62 Notable alumni of Columbia College Chicago
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Columbia College Chicago is ranked #2,741 in the world and #711 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 62 notable alumni from Columbia College Chicago sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Columbia College Chicago won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Jordan Stempleman
1977-. (aged 49)
poet
Jordan Stempleman is an American poet. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Stempleman earned a B.A. in Fiction from Columbia College Chicago (where he won the Academy of American Poets, Lannan Prize for Poetry) and a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop (where he was a Leggett-Schupes Fellow).
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2. Jay W. Boersma
1947-. (aged 79)
photographer
Jay Weaver Boersma is a fine art and documentary photographer, mixed media artist, designer, and creative director, and was Senior Creative Director at Playboy.com from 1996 to 2011.
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3. Julia A. Ames
1861-1891 (aged 30)
journalist
editor
Julia A. Ames was an American journalist, editor and a temperance reformer. She served as an associate editor of the Woman's Temperance Publishing Association's Union Signal. Ames died in 1891 at the age of 30. The year after her death, the journalist and spiritualist W. T. Stead published automatic writing which was said to have been sent by Ames to...
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4. Stann Champion
1952-2022 (aged 70)
singer-songwriter
record producer
Stann Champion was a Chicago-based American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer. His music style blended elements of reggae, calypso, R&B and, rock.
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5. Lola Omolola
1976-. (aged 50)
journalist
Lola Omolola is a Nigerian former journalist who founded the Female IN (FIN) group on Facebook. Lola is the first Nigerian woman who created a place where other women can share their untold stories regarding their sexual abuses, and other challenges they are facing. She was featured in the 2018 Facebook F8 Conference.
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6. Michael Grothaus
1977-. (aged 49)
journalist
novelist
Michael Grothaus is an American novelist and journalist. He is best known for the novel Beautiful Shining People and for his writing about internet subcultures in the digital age.
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7. Filip Robar Dorin
1940-2023 (aged 83)
film director
film screenwriter
Filip Robar Dorin was a Yugoslavian, and later Slovenian, film director, screenwriter, and film editor.
8. Duki Dror
1963-. (aged 63)
film director
Zadok "Duki” Dror is an independent Israeli filmmaker whose films explore issues of migration, identity and displacement.
9. Kevin Gosztola
1988-. (aged 38)
journalist
Kevin Gosztola is an American journalist, author and YouTuber known for work on whistleblower cases, WikiLeaks, national security, and civil liberties. Formerly the managing editor of Shadowproof, he writes for The Dissenter. Previously, The Dissenter was part of Firedoglake (FDL). Gosztola has covered the court-martial of Chelsea Manning, the case of John Kiriakou, and the extradition of Julian Assange.
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10. Deb Conroy
1969-. (aged 57)
politician
Deborah "Deb" O'Keefe Conroy is an American politician currently serving as chair of the county board of DuPage County, Illinois. She previously served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 46th district from 2012 through 2022. She is also a former member of the school board of Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205.
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11. Sama Raena Alshaibi
1973-. (aged 53)
photographer
Sama Raena Alshaibi also known as Sama Alshaibi is an Iraqi–Palestinian conceptual artist (video art, performative photography, sculpture and installation), who deals with spaces of conflict as her primary subject. War, exile, power and the quest for survival are themes seen in her works. She often uses her own body in her artwork as a representation of the country or...
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12. Art Baltazar
1968-. (aged 58)
illustrator
comics artist
Arthee "Art" Baltazar is an American comics artist and writer who currently works for DC Comics.
13. Iliana Regan
1979-. (aged 47)
chef
restaurateur
writer
Iliana Regan is an American chef and restaurateur. She ran the restaurant Elizabeth in Chicago from 2012 to 2020, receiving Michelin stars in each year. Since 2019, she has been the owner of The Milkweed Inn in Wetmore, Michigan.
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14. George Molchan
1922-2005 (aged 83)
spokesperson
George A. Molchan was an American spokesperson, most famous for his work as Little Oscar for the Oscar Mayer meat company.
