The Village I convey the story of village life for Maasai children, including their education and the warriors they are to become.

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Monday, November 7, 2011 | flickr photos

I was reared in a lower-class neighborhood near Atlanta, GA, USA. Having technology was often just a childish wish, education was severely limited, and travelling was an inconceivable luxury. Growing up, I did not know a single person who had gone to college or flown in an airplane. Yet, I was determined to see more.

I excelled in out-of-state college, and by the age of 21 I was finally able to take my first flight -- I travelled solo across the country to San Francisco and borrowed a friend’s point-and-shoot camera. This experience forever changed me.

Since that first flight 6 years ago, I have flown in over 160 flights, to places including Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Malta. My passion for photography has steadily increased; I have relentlessly pursued photography and exploration of the world as much as I can: from driving for 16 hours per day throughout the Northeast during fall foliage weekends, to exploring night photography on cold Boston nights, and most recently, my solo safari camping trip to Kenya and Tanzania in which I travelled to photograph the annual Great Migration. The enclosed photos convey the story of African Maasai village children and their education.

I aspire to do justice to the wonders of our world by trying to capture and convey the beauty that I witness -- in hopes of sharing with others the excitement and diversity that lie both within and beyond our local communities. I want to take shots so incredible that they make the viewer feel as if he/she is there, and that it encourages travel. This is what I love, and I yearn to learn more. Having no formal training, I would love to take my passion to the next level. I dream of making my mark on the world via photography.