PHOTOJOURNALISM
A picture truly is worth a thousand words. Whether I am sitting in on a class presentation or walking downtown to a community event, my peers have come to recognize me as “the girl with the camera.” My love for telling stories visually is why I initially became involved in journalism and continues to drive me in the field. I hardly ever go anywhere without my Canon T6i hanging over my shoulder and extra lenses, SD cards, and batteries in my bag.
Editing
Below are some of my favorite things I have covered.
Click on the photo to read the description.
In journalism, I only edit my photos for quality. Often times, this means lighting, color, and the occasional cropping. My goal is to make the photo clear and easy to make out as well as accurately depict the story it goes with. My go-to editing software is the Adobe Lightroom Photo Editor app, and sometimes I use Photoshop Elements 13 Editor.
Inside a Trump Rally
Over 10,000 Mississippians flooded the BancorpSouth Arena for the Trump rally, vying for the chance to see the president last Friday Nov. 1. Five editors from “The Vision” were able to secure a spot in the news and media section–being the only high schoolers there with official passes… Click here to read more.
Raising the Dead
Tales from the Crypt is a rigorous, college-level research and writing project was founded 29 years ago and has evolved into a nationally-recognized performance and community service project through the public performances at the historic Friendship Cemetery. Students honor those buried in Friendship Cemetery by exploring their local and national relevance as well as attempting to uncover and tell their life stories… Click here to read more.
Finding a Love for History
MSMS teacher Julie Heintz was recently awarded a $500 grant and WCBI Educator of the Week honors after winning a “Back to School Essay Contest” put on by WCBI, Food Giant and 4-County Electric Power Association… Click here to read more.
Financially Literate
As a part of our Math Outreach class, several students put together a Financial Literacy course for elementary school students at the Columbus and Lowndes County Boys and Girls Club. The goal of this program is to teach kids early on the importance of economics and how it affects everything we do.
Little Hands, Big Trucks
With horns honking and lights flashing, Columbus residents of all ages gathered at the Columbus Soccer Complex to learn about vehicles you might not see every day. Hosted by United Way of Lowndes County, Little Hands, Big Trucks is an annual fundraiser that offers children the opportunity to explore different types of trucks, such as fire trucks, tow trucks and ambulances… Click here to read more.
Inspiring a New Generation of Math-lovers
Roughly 300 elementary students from all corners of the state gathered in the Columbus Trotter Convention Center for MSMS’s fifth annual Math Superstars event last Tuesday, Oct. 22. This event is intended to help teach kids math in fun and challenging ways… Click here to read more.
Celebrating the #6 School in the Nation
On Monday, Oct. 15, MSMS students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and special guests gathered outside Hooper Academic Building to celebrate the announcement of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science ranking among the top ten public high schools in America and having the nation’s best faculty for the second consecutive year, according to niche.com… Click here to read more.
Sports Photojournalism
Coming from a STEM school where academics are prioritized over athletics, covering sporting events often gave me a rush of excitement I never expected to have. I was always on the sidelines, but I felt like a part of the team when I would run after them to capture the action.
Showing up to capture pictures and gather interviews is one thing, but building a relationship with that team prior to opens up a new perspective on sports reporting.
Below are photography samples throughout various sports seasons.
Awards
Mississippi Scholastic Press Association 2019 - 2x News Photo Finalist
Junior Will Sutton rips his shirt as he screams, "STELLA!" Every September, the city of Columbus, Miss. hosts a "Stella Shouting" competition based on the play A Streetcar Named Desire to honor its playwright and Columbus native Tennessee Williams. The judges look for the most unique interpretation of the famous scene; Sutton moved on to the final round of the competition but did not win.
The crowd of supporters cheers and waves their signs as President Donald Trump walks toward the podium to give his speech in Tupelo, Miss. Trump visited Mississippi to endorse now Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith during the state's 2018 special elections.
Mississippi Scholastic Press Association 2019 - 2x Feature Photo Finalist
A supporter holds up a sign reading "Get Out and Vote" during a presidential rally in Tupelo, Miss. Before President Donald Trump arrived to endorse Cindy Hyde-Smith for U.S. Senator, crowds of people gathered at the Tupelo Regional Airport and handed out signs to hold up.
Students from all across Columbus protest tobacco use at the annual Kick Butts event hosted by the Lowndes-Clay-Oktibbeha County Tobacco Free Coalition. Three MSMS students served on the coalition board for the 2018-2019 school year: Devin Chen, Likhitha Polepalli and Lilian Le.
Mississippi Scholastic Press Association 2020
Feature Photo Winner News Photo Winner
Senior Aiden Leise lays on a makeshift "tomb" as he waits for the next group of guests to arrive at his grave. Every year, thousands of guests flock to Friendship Cemetery in Columbus, Miss. to watch students perform as a presentation of the research they have conducted throughout the school year. The students choose their subject on their very first visit to the cemetery at the beginning of the school year.
President Donald Trump speaks to the crowd in Tupelo, Miss. endorsing former Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves for Governor early last November. This rally was also a part of his 2020 re-election campaign. He brought out several special guests, including Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith whom he endorsed in Tupelo in November 2018.