15. C. S. E. Cooney
1981-. (aged 45)
writer
Claire Suzanne Elizabeth Cooney is an American writer of fantasy literature. She is best known for her fantasy poetry and short stories and has won the Rhysling Award for her poem "The Sea King's Second Bride" in 2011 and the World Fantasy Award—Collection for her collection Bone Swans in 2016. In 2023 she received the World Fantasy Award for her...
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16. J. A. Konrath
1970-. (aged 56)
science fiction writer
novelist
Joseph Andrew Konrath is an American fiction writer working in the mystery, thriller, and horror genres. He writes as J. A. Konrath and Jack Kilborn. In 2011 Konrath was named one of the "5 eBook Authors To Watch" by Mediabistro.com's Dianna Dilworth.
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17. Kimberly L. Jones
1994-1995 (aged 1)
screenwriter
film director
writer
bookseller
activist
Kimberly Latrice Jones is an American author, filmmaker, and activist known for co-authoring the book I'm Not Dying with You Tonight and for the viral video How Can We Win published during the George Floyd protests.
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18. Robert Teitel
1968-. (aged 58)
film producer
television producer
screenwriter
Robert Teitel is an American film producer and writer.
19. Silvio Caiozzi
1944-. (aged 82)
screenwriter
photographer
film director
Silvio Caiozzi is a Chilean film director and cinematographer.
20. Josefina Lopez
1969-. (aged 57)
playwright
writer
film director
Josefina López is a Chicana playwright, perhaps best known as the author of the play (and co-author of the screenplay) Real Women Have Curves. López is also the Founding Artistic Director of the CASA 0101 theater located in Boyle Heights, California, which began in 2000.
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21. David Cromer
1964-. (aged 62)
theatrical director
voice actor
stage actor
actor
David Cromer is an American theatre director, and stage, film, and TV actor. He has received recognition for his work on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in his native Chicago. Cromer has won or been nominated for numerous awards, including winning the Lucille Lortel Award and Obie Award for his direction of Our Town. He was nominated for the Drama Desk Award...
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22. Dean Richards
1954-. (aged 72)
Dean Richards is an American film critic and entertainment reporter for WGN-TV and a longtime radio host for WGN (AM) in Chicago.
23. Stacie Passon
1969-. (aged 57)
screenwriter
film director
film producer
actor
Stacie Passon is an American film director, screenwriter and producer whose first film, Concussion, was premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and subsequently won a Teddy Award Jury Prize at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
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24. Erika Lauren Wasilewski
1987-. (aged 39)
singer-songwriter
radio personality
Erika Lauren Wasilewski, known on-air simply as Erika Lauren, is a former American radio personality, singer-songwriter and former reality television personality, known as a cast member on The Real World: D.C., the 23rd season of the long-running series, which aired from 2009 to 2010. She later became a co-host on The Alan Cox Show, and as the lead singer of...
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25. Duke Johnson
1979-. (aged 47)
screenwriter
film director
director
film producer
Duke Johnson is an American film director who specializes in stop-motion animation. He currently serves as a director and junior partner for Dino Stamatopoulos's animation production studio Starburns Industries in Burbank, California.
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26. Rashid Johnson
1977-. (aged 49)
painter
installation artist
sculptor
film director
photographer
Rashid Johnson is an American artist who produces conceptual post-black art. Johnson first received critical attention in 2001 at the age of 24, when his work was included in Freestyle (2001) curated by Thelma Golden at the Studio Museum in Harlem. He studied at Columbia College Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and his work has...
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27. The Vixen
1990-. (aged 36)
entertainer
The Vixen is the stage name of Anthony Prince Taylor, an American drag performer, best known for competing on the tenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and placing seventh. Her appearance on the show was notable for raising a conversation around racial dynamics both among her fellow drag queens and in the show's fandom. She is the founder of Black...
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28. Kym Mazelle
1960-. (aged 66)
singer
songwriter
Kym Mazelle is an American singer. Credited as "The First Lady of House Music", she is regarded as a pioneer of house music in Europe. Her music combines R&B, soul, funk, house music, dance, and pop.
