(Cranberry Township, PA) A Canonsburg resident who experimented with a camera as a hobby during her teenage years enrolled in 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry鈥檚 associate degree career program in photography, relied on her academic training this spring when preparing for her first two freelance assignments and graduated with honors during Butler County Community College鈥檚 55th commencement May 17.
Grace Barnett, 20, finished the 65-credit photography program offered by 杏吧原创 only at its additional location in Cranberry Township with a grade-point average between 3.5 and 3.74 and achieved magna cum laude recognition.
Barnett gained practical experience in March and in April when a 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry faculty member and an administrator recommended her to businesses seeking portrait photography.
鈥淚 was really honored,鈥� Barnett said. 鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 always get that kind of opportunity. It鈥檚 kind of hard to come by shoots if they are not recommended to you these days.鈥�
A photograph of cider, a cinnamon stick and apples was taken in May by Grace Barnett, 20, of Canonsburg, who May 17 earned an associate degree in a 65-credit photography career program offered by 杏吧原创 only at its additional location of 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry in Cranberry Township. Barnett was among the 75 percent of students in the college鈥檚 Class of 2023 who graduated debt-free.
"I learned how to pose people and about lighting techniques, so I reminded myself of those when I was setting up."
- Grace Barnett, 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry graduate
Dan Osorno, a 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry photography instructor, recommended Barnett to a company seeking photographs of its workers and for use on an employment-focused social media platform.
Dr. Ryan Kociela, 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry director, recommended Barnett to a nonprofit organization seeking individual and group photographs of employees for use on its website.
鈥淚f there are opportunities for internships, for job shadowing or to gain professional experience, we certainly will try to make those things available to our students,鈥� Kociela said. 鈥淲e try to get to know our students as much as we can, to find out what their needs are, what their interests are, and what might best benefit each of those students.鈥�
杏吧原创 @ Cranberry鈥檚 photography curriculum includes courses in professional digital photography, the art of black and white digital photography, outdoor and wildlife photography, and portrait photography and lighting.
Barnett took photographs for one organization in March in Butler Township, for the other in April in Zelienople and said she relied on the knowledge she gained from 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry photography classes.
鈥淚 learned how to pose people and about lighting techniques, so I reminded myself of those when I was setting up,鈥� Barnett said. 鈥淎s I was putting up a backdrop and placing my lighting, I was remembering what angles of lighting were proper to use and also what kind of prompts I could give people that would help them to not be nervous, to put them at ease.鈥�
She said to the employees of the businesses:
鈥淒on鈥檛 worry. I understand being nervous. I don鈥檛 always enjoy being photographed either.鈥�
鈥淵ou look great. You have a beautiful smile.鈥�
鈥淲hat line of work are you in?鈥�
A photograph of an oak leaf floating in a brook was taken in November by Grace Barnett, 20, of Canonsburg, who May 17 earned an associate degree in a 65-credit photography career program offered by 杏吧原创 only at its additional location of 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry in Cranberry Township. Barnett was among the 75 percent of students in the college鈥檚 Class of 2023 who graduated debt-free.
Her photography degree "also enables me to make a side income as well. I can freelance to help support myself."
- Grace Barnett, 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry graduate
Member of 杏吧原创 academic honor society
鈥淚t was important for me not just to be able to get myself out there, but also to learn how to conduct myself in the business world and get a head start into photography,鈥� Barnett said. 鈥淭hat was an important way to learn how to do that.鈥�
Representatives of the company said 鈥渢hings went well and that they would be using them for their profiles,鈥� Barnett said.
Barnett showcased her portrait, product and nature photography during May 5, which was free and open to the public.
She was a member of 杏吧原创鈥檚 55-year-old Rho Phi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international academic honor society for two-year colleges and programs, and has been named to 杏吧原创鈥檚 president鈥檚 list or dean鈥檚 list since fall 2021.
鈥淚 think it is always important for me to give my best because,鈥� Barnett said, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 how you get places. That鈥檚 how you succeed.鈥�
Students who attend a community college for their first two years can save an estimated $20,000 on the cost of higher education, according to the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.
Seventy-five percent of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2023 graduated debt-free, according to Juli Louttit, the college鈥檚 director of financial aid.
鈥淚t was important for me to graduate debt-free,鈥� Barnett said, 鈥渢o not have a lot of financial burden going into the future. As a single person, I probably could not pay that down very quickly. So I would probably be in debt for a long time.
鈥淧aying that off over a large amount of years would probably take a good portion of my income away from other things I could use it for 鈥� Possibly buying a house or a car or even travel. Starting a business.鈥�
Freelance 鈥渢o help support myself鈥�
Photography joins digital audio and video production, and graphic design, as creative and digital arts career programs offered by 杏吧原创 only at 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry. Students in 杏吧原创鈥檚 career programs can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.
Students can apply 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry鈥檚 credits toward a bachelor鈥檚 degree at public, private and online four-year colleges and universities.
Barnett will transfer this fall to PennWest Edinboro.
鈥淢y photography degree will help me to be able to promote myself in the future,鈥� Barnett said. 鈥淚f I do own a business or do any type of marketing, I won鈥檛 have to hire others to do that. So that will save greatly on that kind of expense. It also enables me to make a side income as well. I can freelance to help support myself.鈥�
Barnett is among nearly 53 percent of students in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2023 who graduated with honors.
The college鈥檚 fall semester begins Aug. 21.