Augustana College sophomore Sawyer Carver now has a short documentary available on Roku. The documentary, “Rock Island Change Maker,” highlights The Atlas Collective, a small Moline business at 1801 5th Ave., and shows how a passionate local entrepreneur is shaping the Quad Cities creative economy.
As a freshman, Carver worked on the documentary as part of a team during their March 2025 internship with Fresh Films in Rock Island, a national organization that teaches youth and young adults the fundamentals of filmmaking.
The project was part of Roku’s “Change Makers” series, a partnership between the platform and Fresh Films that spotlights everyday people creating meaningful change in their communities. After competing against 20 other teams for the fourth and final season of seven episodes (each between four and five-and-a-half minutes), Carver’s team was selected.
“She’s so good,” Kelli Feigley, Fresh Films’ managing director, said recently. “She’s a firecracker.”
A Moline High alum and Augie film major, Carver served as a videographer on the project (four on the crew total), helping capture interviews and B-roll footage for the documentary. Now, as a second-year student, Carver said the experience provided valuable hands-on training and industry connections early in their college career.
“When I found out we were going to work with Roku, I was shocked that I had that opportunity,” Carver said….