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29. John McMartin
1929-2016 (aged 87)
singer
stage actor
television actor
actor
film actor
John Francis McMartin was an American actor of stage, film, and television. He made his off-Broadway debut in Little Mary Sunshine in 1959, and acted on Broadway for more than 50 years. He won a Theatre World Award in 1960 and was nominated for a Tony for his role in Sweet Charity in 1966. On television, McMartin appeared on the...
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30. Michael Goi
1959-. (aged 67)
cinematographer
television director
film director
Michael K. Goi, ASC, ISC is an American cinematographer, director, producer, and writer of television and film. He is best known for his work for Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk on the television series Glee, Scream Queens and American Horror Story. He is a four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee for his cinematography.
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31. Aiden English
1987-. (aged 39)
stage actor
professional wrestler
Matthew Thomas Rehwoldt is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as a color commentator, alongside Tom Hannifan. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Aiden English.
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32. Jessica Lu
1985-. (aged 41)
stage actor
model
television actor
actor
film actor
Jessica Lu is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Ming Huang on the MTV television series Awkward.
33. Rhymefest
1977-. (aged 49)
songwriter
rapper
Che Armond Smith, known professionally as Rhymefest, is an American rapper and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. He is best known for his work with fellow Chicago rapper Kanye West, having co-written West's "Jesus Walks" (which won Best Rap Song) in 2004 and "New Slaves" in 2013. He also co-wrote "Glory", for Common and John Legend in 2014, which received a...
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34. Erica Hubbard
1979-. (aged 47)
film actor
television actor
model
Erica Hubbard is an American actress and model. Hubbard grew up in Chicago. Hubbard is best known for her roles as Kiana Anderson in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee, Cassandra "Cassie" Sutton on the ABC Family series Lincoln Heights (2007–09) and Kita Whitmore on Let's Stay Together (2011–14) on the BET network. She is also the voice of...
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35. Tonya Pinkins
1962-. (aged 64)
stage actor
film director
television actor
actor
film actor
Tonya Pinkins is an American actress and filmmaker. Her award-winning debut feature film Red Pill was an official selection at the 2021 Pan African Film Festival, won the Best Black Lives Matter Feature and Best First Feature at The Mykonos International Film Festival, Best First Feature at the Luléa Film Festival, and is nominated for awards in numerous festivals around...
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36. George Tillman, Jr
1969-. (aged 57)
screenwriter
film director
director
film producer
George Tillman Jr. is an American filmmaker.
37. Shecky Greene
1926-2023 (aged 97)
comedian
actor
Shecky Greene was an American comedian and actor. He was known for his nightclub performances in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he became a headliner in the 1950s and 1960s. He appeared in several films, including Tony Rome; History of the World, Part I; and Splash. In television, he guest-starred on such television shows as Love, American Style and Combat!, and...
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38. Kyle Kinane
1976-. (aged 50)
voice actor
television actor
stand-up comedian
film actor
Kyle Christian Kinane is an American stand-up comedian and actor from Addison, Illinois.
39. Saba
1994-. (aged 32)
record producer
songwriter
rapper
Tahj Malik Chandler, better known by his stage name Saba, is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. He grew up in the Austin neighborhood of the West Side of Chicago. He is a co-founder of the musical collective Pivot Gang with his brother Jerrel Chandler (Joseph Chilliams), their late cousin Walter Long Jr (John Walt), their high school friend...
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40. Chris McKay
1973-. (aged 53)
film producer
film director
film editor
animator
television producer
Christopher McKay is an American filmmaker and animator. He is best known for directing and editing three seasons of Robot Chicken and two seasons of Moral Orel. He made his feature directorial debut with The Lego Batman Movie (2017), and has also directed The Tomorrow War (2021) and Renfield (2023).
