I was a shy, insecure teenager with average grades. My interests were sports and arts and I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I didn’t even know what my options were. Not everyone goes into college knowing exactly what they want to do. HCC was an affordable option for me to find myself and figure out my path. Because I worked and paid for school, it took me more than a few years to complete my degree. Ultimately, the affordability and flexibility that HCC offered, allowed me to keep coming back until I eventually took the elective, that led to the job that became my life's focus. While taking photography, I noticed a job posting to work with an aerial photographer. Until then, I’d never considered photography as a career that I could pursue. My photography professor, Suzanne Camp-Crosby was a tremendous source of encouragement. She helped me figure out my strengths and photography interests. At that point, something just clicked and I knew I’d found my passion and life’s work. Today, I am a working photographer and doing what I love, all because of HCC.