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When I was 12 I anxiously watched the votes pour in from across the county, electing our nation’s first black president. I can remember trying to use it as an excuse to stay up past my bedtime, saying “But dad, this is history in the making and what if I miss it!” My dad replied, “Obama will still be elected even if you are asleep, now go to bed.”

Two years later I hungrily ate up the news broadcasts on NPR about the Arab Spring and obsessively scrolled through the photos and articles posted on the BBC’s website. I could tell you exactly what gains were being made by rebel forces in Aleppo, what camera crews were stationed where, and how each news agency spelled Gadhafi’s name differently.

I recognize now that I have, and have always had, a passion for the news. But more importantly I have a passion for the everyday people and events which make up the news. There is so much going on in the world right now, and so often it is the news media who decides which stories get told and which ones don’t. I want to be a part of that deciding force. I want to tell the stories of everyday people trapped in wars and events and catastrophes beyond their control.

In our society the news media shapes how we view the world – an article can galvanize us into action, a photo can spark compassion, and a news broadcast can end a war. I use my skills as a photographer to bring understanding about people far, far removed from us and our view of the world. By using powerful images and strong reporting I want to make events seem almost touchable to people scrolling through the headlines on their phone. I believe in the power of a photograph to start global change, and I hope to someday produce a picture which can be said to have done just that.