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41. Shea Couleé
1989-. (aged 37)
drag queen
musician
reality television participant
Jaren Kyei Merrell, known professionally as Shea Couleé, is an American drag queen, singer, rapper, actor, podcaster, and fixture of the Chicago nightlife scene. Born in Warsaw, Indiana, they began their drag career in 2012. In 2017, Shea Couleé achieved international fame after competing on season nine of RuPaul's Drag Race, placing in the top four. In 2020, Shea Couleé...
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42. Cory Barlog
1975-. (aged 51)
engineer
creative director
Cory Barlog is an American video game designer, director, and writer who is the current creative director of video game development at Santa Monica Studio. He is best known for his work on the God of War series.
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43. Sumanth
1976-. (aged 50)
actor
Yarlagadda Sumanth Kumar, known mononymously as Sumanth, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is the eldest grandson of Telugu actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao. He is also a partner in Annapurna Studios.
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44. Jimmy Dore
1965-. (aged 61)
television producer
podcaster
peace activist
comedian
James Patrick Anthony Dore is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, podcaster and YouTube personality. He is the host of The Jimmy Dore Show, a comedic political talk show available on Rokfin, Rumble, Twitter and YouTube.
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45. Aidy Bryant
1987-. (aged 39)
television actor
actor
comedian
film actor
Aidy Bryant is an American actress and comedian. Bryant is most notable for being a cast member on the NBC late-night sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live for ten seasons, joining the show for its 38th season in 2012, and leaving at the end of its 47th season in 2022. For her work on the series she was nominated for...
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46. Nadine Velazquez
1978-. (aged 48)
film actor
actor
television actor
Nadine E. Velázquez is an American actress and model known for her roles as Catalina Aruca on My Name Is Earl and Sofia Ruxin on The League. She has also appeared in films such as Blast (2004), A Day in the Life (2009), Flight (2012), Snitch (2013), and Ride Along 2 (2016), and was a cast member on the TV...
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47. Genndy Tartakovsky
1970-. (aged 56)
comics artist
animator
film producer
screenwriter
director
Gennady Borisovich "Genndy" Tartakovsky is a Russian-born American animator, screenwriter, film producer, and director. He is best known as the creator of various animated television series on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, including Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Sym-Bionic Titan, Primal, and Unicorn: Warriors Eternal.
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48. Andy Richter
1966-. (aged 60)
television actor
television presenter
actor
writer
voice actor
Paul Andrew Richter is an American actor, comedian, writer, and talk show announcer. He is best known as the sidekick for Conan O'Brien on O'Brien's talk shows: Late Night, The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS. He was also the star of the Fox television series Andy Richter Controls the Universe. He voiced Mort in the Madagascar film...
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49. Sophie Thatcher
2000-. (aged 26)
television actor
stage actor
actor
film actor
Sophie Bathsheba Thatcher is an American actress and musician. After beginning as a child actress in stage plays and minor television roles, she made her feature film debut in Prospect (2018), and later had her breakthrough in the series Yellowjackets (2021–present). Since, she has appeared in The Book of Boba Fett (2022), The Boogeyman (2023), Heretic (2024), and Companion (2025),...
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50. Matt Skiba
1976-. (aged 50)
songwriter
guitarist
singer
record producer
Matthew Thomas Skiba is an American musician and songwriter best known as the co-lead vocalist and guitarist of the punk rock band Alkaline Trio, and served as the co-lead vocalist and guitarist of Blink-182 from 2015 to 2022. Skiba's lyrical content commonly involves dark romantic themes.
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51. Lena Waithe
1984-. (aged 42)
actor
manufacturer
screenwriter
film director
showrunner
Lena Waithe is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She is the creator of the Showtime drama series The Chi (2018–present) and the BET comedy series Boomerang (2019–20) and Twenties (2020–21). She also wrote and produced the crime film Queen & Slim (2019) and is the executive producer of the horror anthology series Them (2021–present).
