UP editors share final thoughts before graduation
When I joined the University Press in 2022, all I wanted to do was take pictures — I mean, that’s what I came to Lamar for. Ever since I was 16, I knew I wanted to be a sports photographer after shooting a couple of MLS and high school games. I thought that all I needed to become an NBA photographer was a bachelor’s degree in communication.
I love going to different stadiums and watching the LU games for free. Most importantly, I love interacting with the athletes, but them just using my pictures wasn’t enough. I wanted to get to know them — where they came from, how they got here. I wanted to ask the coaches questions after the game to know what exactly happened during the play.
I started off as a photographer for the LU athletics department during my freshman year. I enjoyed the job, but I felt like I wasn’t learning anything there. It wasn’t until I took UP adviser Andy Coughlan’s photojournalism class that I started to learn more about the art of photography.
That class has stuck with me to this day. I believe it changed my perspective on photography. I remember watching the Don McCullin documentary and seeing the deeper, emotional side of photography — the journalistic side.
In that class, I met Keagan Smith, UP sports editor at the time. I remember hearing him talk about the Houston Rockets with Andy, and I immediately knew we were going to become friends.
I remember talking to Keagan about being a sports photographer when he told me the UP was actually looking for one and I joined the UP as photo editor my sophomore year.
I had a tough time adjusting to the UP, as all I wanted to do was shoot sports, but Andy had other plans. I was shooting some of the most boring assignments, and Andy would have me write stories — which I did not want to write at all. Not only that, he wouldn’t give me a break and always criticized my work. It got to the point where I didn’t know if I wanted to be a photographer anymore.
Towards the end of my sophomore year, Maddie Sims and I went to the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention in Fort Worth. I went there feeling overwhelmed, knowing I was competing against some of the biggest schools in Texas. By using all the critiques I’d had at the paper, I placed first in Live Sports Action Photo and received an Honorable Mention in Feature Photo. I went home with seven awards that day, but it still wasn’t enough. Something else was missing — I wanted to do more.
During my junior year, Keagan informed me he’d be graduating a semester early, meaning someone else would have to take over the sports editor position. I remember telling him it definitely wasn’t going to be me and that he should start looking elsewhere.
But something changed in my mind, though. I thought to myself, “It wouldn’t hurt to try, right?” I started listening to the questions Keagan would ask the coaches and learning from him how to interview.
The first game I fully covered was senior night at women’s soccer, where they were presented with the Southland Conference regular season trophy. I remember being so nervous interviewing the athletes, especially the coach. But I loved the adrenaline — asking the player exactly what I wanted to know about the game — it was surreal.
That’s when I knew I wanted to become a sports journalist. After a year of rejecting stories that would require me to write more than 250 words, I started to seek out stories and began going to every game, trying to cover as much as I could.
Looking back, what started as a simple desire to take pictures turned into a journey of self-discovery and growth. I came to Lamar to be a photographer, but I found my voice as an all-round journalist.
The University Press challenged me in ways I never expected, pushing me out of my comfort zone and helping me discover a new passion. Now, I don’t just want to capture the game — I want to tell the whole story.
We are constantly told that college is more than just what we earn in the classroom. I am living proof of that.
From behind the lens to behind the notebook, I’ve found where I truly belong.
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