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Jessica Wohlwend (Riley) is originally from Oregon and she moved up to Alaska Spring 2024 to attend school at the �鶹���� Fairbanks, working towards a Film and Performing Arts degree. She has always had an interest in the performing arts, acting in her first play at age ten. When she’s not performing, she likes to spend time with friends, family, and her cat Ringo.

Stephanie Rivet (Nicole) was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, of Denaakk’e and Gwich’in descent and dreamt of acting in films from a young age, after realizing cinema’s profound power to evoke self reflective, transformative emotional experiences in viewers. Pursuit of that dream however took a significant detour including becoming a proud mother of 4 wonderful humans before eventually graduating from University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in Film and Performance Arts with an emphasis in Acting as well as Art with an emphasis on Ceramics and minoring in Film production.  

Additionally, having learned to sew from a young age, Stephanie has been working in the Costume Shop at UAF since 2014, first as a student worker before becoming Costume Shop Manager in 2018.

The role of Nicole in Mend is Stephanie’s first significant role in a film, and her first acting gig since fall 2012, when she appeared in Theatre UAF’s The Flu Season, as The Woman. Prior roles included Theatre UAF’s spring 2012 production of All In The Timing where she performed in the shorts “Sure Thing” and “Phillip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread” as well as roles in Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre’s 2011 summer production of The Comedy of Errors as Abbess Aemilia and FST’s 2012 summer production of Henry IV -Part 1 as Mistress Quickly. Stephanie is thrilled to be a part of Mend and hopes to have more opportunities to act in film in the future.

JB Brown (Writer/Director) is a junior in the Film and Performing Arts Department, concentrating in film and minoring in art. From Reno, Nevada and studying video production in high school, JB found their passion for being behind the camera. For the Strange Embrace film production, they operated as cinematographer. Trying to get out of their comfort zone, they took on the task of writing and directing for MEND. They hope to continue to stretch their boundaries in writing, directing, and even acting!

Maya serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre & Film at the �鶹���� Fairbanks. She is the founding director of the UAF Film Reel Alaska Mentoring Experience (FRAME), which produces film productions for clients while training UAF film students. Maya is dedicated to developing positive experiences in film and theatre production that reflect the diversity of our community. Through her courses and projects, she nurtures visually sovereign storytellers capable of expressing themselves within their own communities, as well as to a wider audience.

Eric Marshall (Director of Photography) is a student at the �鶹���� Fairbanks, pursuing a degree in Film and Performing Arts with a concentration in Film. Eric has a passion for cinematography and producing. Before graduating, he has already produced, shot, and directed a number of projects both in the university setting and in the state of Alaska as a whole.

Taylor Kamrath (Production Designer) is a sophomore at UAF majoring in Film and Performing Arts. With a concentration in film, she has worked on many projects within the FLPA community since she started studying in Fairbanks. She grew up in Chugiak, Alaska, but spent many holidays and summer breaks visiting family in Fairbanks and has become familiar with the town. Taylor began as an Assistant Stage Manager for the stage play Dance Nation (Fall 2023), and Second Assistant Director for Strange Embrace (Spring 2024), and has worked on a variety of small personal projects with Brunch Film Productions as a producer and UAF Film Club as Vice President.

Kjrsten Colleen Schindler (Sound Designer) is a sixth-year UAF student majoring in Psychology and Film and Performing Arts: Film Concentration with minors in Creative Writing, Theatre, Justice, and Music: Vocal Performance, and is graduating in May 2025.

She grew up in Aberdeen, South Dakota, before moving to Delta Junction, Alaska, in 2012. She began her studies at UAF, majoring in Biology and Pre-Veterinary Medicine in the Fall of 2019, and switched majors in the Spring of 2022.

Her first production with UAF’s Theatre Department was The Shape of Things (Spring 2023 - Stage Manager), followed by Dance Nation (Fall 2023 - Stage Manager), Tiny Beautiful Things (Fall 2024 - Asst. Stage Manager), and Strike! (Spring 2025 - actor). She was the boom operator for Intensive Film's Strange Embrace and returned as Sound Designer for MEND. She thanks her family, friends, and UAF Film and Theatre staff for their support!