Graduation year: 2007 (master’s student)
Hometown: Surfside, Calif. (nothing like that O.C. show)
Why I came to Mizzou: There are only a few good master’s programs in the U.S. Of those, MU had the most opportunity for funding, and the students didn’t seem to be cut-throat competitive as in other programs. The school also has a stellar network of professional journalists around the country.
What I'd tell a future Mizzou student: One misconception I often hear is that Mizzou is in the middle of nowhere and there is nothing to do. Columbia has something for everyone … Mizzou’s recreational facilities are convenient, as well. The new rec center has more equipment and fitness classes than most of the health clubs I’ve been to in America’s larger cities …
Why I became a photographer: I fell in love with photography on a business assignment in Europe. I traveled on the weekends with a little point-and-shoot camera and realized that I enjoy documenting people and cultures more than bean counting.
Favorite type of photography: I mostly enjoy issue reporting — especially health and religion issues — and travel photography. I'm currently working on a story in California on families with hemophilia, and when I return to Columbia in the fall I’ll be photographing a local Wiccan/pagan group.
Favorite part of this project: The directors really push you to be creative and progress as a photographer with each assignment … The assignments also allow me to observe parts of the campus I might not have seen otherwise. Buck’s Ice Cream is now a god.
What I do in my free time: Take pictures, go to concerts, watch movies at Ragtag, hike, mountain bike, chill out at the Artisan, Shakespeare's or Flat Branch, be free
Favorite thing to do in Columbia: Inhale photo chemicals and break-dance in the developing room
Ideal job: I'm targeting newspapers in the northwest like Portland, Ore., and the Puget Sound region, but if National Geographic needed someone for a few assignments, I’d reconsider.
More info: The photo chemicals don’t harm brain cells. Only clothing.
