I had only taken photos with an iPhone until my senior year at Penn State. I enrolled in the course "Intro to Photojournalism" and learned how to use a "real" camera. My classmates and I were fortunate enough to have access to the Nikon Z6. Included below are some of my favorite shots.

Shot on assignment for the Big Ten Network (Oct. 29, 2021)

“Do more. Be more. Become an Alpha volunteer firefighter.” The motto of the only volunteer fire department in all of State College, Pennsylvania speaks true to who comprises the unit of firefighters. More than 100 volunteers, including some paid workers, work to help the community through fighting fires with the Alpha Fire Company.

The department has a diverse mix of volunteers and paid workers, all of whom complete hundreds of hours of training in order to be able to complete their jobs. There are three different fire stations located within the greater Centre County region. The stations include the State College location — the main station, which is set at Beaver Avenue — the College Township location, as well as the Patton Township location.

The Alpha Fire Co. has a group of students involved in the organization who are required to complete the same level and number of hours of training to be able to fulfill their job duties. Recently, the Alpha Fire Co. acquired the buildings that were formerly used for a few small businesses, including one apartment building complex that was used for student housing. The volunteers at the company have been working to effectively destroy the buildings in the area during their training sessions on every Monday evening of the fall 2021 semester. The timing of the buildings’ planned destruction worked in the volunteer fire company’s favor because it aligned with the training for the volunteers to complete every week.

The company responds to everything under the sun, including the typical emergency calls, as well as vehicular accidents, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and hazardous materials. The company also responds to “about two dozen other routine surprises that simply come with the job,” according to its website.

Shot on assignment for The Daily Collegian

Shot on assignment for The Fauquier Times

I walked around the University Park campus the morning of Nov. 30, 2021 when it was snowing and took in the scenery.