Backstory

I declared I’d be a writer someday at 7-years-old. I received my first camera, a lime green Kodak digital camera, in 2009. 

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After being accepted into Michigan State University in 2018, I pursued journalism and chose the photojournalism concentration. While in the photojournalism program, my professor Judy Walgren pushed me to be the best photographer I could be. I was apart of VIM Fashion Magazine as a print photographer from 2019-2021. I received a job as a multimedia reporter for The State News in 2021. I covered on-campus events, off-campus events, profile pieces, and sports. Professor Walgren noticed that I was drawn to video as well as photo, and told me that I would make a great filmmaker. 

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By the end of my junior year at Michigan State University, I was bugging professor John Valadez to let me into the documentary minor program. Valadez told me that he didn’t think it would be possible. I requested a meeting with him and explained that I could tackle anything, and that I already felt prepared due to my experience outside of classes, too. By the end of our meeting he told me he’d make an exception, his approval meant so much to me. My senior year of college was spent working on a 10-minute documentary for the capstone course I was taking. I chose to make my film about my own experience as a survivor of sexual assault. I wrote, shot, and edited the film over the course of several months. My excellent professor, Carleen Hsu, acted as my producer and helped me immensely with the creative process. In May 2022, I had officially completed my Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and was honored as a Mary Gardner Scholar. 

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The school of journalism presented me with the award for my work on my film. My film Fragile Remnants (2022) played at the Central Michigan International Film Festival in 2023. It received an award of excellence in the micro-documentary category from the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) 2023 Festival of Media Arts. Along with the BEA’s recognition, I was awarded best director at the National Academy of Television Arts & Science (NATAS) Michigan Chapter’s 2023 Student Production Awards (SPA) for Fragile Remnants. I plan to enter Fragile Remnants into more film festivals. 

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In the summer of 2023 I worked as a camp photographer for Cranbrook Schools and Special Camps. I tackled the task of running around and photographing the 800 enrolled campers.

I utilize my photography, videography, writing, and editing skills throughout my daily life.

Now I've come to realize that my dream was to become a storyteller.