Taking Notes
Last week I had the pleasure of speaking at Columbia University about photojournalism. It was a strange experience- it’s no easy task to be the lecturer in front of a room of students. I remember what hell was raised when guest speakers would come into my classes, the caliber of the questions, the intensity of the responses. I didn’t freak out about it for too long, as I had presumed for the last two months I would be holding an informal workshop for a few students. When the Columbia Spectator photo editor told me she booked a lecture hall, complete with multimedia support, the day before…it was an intense 24 hours. I was also in the depths of hay fever, so it could have gone a million ways.
Sniffles aside, it was a great night. I remember how lost I was when I got started after graduation; Columbia does little to prepare students for a job outside of academia, finance, medicine or law. I wonder why they offer majors at all- no matter what you study, most Columbia kids come out the same.
Even though I went so far off the path, it’s comforting to think that Columbia will still carve out a place on its mantle for me. They wrote this little blurb on me, and it made me feel successful in a way I haven’t before.
I guess the point of this post was that even though I was there for the students, it was more of an inspiration for me than anything else. I hope the notes they jotted and the tidbits I shared will make them brave. The past three years have been hard, but sharing my experiences reaffirmed the choices I’ve made. At 24, I own my own business, millions of people see my photographs everyday, and I love what I do. I also found out that I love teaching.