Freedom's Editorial Team

Victoria Araj is the Senior Director, Managing Editor at Freedom Mortgage. In her 20 years of working for top mortgage lenders, she’s held roles in mortgage banking, public relations, editorial content, and more. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Political Science from Michigan State University, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Michigan. She has spoken at several industry conferences, where she’s discussed the importance of editorial content for brands.

Christian Byers is an experienced communications professional, specializing in social media strategy, content creation, and brand storytelling. He serves as the social media director for GameAbove, CapStone Holdings Inc., and the Detroit Amps, where he oversees multi-platform strategies that strengthen brand identity, increase engagement, and connect organizations with their audiences. His work spans sports, philanthropy, and corporate investment, giving him a unique ability to adapt brand voice across industries.

In addition to his leadership roles, Christian works as a freelance copywriter for top mortgage companies. There, he develops clear, impactful content that simplifies complex financial topics for everyday readers, blending strong writing skills with SEO and an audience-first strategy.

With a background in both corporate and sports media, Christian has led digital campaigns, managed live event coverage, and guided brand communications during periods of growth and transition. His specialties include social media management, copywriting, campaign strategy, and brand development—all driven by a focus on creating authentic connections between brands and their communities.

Passionate about the intersection of storytelling and strategy, Christian combines creativity and professionalism to help organizations share their voice, build trust, and achieve lasting impact.

Kaitlin Davis is a writer and journalist with a background in finance and mortgage writing. She holds a BA in Journalism from Wayne State University. She’s also a certified content marketer. Kaitlin has written content for leading companies in the mortgage and real estate industries, turning complex topics into clear, digestible narratives. Her specialties include first-time homebuying, refinancing, and personal finance.

Kaitlin currently works as a creative writer at Snow Companies, a healthcare marketing agency. In this role, she crafts compelling content that puts real patient voices at the center of healthcare communications. She is also a freelance journalist and writer, contributing to a broad spectrum of local and national outlets. She aims to create clear, practical, and trusted content that empowers readers to make informed decisions about their finances. Kaitlin strives to bridge the gap between complex information and everyday understanding, helping her audience navigate important life choices with confidence.

Gabriella Grundy is a marketing writer intern at Freedom Mortgage who helps craft content for the Learning Center and blog. She’s based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where she was born and raised.

Gabriella earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Public Relations from Southern Adventist University in May of 2025, where she received the 2025 Scholarly Achievement Award from her department. During her time in college, Gabriella pursued jobs, internships, and leadership roles in communications, marketing, project management, and event planning.

Notable roles that Gabriella held while at Southern include staff writer for the university’s Marketing department and school newspaper, president of the university’s PRSSA chapter, and event and hospitality intern for Friends of the Festival, an event management company in Chattanooga. Her favorite role was as a communication intern at the Georgia-Cumberland Conference in Calhoun, Georgia, where she gained experience in social media management, content creation, editorial writing, video editing, and graphic design. She also volunteered as a public relations assistant for Walnut Street Publishing, a Chattanooga-based publishing company, helping them gain local news coverage.

Currently, Gabriella specializes in content writing. She enjoys the storytelling process and has found that writing is one of her favorite mediums. Being at Freedom Mortgage has allowed her to develop her writing and editing skills and improve her ability to synthesize information.

Outside of work, Gabriella enjoys trying out new coffee shops, playing the piano and guitar, going on walks, and learning about random things on Wikipedia. She’s also recently taken up creative writing again—a hobby she frequently enjoyed during childhood.

Samantha Hawrylack blends financial expertise with marketing precision as an SEO strategist, content writer, and copywriter specializing in real estate and personal finance. With over seven years of industry experience and a foundation built on a bachelor’s degree in finance, as well as an MBA from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Samantha brings a rare fluency in both numbers and narrative.

Her professional journey began at Vanguard, where she held Series 7 and 63 licenses, advising clients on optimizing their investment portfolios. In 2019, she pivoted to entrepreneurship, launching SJ Digital Solutions™, a content-driven marketing agency, dedicated to helping businesses attract, capture, and convert customers through human-first, search-optimized content.

Samantha has a proven track record of translating complex financial and real estate topics into approachable and helpful pieces. Her work, trusted by major financial institutions and real estate platforms, empowers readers to make smart, confident decisions in areas like homebuying, mortgage planning, and wealth building.

