“Saturday Night Live” has hired a Carleton College graduate to join the writing staff of the long-running sketch comedy series, which returns for its new season Saturday. Writer-comedian Claire McFadden, who performed sketch and improv comedy while at Carleton, joins the show's 51st season, along with six other new writers. Variety Magazine reported the news in an exclusive Tuesday.

McFadden is starting at SNL after performing in renowned improvisational comedy troupe Second City in Chicago for seven years. And she isn’t the only new SNL hire with Minnesota connections: St. Paul native Tommy Brennan, who has performed on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” was announced as a new cast member in early September.

McFadden graduated from Carleton, a small private liberal arts college in

See Full Page