I’m a very visual person, and landscape photography is one of my favorite hobbies. In my family we road trip a lot, and I love getting outside to immerse myself in the natural world. That’s how I discovered the experience of capturing a picture in the moment, and then being able to look back on that memory for years to come.
I’m fascinated with visual imagery. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I think an image is more powerful when there is a written story behind it. It’s important for storytellers to be well rounded and able to approach an issue from every angle. I love the idea of telling the whole story and getting down into the truth of an issue. The interdisciplinary studies program at SNC is exactly what I was looking for as a photojournalist. Here I can combine photography and other visual media with traditional journalism. I didn’t have to choose one over the other.
“I love the theory behind journalism: to tell the story without bias.”
I grew up in the foothills north of Sacramento, and I’m the first person in my family to get a college education. I graduated from high school when I was 16, and started at the local community college the next fall. Being so young was a challenge in and of itself, but I’m happy I did it. I have a lot more experience than other people my age, and I’ve had some amazing mentors to guide me along the way. The faculty and staff at SNC really care about the students. You’re not just another warm body. The classes are small, and the professors know all of us by name. I feel like I’m getting an individualized education, not a cookie-cutter college experience.
People have the right to know what is happening in their country and in their communities. They should get reliable information from professionals devoted to objectivity. Communication is a vital part of society, and with technology it’s easier than ever. My plan is to continue on to law school after I graduate from SNC. I think this next step in my education will be critical to my development as a writer and an advocate for ethical journalism. Journalism is critical to the democratic process, but the media is becoming less and less reliable. Our society is more focused on empty entertainment than on the real issues facing this country, and I’d like to see that change.
“It’s our job as the younger generation to safeguard the First Amendment we are blessed to have in this country.”
I’d like to oversee my own news company someday. The world of journalism is changing rapidly, and some of the traditional ideas are outdated. Publishers and broadcasters are still doing things how they used to 20 years ago. That doesn’t always work anymore. News needs to be adapted to the modern world in a way that’s reliable and comprehensive. Fake news is a problem because there are no standards in online journalism. We need to adapt the traditional standards of journalistic ethics to the world we live in today.