I have loved making memories with photographs for as long as I can remember. In fact, my senior quote in high school was, “Wait! Let me get my camera!” While pursuing another of my passions – writing – as an English and journalism major, I was recruited for the Appalachian yearbook staff at Carson-Newman College. After serving as yearbook editor for two years, I had a brief full-time job as a school photographer before returning to graduate school to become a teacher.
In my position at Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge, TN, I teach eighth grade English Language Arts as well as a journalism/creative writing elective course. Creating the school yearbook since 2001 has provided me plenty of opportunities to create memories in pictures. I provide photo coverage for a wide range of school events, share the images for use on the school and district web sites and social media, and donate my services for dance photo fundraisers.
My hobbies of reading books and watching movies betray my love of stories. I enjoy combining words, pictures, and design to tell a story – whether it be in a scrapbook, photo montage, or other type of project. I do special event and portrait photography as well as custom digital photobook design for friends, family, and private clients. Mostly, though, I just enjoy documenting life through photos and making sure my pictures don’t hide in a “digital shoebox.”
I treasure my family photos as precious memories, and therefore the opportunity to share that with others who might not have the resources to collect photo memories is very meaningful. I believe it was no coincidence that so many photographers ended up together at Wallace Memorial. God orchestrated that, and I’m excited to see how He will continue to use this ministry for His glory.