Student Spotlight

I can’t pin down a single most notable moment, but the entirety of my intro photography course was really life changing. The instructor, Lynn Whitney, encouraged us to make photographs based on subject matter and emotion, rather than just memorizing a set of technical skills. Developing and printing photos by hand in the dark room was a very personal experience, and it helped me to see the process of making art in a new way.

One in Three is a photography project documenting individuals who have had abortions. The project came out of my intro photography class, where we were granted complete creative freedom for the final assignment. I’d been very involved with the reproductive justice movement ever since I started college—I’d even lobbied my representatives in D.C.—so it felt like a good direction. I landed on the idea of interviewing people after seeing a huge anti-choice protest at the abortion clinic in Toledo. I wondered whether the protesters truly understood the complexity behind a person’s decision to end a pregnancy, so I decided to make those stories more accessible in order to encourage that understanding.

I’m working on a lot of video projects right now that I’d really like to develop further. I have a YouTube channel called JAMMvlogs, and I’ve been posting there since 2011. I really put my heart into it. I’d like to post more content about populations that are often misunderstood, like Syrian refugees or transgender folks or people who’ve had abortions, but I’m struggling with some learning curves—like getting better sound equipment, for example. I really want my work to reflect my vision and it’s not there yet. But I’m hopeful that it will get there eventually.the question to answer it myself, but I pose the question for others to consider when viewing my work.

After graduating, I’d like to move to Columbus, find a quirky graphic design studio, and volunteer with non-profits and other community organizations. I haven’t decided whether or not to pursue a master’s degree, but I’d eventually like to start my own design studio that only serves non-profits and good causes. I’d also like to adopt some cats!

To me, being a feminist means standing up for equity, autonomy, and intersectional understanding. A person’s experience isn’t solely affected by their gender; it’s affected just as much by their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status, etc., and it’s important to listen to individual stories because no one is free until everyone is free.