A passion for capturing and sharing different perspectives of the world around me was ignited at a very early age, through photography. When I was a young girl, my grandfather bestowed upon me his love for the process - letting me look through the viewfinder to compose a shot, making me wait in anticipation for the perfect moment to release the shutter. He would tell stories of his grandfather who brought the sepia tone photographic process to the U.S. from Germany and how his father traveled from one side of the country to the other taking family photographs and portraits in small towns, as the equipment and skill of the art form had been handed down to him. For more than 30 years, I have loved getting lost in this amazing and creative process, including its wonderful advances into the digital realm.
While continuing my study of photography during my first year of undergrad, through Appalachian State University’s Media Studies program, I was introduced to the larger framework of media and immediately was hooked. I took every class imaginable, graduating with a BS in Communications, with concentrations in both Print and Broadcast Journalism, because I wanted to understand every aspect of the field. I worked to garner coveted media-oriented student roles while there, including Director of the monthly television broadcast, Appalachian Perspectives, hosted by the university’s chancellor, a WASU Disk Jockey slot, and a photojournalist position with the school newspaper. In addition to a minor in Media Studies, I also completed a minor in English, as I wanted to ensure I had a solid base upon which to build my writing.
After graduation, I moved to Atlanta to follow my dream of breaking into the music business. My band-mate and I wrote and recorded over 30 original pieces, and played numerous venues throughout the area, including an Olympic venue in 1996. During this time, I was hired by ABC/Disney, to manage the promotions of, and act as on- and off-air station talent for, their fledgling radio property, Radio Disney. I co-wrote and produced many on-air promotional and ad sales campaigns, and was promoted within a year and a half to the Director or Operations and Promotions position.
Several years later, I moved to the Washington, D.C. market, where I took a job with Discovery Communications’ newest network, Discovery Health, running the promotions and experiential marketing component. I led their event marketing strategy for five years from Discovery’s headquarters, and when I had to make a family-related move, continued in this capacity as a contracted employee. I have worked for Discovery Communications for over eleven years, of which the last five have included the management of the experiential/event components for both Animal Planet and Discovery’s newest network, Planet Green.
The experience I have garnered, both through my passions based in photography and music, as well as my professional experience over the last 15 years for two of the most trusted and acclaimed brands worldwide, has all prepared me for this next step in my professional life. I have been exposed to an incredible group of creative minds, who were completely invested in creating an outstanding product. I know that life is not its best, for me, unless I’m doing something creative within this field.
I work very well within the cross-departmental, team environment that both of these companies heartily emphasize, but I am also an incredibly motivated self-starter with a long history of conceptualizing, organizing and completing projects given to me, with a fierce dedication to executional excellence. I am able to develop fresh and innovative concepts, which break through the clutter to capture the consumer’s attention, utilizing many creative principles and techniques, which I’m looking forward to building upon within my work in the Media Arts and Science masters program. Although some of my hands-on video and audio production skills have not been utilized to their full potential, over the last several years, I am fully enjoying working with the latest technology and perfecting these crafts.
I have continued, throughout the years, to improve my photography skills and emerging digital techniques via certificate-based, undergraduate and graduate-level classes. As well, I own and operate a freelance photography business, and am hired for projects ranging from landscape, event, portrait, commercial and journalistic photography assignments. With my experience within the masters program, I am planning to take this business to a new level, providing my clients a one-stop multimedia shop, dedicated to fulfilling not only their needs for still photography, but for a range of digital needs – i.e. website creation and content management, video production (both on-air and online), web and mobile application design, etc.
Currently, I feel that I am standing at a crossroads in my career path, with the full knowledge that digital media technology presents the best fit for my future success, as well as the fuel for my own personal passions. I am excited about dedicating the next several years, to the pursuit of a deeper knowledge of, and skill-set within, the field of cutting-edge media. At this point, I plan to focus on Integrated Media, melded with Visual Communication and Media Studies. I am also considering continuing on with a Ph.D. within the field of media, communications and/or cultural studies, at IU Bloomington. I have always been fascinated by the constant flux of the media landscape, and am looking forward to teaching media literacy, nonverbal communication, photography, and cultural studies classes. I feel that with my experience in the field of media, I would be a strong asset to a university with a strong Communications and Media program.
The skills I glean through my masters will also offer me the opportunity to give back to my community in many ways, through website development for nonprofit groups, teaching skill-building, technology-related workshops, and producing multimedia presentations and digital documentaries for unrecognized causes and issues.
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