I am not a writer, nor have I ever been for The Daily Tar Heel.
The immense anxiety that rushes over me whenever our Editor-in-Chief Emmy Martin asks me to write a short blurb for a photo story is a feeling I don’t enjoy or strive for.
But, this story is different. This one makes me excited and as my eyes burn as tears start to form, I realize how hard this chapter will be to let go of.
As a member of the COVID-19 class of 2024, I felt at a disadvantage on the friend and extracurricular scene after my first year. By no means was I friendless, as I had the privilege of having close to 40 people from high school on this campus (a blessing in disguise, but that is another story), and a handful of friends I was able to make through Zoom.
My solution to this disadvantage appeared to me as I scrolled through social media and saw a post that said something along the lines of “now accepting applications.” I will be honest — I had no clue what The DTH was outside of that Instagram account which helped me stay connected to campus even when I wasn’t physically there.
So, I did it. I applied. I have always been passionate about photography, and self-conscious about it too. I refused to show people my photos or even mention that I enjoyed it or even cared about it. I remember looking at the application that requested three photos of mine and freaking out over which ones I should pick.
The glorious part of the newsroom that many don’t appreciate is that The DTH is a teaching newspaper. We welcome “newbies," and we thrive on growing together. Unlike most of my DTH peers, I am not in the so called “J-school," nor have I ever taken a class in photography.
The DTH became my classroom, and the amount that my talent has evolved over my past three years at The DTH is noticeable, especially comparing the first men’s basketball game I ever shot versus the last — both against N.C. State University, funnily enough.
My love for sports photography truly started when shooting the women’s basketball team during the 2022-23 season. I loved how the personality of the players would shine through the photos and was so excited when I got the shot.
