I have spent the last three years first shooting for, then building up, and now managing the photo desk at L.A.’s largest newsroom - USC Annenberg Media.
My journey on the photo desk has been filled with trial and error. Three years ago, I was an eager-eyed transfer student, nervous that I needed to make up for lost time. I have always been steadfast and goal orientated, which led to getting a photo job at Annenberg’s communications department weeks into my tenure at USC, then meeting Christina Bellantoni, a finally joining the desk in the spring.
I did a lot of learning in these early years. Balancing work and school, building relationships within the newsroom, and improving behind the camera.
My trial ground was Los Angeles - covering the Black Lives Matter protests at USC, then Dodgers celebration photos in downtown L.A., and finally closing out the year with Joe Biden election victory photos, for which I won an L.A. press club award.
In the following semesters, I continued to learn. Balance 20 plus hour work week with school, managing and culling thousands of images on deadline, pushing, failing, and adapting as I pursued my dreams of being a working photojournalist.
This past year has been the biggest test yet. In-person classes forced me to heavily recruit, receiving an overwhelming 87 people interested in the desk. I further expanded my photography, writing features on USC students, chasing spot news outside of USC’s bubble, as well furthering my craft with a sports photography internship with USC’s athletic department.
This semester I now have two assistants and an additional social media editor. I still manage this team as I chase stories, talking my way into access and finding unique stories in Los Angeles while I am still a USC student.
Education
B.A. in International Relations, minor in Cultural Anthropology - University of Southern California
Skills
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Fluent in German and Swiss German
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Certified SCUBA Diver - AAUS & PADI Open water
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Photo editing: Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop & Camera Bits Photo Mechanic
Awards
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2022 PPAGLA - Finalist - student portfolio
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2021 LA Press Club Award - breaking news photo