College Senior Portraits at Cal State East Bay

When you think of senior photos, you probably picture photos of high school graduates, capturing the time where they’re getting ready for their next step into the world. I love photographing senior portraits as this is such an important time in a young person’s life. Having the opportunity to capture Jackie’s college graduation with meaningful senior portraits was an amazing experience.

Jackie graduates from Cal State East Bay, Hayward Campus, with a degree in Health Sciences and an emphasis in community health. She aims to be a Health Educator in an area such as Oakland where services like the ones she can provide are critical and much-needed. Jackie’s family immigrated to the United States and she is the first in her family to go to college, so obtaining her degree is personal and meaningful. She is proud of herself and of CSUEB, Hayward and she wanted photos that captured not only this momentous time, but also the place that she has spent the last four years of her life. Her degree is dedicated to her mother because without her sacrifices and dedication Jackie wouldn't be the girl she is today.

In planning for the session, she wanted to have a photo of the iconic Cal State East Bay main sign, which turned out beautifully. Since she spent most of her time at school in the MI building along with the library, it was important to have photos taken in both locations. I love when we can capture such personalized memories in photographs.

Not only will Jackie graduate with her BS in Health Science in 2017, but she also completed her holy sacraments, and will also get married. It was through the process of wedding planning that I met Jackie and her fiancée. We did a beautiful engagement session together and I look forward to photographing their wedding. While I love photographing a client once, I love it even more when I am invited to be a repeated part of their important moments. 

Graduating from college is an important milestone, and one that came with work both in and out of school. In addition to working on her education, she is an optical assistant for Family Optical, a community clinic in Oakland. She is thinking of going to grad school for a master’s in public health with an emphasis in clinical studies or nursing.

As we planned the photos such as standing in the stacks at the library, holding the sign with her mom, and blowing gold dust, she told me that Starbucks kept her going, her cat offered her comfort with her purrs, exercising helped maintain her mental health, and she learned that study groups are the best way to get through college. I know that whatever Jackie does from here, she will make an impact.