EDUCATION

Bennington College 2001-2005 

I studied politics and international relations with a focus on civic engagement, and spent two semesters abroad in Cuba and Israel.

Bennington is the way education should be. It is not about a number or a letter, it is about giving students the freedom they need to discover what they are truly passionate about and teaching them the skills they need to succeed in life.

Bennington is somewhat like a live Pinterest world of education, with constant sharing, collaborating, and creating.

International Center for Photography, 2006

There is some type of camera with me wherever I go, usually more than just my iphone. After college, I taught myself to color print.  I completed a photo project on Identity in the Middle East that is on permanent display at The Woodblock in Hoosick Falls, NY. Before  moving to Chicago I took a three week intensive digital photo class at the International Center for Photography in New York City. 

"And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. I know the accident of me being a photographer has made my life possible." - Richard Avedon 

Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, 2005

The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies (AIES) allowed me to merge my passions for Middle East peace and the environment while exploring my childhood dream of living on a kibbutz. AIES, which prepares future Arab and Jewish leaders to work cooperatively to solve the region's environmental challenges, is the premier environmental education and research program in the Middle East.  It was Arava and a class on environmental law that made me want to work at the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Boston University, Democratic National Convention, 2004 

This summer program brought together my love for photography and politics. I attended the university and participated in a special program about photojournalism at the Democratic National Convention.

Global Exchange, Cuba 2003 

I attended a cultural immersion program in Cuba, where I studied Spanish and the Cuban government.