DAYS UNTIL CAMP
MEET THE TEAM
Carlos Giron
Workshop Director
Carlos Giron
Workshop Director
After working in the field for more than six years taking photos for universities, corporations and restaurants, I wanted to find a way to bring my skills and knowledge to the classroom. Being a former yearbook photo editor in high school, joining the Walsworth Yearbooks team was the next logical step.
I bring my knowledge of sports, events and portrait photography to help my schools achieve their photography dreams. I cover everything from the basic understanding of how to use their photography gear and what they should be looking for, to more advanced topics like how to use to studio lights on location. I have helped many students enter scholarship programs with universities who are current customers – such as Loyola Marymount University, California Baptist University, University of California-Irvine and Biola University, just to name a few.
When I am not yearbooking, I spend my time collecting pops, cycling, gaming and taking photos.
- Phone:(818) 404-3196
- Email:carlos.giron@walsworth.com
Damon Stephens
Walsworth Customer Service
Damon Stephens
Walsworth Customer Service
Damon Stephens is the In-Plant Customer Service Representative assigned to work with schools in San Diego County, Imperial County, and Temecula. He started his career in Cover Art and in the off season he worked in the Finishing Plant. During that time, he worked as a General Worker and was borrowed by Quality Assurance. After 5 years, Damon became a Computer Support Tech and then pivoted to a Customer Service Representative. Working in many areas throughout the plant, Damon has been able to see many books go completely through the process from start to finish. He feels his time at the finishing plant has given him a much greater understanding of the entire binding process, while his background as a Cover Artist & Computer Support Tech has made him fluent in Photoshop, InDesign and Online Design.
Rhonda O'Dea
Area Manager
Rhonda O'Dea
Area Manager
Rhonda O’Dea is the West Area Sales Manager for Walsworth Yearbooks. A lifelong yearbooker, Rhonda has been a yearbook kid, an adviser, a sales rep and now an Area Manager. As an adviser in Virginia, Rhonda’s yearbook staffs produced CSPA Crown and NSPA All American books for over eight years. She is a frequent presenter at national and regional workshops all across the country and contributes to the training and education of yearbook reps and their schools.
Leland Mallett
Beginning Design Instructor
Leland Mallett
Beginning Design Instructor
Leland Mallett has been advising yearbooks and newspapers since 1999. He is the newspaper, yearbook and photo adviser at Legacy High School in Mansfield, Texas. Legacy’s publications have won Crowns, Pacemakers and Stars. Mallett won JEA’s Distinguished Yearbook Adviser award in 2018. In 2015 he won the Max Haddick Texas Adviser of the Year award from ILPC. He loves the art of telling stories and working with publication staffs and advisers.
Andrew Young
Advanced Design Instructor
Andrew Young
Advanced Design Instructor
Andrew Young, CJE advises The Round-Up at Woodland Junior High School in Fayetteville, AR. Youngwas named a 2017 Rising Star by JEA, 2018 Arkansas Adviser of the Year, 2018 Fayetteville Public Schools Teacher of the Year, 2020 Outstanding Young Alumni from the University of Arkansas, 2022 Special Recognition Adviser, and 2024 Distinguished Yearbook Adviser
from JEA. His staffs have been recognized in the JEA Middle School/Junior High Media contest, NSPA Picture/Story/Design of the Year contests, Arkansas Scholastic Press Association awards and Walsworth Photo Contest. Woodland’s 2023 The Round-Up yearbook received a Silver Crown from CSPA and won a NSPA Pacemaker. Young currently serves as the President of the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association and has a passion for seeing junior high and middle school journalism programs take it to the next level.
Tucker Love
Editorial Leadership Instructor
Tucker Love
Editorial Leadership Instructor
Tucker Love is the journalism teacher and publications adviser at Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, Kansas where he teaches Intro to News Media and advises the photojournalism, yearbook, newspaper and literary magazine staffs. His students have received recognition in local, state and national contests, including being a NSPA Yearbook Pacemaker and CSPA Yearbook Crown recipient. Love was selected as a JEA Distinguished Adviser of the Year in December 2024, because his students continue to do good scholastic journalism work. When Love is not advising, he’s likely drinking cold brew coffee, learning to crochet, or deciding which house plant to purchase next.
Jim McCrossen
Photojournalism Instructor
Jim McCrossen
Photojournalism Instructor
Jim McCrossen is in his 34th year helping journalism students find their voice in a very loud and busy world. McCrossen has spent his entire teaching career in the Blue Valley School
District in Overland Park, Kan. teaching and advising two years at Blue Valley North and the past 32 at Blue Valley Northwest, where he advises the Horizon yearbook, The Express newspaper and the BVNWnews.com website. McCrossen is a JEA Distinguished Yearbook Adviser, an NSPA Pioneer Award recipient, a Ball State University Marilyn Weaver Scholastic Journalism Award winner and a former Kansas journalism teacher of the year. He is a former award-winning photojournalist in Ventura County, Calif. He loves teaching photography mostly because he’s not very good with words. His students have won numerous awards for their work, and they have not won numerous awards, as well. McCrossen likes red meat, chocolate and Cheetos.
Chris Heady
Writing Instructor
Chris Heady
Writing Instructor
Chris Heady teaches journalism, newspaper, yearbook, photojournalism and Fleetwood Mac Appreciation at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Shawnee, KS. His students and publications — The Lair yearbook and Northwest Passage newspaper — have won numerous state and national awards, including NSPA Pacemakers, NSPA Writer of the Year, NSPA Photojournalist of the Year, NSPA Story of the Year, NSPA Photo of the Year, and more. In a previous life, Heady was a national award-winning newspaper reporter with bylines in the Omaha World-Herald, USA Today, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and others. Heady was a 2025 Rising Star recipient by JEA. He believes in Em Dashes, Harvey Dent, and the importance of student voice and storytelling. He's not sure about ghosts.