in a good mood. Williams likes to work out and play video games in his free time.