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52. Alexander Rybak
1986-. (aged 40)
songwriter
voice actor
recording artist
singer
violinist
Alexander Igorevich Rybak or Alyaksandr Iharavich Rybak (Belarusian: Аляксандр Ігаравіч Рыбак) is a Belarusian-born Norwegian singer, songwriter and actor. Based in Oslo, Norway, Rybak extensively worked on television programs and on tours in Europe, particularly in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe throughout the early 2010s. Performing in English, Russian and Norwegian, Rybak has released five albums.
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53. Joseph Sikora
1976-. (aged 50)
actor
television actor
Joseph Sikora is an American actor best known for his starring role as Tommy Egan on the Starz series Power and its subsequent spin-offs and sequels, Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book IV: Force and Power: Legacy, in which he is the protagonist.
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54. Jake Lloyd
1989-. (aged 37)
voice actor
television actor
actor
film actor
Jake Matthew Lloyd is an American former actor who portrayed young Anakin Skywalker in the film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) and Jamie Langston in Jingle All the Way (1996).
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55. Pat Sajak
1946-. (aged 80)
television presenter
talk show host
weather presenter
actor
radio personality
Patrick Leonard Sajak is an American retired game show host, television personality, and creative consultant. He is best known as the host of the television game show Wheel of Fortune, a position which he held from 1981 to 2024. Sajak also served as a consultant for the show, and hosted Celebrity Wheel of Fortune until 2025. For his work on...
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56. Michelle Monaghan
1976-. (aged 50)
model
television actor
film producer
film actor
Michelle Lynn Monaghan is an American actress. She has starred in the films Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), Gone Baby Gone (2007), Made of Honor (2008), Eagle Eye (2008), Trucker (2008), Source Code (2011), Pixels (2015), and Patriots Day (2016). She also received recognition for her role in the action spy film series Mission: Impossible, making appearances in Mission: Impossible...
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57. Scott Adsit
1965-. (aged 61)
television producer
film producer
film director
voice actor
singer
Robert Scott Adsit is an American actor, comedian, and writer. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Adsit joined the mainstage cast of Chicago's The Second City in 1994 after attending Columbia College Chicago. He appeared in several revues, including Paradigm Lost for which he won The Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor in a Comedy.
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58. Nicole Theriault
1972-. (aged 54)
actor
singer
Nicole Theriault, known as Nikki, is a Thai singer and actress, who went platinum with 2 million copies sold on her debut album Ka-Po-Lo Club and went double platinum on her second album Funny Lady earning her Breakout Artist of the Year for her first album and Best Female Artist of the Year for her second album. She has released...
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59. Eduardo Vilaro
1964-. (aged 62)
business executive
Eduardo Vilaro is a Cuban-American dancer, choreographer, educator, and artistic director & CEO of Ballet Hispánico. He first joined Ballet Hispánico as a principal dancer in 1985, leaving for Chicago a decade later to further his education and found the Luna Negra Dance Theater, for which he was artistic director. He returned to Ballet Hispánico in 2009 as artistic director,...
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60. Andy Dick
1965-. (aged 61)
film actor
voice actor
stage actor
film director
film producer
Andrew Roane Dick is an American actor and comedian. Dick was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and joined The Second City and studied improvisational theater. Dick has had a long career as a stand-up comedian; he has appeared throughout the United States, has released several comedy albums, and has acted in television and film. Dick's first regular television role was...
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61. Meg Johnson
poet
lecturer
Meg Johnson is an American poet and lecturer. Her poems have appeared in numerous literary magazines, including Midwestern Gothic, Slipstream Magazine, Word Riot, Hobart, and many others. Her first collection of poems, Inappropriate Sleepover, was released in 2014, her second collection, The Crimes of Clara Turlington, was released in December 2015., and her third book, Without: Body, Name, Country is...
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62. Becky Lynch
1987-. (aged 39)
actor
professional wrestler
stunt performer
Rebecca Quin, better known by the ring name Becky Lynch, is an Irish and American professional wrestler. She has been signed to WWE since April 2013, where she performs on the Raw brand and is the current WWE Women's Intercontinental Champion in her record-setting second reign. Lynch is often regarded as one of the greatest women's professional wrestlers of all...
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