A New Kind of Cultural Exchange

For the past 6 months, my family in Indianapolis had the pleasure of hosting Hyemin Kang, a foreign exchange student from South Korea. Prior to meeting her, I had no knowledge about Korea except for the popularity of KPop and that South Korea and North Korea don't get along. Hyemin came to our family after she had become friends with my younger sister Ellie while they were in Color Guard at school. She had explained to Ellie that the family she had been with since her arrival to Indiana in July of 2017 wasn't working out because her original family had another student from Mongolia and they didn't get along. The day after Christmas in 2017, Hyemin joined our family and stayed with them in Indianapolis until June of 2018. We learned so much from her, from Korean words to traditional clothing and cuisine. She also learned a lot from us about American foods, traditions, and customs. Hyemin instantly became a friend, a cultural connector, and a sister to me. 

Below is a quick video that I produced for a final project in my Longform Photojournalism class about Hyemin and the cultural exchange she experienced with us during her time in the states. 

Shoot For Good Muncie

This past April, Ball State's NPPA Student Chapter hosted the second annual Shoot For Good, a 24 hour event that documents wholesome kindness and volunteering in Muncie, Indiana. This event and being part of the team to put it together was something like no other. I was part of the PR team and it was my job to contact businesses around Muncie and ask them about events or awesome volunteers they have that we could document on April 14, 2018. Our small group spent MONTHS planning this and it turned out to be an even better turn out than we thought. I had the pleasure on the day of the event to photograph volunteers at Habitat for Humanity and the Meridian Health Services Rialzo Charity Gala. Before this, I didn't know much about Muncie except for the fact that's where my college is located. Seeing so much kindness and beauty in my community definitely brought me in closer. 

To check out the full website and see the work of my colleagues, visit  https://shootforgoodmuncie.com/ and follow us on Facebook at Shoot For Good Muncie and Instagram & Twitter @SFGMuncie

Indianapolis 2018 Women's March

It was a cold day and snowed the day before, but the sun was shining and hundreds of people gathered at the American Legion Mall in Indianapolis for the second annual Women's March on January 21, 2018. 

This was the most exhilarating event I've witnessed. There was power, there was equality, there was so much love and I still can't believe that I was there to capture it. 

I have always been inspired by people and events like this. I remember photos of early suffragettes and women's rights marches, civil rights protestors marching through the streets throughout the south. I can't believe that in 2018, we are still marching for human rights. Granted, these marches are nowhere near as violent and scary as they once were, but it is still a part of history and people will read about it and look at photos for years to come. 

With this being the first time I've ever covered a protest, I wasn't entirely sure how I should go about taking photos. I didn't want to get photos of a bunch of signs or scene-setting pictures, so instead I captured the young and old faces, men and women, and the details of it all. I personally believe in equality of people and I had never been to something like this, so it was hard to not get swept up in all the action. I wanted to chant with the crowd and march, but I was there to be a journalist.