"In wisdom gathered over time, I have found
that every experience is a form of exploration."
-Ansel Adams
Early Life
I was born and raised in North Carolina. I am a rabid Tarheels basketball fan, and I come from a big family. I have two brothers, a sister, four dogs, two cats and a bird. I moved to Florida in 2004 and graduated in Saint Petersburg, Fl in 2005. In May I will graduate from UF with a B.S. in journalism with a specialization in photography and minors in Spanish and business. I am an outdoors adventure enthusiast, a music aficionado, an explorer, and a people watcher. After I graduate I will be moving to Atlanta to start graduate school, or find a job.
Why Photojournalism
What I love most about my job, when I have one, is that every day I get to be an expert in something new. Everyday there is a new place to see and new people to meet. I've flown in a single-engine airplane, fired semi-automatic rifles, and guzzled raw milk because I'm a photojournalist. I decided to pursue photojournalism after I studied abroad in the summer of 2006. My experience abroad gave me the confidence to do what I thought was taking a chance. Ever since I was little, I have been awestruck by the life of a photojournalist. I was amazed that people were paid to explore and take pictures. What could be better than that? The reality is that it's not all tropical jungles, volcanoes and white sand beaches. There is a lot of pressure, stress and hard work in making beautiful photographs. But I'm still just as in love with photojournalism today as I was at nine years old.
Internships
I have interned twice and worked as a freelance photographer and a writer. My first internship was with Advantage Publishing Inc. I did everything, from coaxing stubborn photo subjects to covering ribbon cuttings. This past fall, I was an online reporting intern for The Gainesville Sun. I learned to shoot and edit video a few times a week. And I also wrote feature stories. The internship gave me the chance to work with some professionals who really know what they are doing. As busy as I was, I learned a lot and I also had a lot of fun.