We Are The Lights: An Illumination of Youth Resiliency through Collaborative Photography and Poetry: The Pledge Project Through a series of creative workshops, students at Herbert Hoover High School used poetry and photography to explore their personal concepts of American identity. In looking at America’s Pledge of Allegiance, the students worked collaboratively to write pledges of their own and illustrate what they truly believe in.

Where the Light Travels: Portraits of San Diego Refugee Students 4 x 5 large format film portraits of students from the San Diego Refugee Tutoring program, shot against the landscape of their school in Eastern City Heights. Strong and personality-filled portraits shot in a collaborative way, hoping to steer away from the often limited and ‘othering’ gaze of refugee portraits. Each student in this exhibition is the face of a wider story - the story of their journey, family, resilience, terrors, defiance, and joy. The medium of large format was more commonly used during a time when photography was less accessible and less democratic. The aim of this project was to subvert that context and use this format to photograph an often overlooked and marginalized community. The time and care needed for each shot on a large format camera, with its intricate and antiquated handling, is a way to honor these incredible young people and help to bring attention to themselves and their stories.