Jamie Johnson is a Kansas City-based freelance writer who writes about mortgages, refinancing, and homebuying. Over the past eight years, she's written for clients like CBS MoneyWatch, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek Vault, and CNN Underscored.

Ashley Kilroy is a seasoned personal finance writer with 15 years of experience of simplifying complex concepts for individuals seeking financial security. Her expertise has been showcased in well-known publications, like Rolling Stone, Forbes Advisor, Yahoo Finance, and Money Talks News.

Collaborating with Fortune 500 companies, she has effectively educated audiences nationwide about mortgage topics through writing that’s clear and relevant. Beyond her financial writing, Ashley embraces thrilling adventures, such as diving with great white sharks off the African coast.

Sarah Lozanova is a financial writer with an MBA who specializes in personal finance, mortgages, credit, and sustainable investing. She brings a thoughtful, down-to-earth approach to helping readers make informed decisions that empower their financial futures.

With over a decade of professional writing experience, Sarah excels at translating complex financial topics into approachable, actionable content. Her work is clear, practical, and focused on helping people make confident choices about their money.

In addition, Sarah has designed and taught business courses for Unity Environmental University. Her background in clean energy and sustainability gives her a unique perspective when covering topics like solar financing, energy-efficient home improvements, and the long-term value of green living.

Based in Maine, Sarah enjoys gardening, paddleboarding, and exploring the intersection of sustainability and smart money management.

Josephine Nesbit is a freelance writer who specializes in housing, mortgages, and personal finance. Since starting her writing business, she’s covered topics, ranging from real estate and home loans, to saving, investing, and retirement. Her work has appeared in national outlets, including U.S. News & World Report, Homes.com, and others. Josephine focuses on helping readers make informed financial decisions, especially when it comes to buying a home, understanding loan options, and planning for long-term goals.

Outside of her publication work, Josephine also teams up with real estate professionals to create content that helps them market their businesses. She writes email copy, blog posts, educational resources, and social media templates that help agents show up consistently, build trust, and connect with potential clients.

A graduate of the Journalism department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dan Rafter has written about mortgage lending, credit scores, insurance, real estate, and personal finance topics for more than 30 years. During this time, he’s written for publications, such as the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Phoenix Magazine, Mental Floss Magazine, Grit, and many others. His stories have also appeared on Bankrate.com, CreditCards.com, and WiseBread.com, among others.

Christine Rakoczy has been a financial writer since 2008, contributing to major publications, including Credit Karma, CBS MoneyWatch, WSJ, and Forbes Advisor. While her special focus is diving deep into mortgages, Christine has extensive experience with all types of financial topics.

In addition to writing for online articles, Christine has also taught business administration courses at a career college and has served as a subject matter expert on numerous business and legal courses.

Christine earned her JD from UCLA School of Law in 2008 and has a BA in English, Media, and Communications, with a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Rochester.

Sarah Sharkey is a personal finance writer with a master’s degree in Management from the Hough School of Business at the University of Florida. She enjoys helping people make informed financial decisions and has written for numerous personal finance publications over the last eight years, including Credible, Business Insider, and The College Investor.

With a focus on helping homeowners and homebuyers navigate the home purchasing process, Sarah brings years of experience in sorting through the details of various mortgage types to help readers land on the best course of action for their unique situation.

When not writing about money, Sarah can be found exploring the waters near her coastal home with her husband and dogs. Boating with a book is her favorite combination! You can connect with her on her current blog, The Wildlife Quest.

Kit Wakelin is a copywriter at Rice Lake Weighing Systems who enjoys simplifying complex topics to help educate and inform audiences. Kit has previously interned at a top mortgage company, discussing subjects such as refinancing, budgeting, and homebuying. She’s passionate about educating younger generations about making smart financial decisions to ensure their futures.

She’s also contributed to Bookstr and GameRant, covering the latest news for a variety of industries, including publishing and gaming. No matter the topic, she takes time to explore different fields and provide helpful content to readers.

She graduated with an AA in Business and a BS in English from Liberty University and has always had a passion for content creation. Since her graduation, she’s worked to create quality content for online spaces. From weighing equipment to finance, Kit loves to delve into the latest data and news to help readers make informed decisions.