I'm Done With College!
As of this month, I'm officially a college graduate and I now have my bachelor's degree in photography!! This has been a wild journey and I've loved every minute of it, okay maybe not during every minute but looking back I wouldn't change a thing! I've met some of the most inspiring professors, most helpful coworkers, and honestly some of the best fellow photographers during my time at NAU. Those of you that have been around since pre-college know how much my photography has grown and how much I've learned - it's insane! I got to travel to Germany, photograph a basketball game on the Sun's court, but most importantly walk across that stage (shout out to the class of 2020 haha) and move my tassel. I've imagined myself at NAU since I was a freshmen in high school, and now here I am 4 years later with a degree from that very school and in a field that I was told I shouldn't pursue and I wasn't good enough for! I don't want to get too sappy and rant for too long but this feels important to acknowledge
What I learned - there could be a whole essay here on what I learned at NAU, especially because it wasn't just in the classroom. Yes, I learned a lot getting to be in a photo studio and use all the equipment. And yep, I learned a lot taking journalism, video, and communication classes too. I learned a lot working in athletics and marketing as well. But honestly, if I can be cheesy for a minute, I learned the most from those around me. The RA's and other students in my freshmen dorm, classmates, coworkers, people I met in church - when they say college is a community and you need people around you, they mean it.
Who I met - I had so many amazing opportunities during these past 4 years, from an internship with athletics and working in marketing, to spending countless hours in the communications building (specifically in the photo studio) - the people I met along the way made it all the better! I don't want to name everyone honestly only because I wouldn't want to leave anyone out and the list of people is sooooooo long! But the students, professors, deans, coworkers, and managers I came in contact with are the reason I had such an amazing experience here.
Why I'd recommend it - to anyone considering college, especially if you're considering going to school for photography, I say do it! While we may not need this specific degree for potential jobs, the connections you make and skills you learn are priceless! Taking that step out of my comfort zone and jumping in headfirst was the best choice I could've made. Do the new thing, either you love it or you hate it but either way you'll learn things about yourself and the world around you and that alone makes it worth it!
