Education

I was home schooled from first grade to twelfth. Although homeschooling did not always grant me the opportunities that other kids had, I did learn to be self-reliant and resilient.

After taking the ACT, I applied to and was accepted into the graphic design program at William Woods University. I had some great mentors at the Woods. Professor Elliott showed me just how much there is to learn about design, and encouraged me many times when I was discouraged. Professor Martin helped me discover my artistic sensibilities. They have both retired, but I cannot be grateful enough for they have done for me. I had many more great professors, and to all of them, I say thank you! I could not have made it to graduation without each one of you.

Career

In the summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to work an internship at Revival Animal Health in Orange City, Iowa. The company was working on revamping its website’s photographs, and I was tasked with taking pictures of all their products. For many products, this was a simple task. For other products, I had to get creative and exercise my own judgement. Some bird products had to be hung from the ceiling. Other products had unusual shapes that made them hard to stand upright.

Aside from the photography, Revival also gave me a few other tasks. I was given the chance to assist my coworkers in producing videos for the company. This usually involved running the teleprompter. I also once held up a light reflector for an outdoor video shoot.

The people at Revival were some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Even though I was only a temporary intern, I was treated with the same consideration and respect as everyone else. It was a pleasure working with them, and I was disappointed to know that they were not looking for a full-time position.

I am currently a volunteer at Capital Arts in Jefferson City.

Personal Life

As much of a cliche as it is, I absolutely love music. I taught myself to play piano starting when I was 7 years old, and I still practice regularly. My favorite style to play is ragtime. I have been to the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in Sedalia, and I plan to go again. I have also played violin, and for a few years I was a performer with the Jefferson City Symphony Orchestra.

I have only recently discovered my love for drawing. Drawing is one of those things that I never thought I could be good at. I turns out I just hadn’t found my voice. I am still not very good at realistic drawings, but I really enjoy creating abstract pieces.

My other hobbies include watching hockey (go Blues!), playing retro computer games, and reading history.