I’ve always had a passion for creating images, but it wasn’t until getting to high school that I really started taking it seriously.

Towards the end of ninth grade, I became the lead sports videographer at my high school, recommended by a teacher and selected by a senior who’d led the program for four years and liked my videography work. I took charge of leading a talented team, guiding them through the pre-production, event and post-production processes and regularly communicating with our faculty creative director. The next year I was approached by a group of seniors and recent graduates who had formed a media company to film local basketball games and create video clips for individual players to use on social media. They wanted me. I was eager and flattered that they were impressed with a mere sophomore’s abilities. The pay they offered wasn’t great, but I figured I’d be getting good experience and perhaps important exposure, so I said yes.

I enjoyed the work, which was exciting, but within weeks I became disenchanted with the company. Often the company failed to credit me when sharing my work on social media, so I didn’t get the exposure I’d hoped for. I also quickly realized that it took weeks - and a lot of effort on my part - to get each paycheck. Eventually, I resigned because I came to two realizations: they were taking advantage of me by hiring me at a low wage and then not even paying me until I hounded them. Worse, I was allowing this to continue to happen. I had learned a valuable lesson: know your worth, and require that it be recognized and rewarded.

Since leaving the company, I’ve traveled all around the country and worked with several businesses and media outlets who have treated me as a professional and encouraged my desire for a career in filmmaking and photography. In the past couple of years I’ve also branched out into offering more family and individual photo sessions.

In addition to my freelance work following the split, I also continued to lead my high school’s media team all the way up until my graduation and remained happily busy. As for my paying jobs, I’m now getting paid on time at my new higher rate -- a fair price, I know, for the quality I deliver.