For some, it’s the six-figure salary. As for myself, the path is a little less straightforward, and that’s okay. 

At the time of writing, I’m due to leave New Haven in less than a week, and I’ve said bye to the few friends of mine who are still in town. Boxes are starting to fill my apartment, and the neighborhood is quiet. I still get out, when I can, for an evening photo walk around campus, and after having spent a year religiously photographing it in monochrome, I’m viewing the grounds through my lens one last time as a resident and allowing myself to work in color. I am nostalgic.

Some of my friends from other institutions have asked me what my experience here was like, and I think that the best way I’ve been able to describe it is . . . Yale is the place where I met the friends I always wanted but never thought I’d have.

To be surrounded by a group of genuinely nice people who inspire you to work your hardest, who make you laugh and bring you joy — friends with whom you can share meals and walks, and celebrate holidays — was a gift. I was very lucky to have found a group of friends who made the experience unforgettable.

Now, as I prepare to head to Philadelphia, I am taking time to plan out the year ahead. Visually, there will be a few creative projects on the horizon in the form of both new photography series and possibly a number of short documentary films. Musically, preparation is currently underway for a few auditions that I’ll be taking. I believe we will also be seeing musical collaborations with a few friends around the start of Winter.

And, as usual, thought is already being placed on what comes after this upcoming year. Applications for programs will be going out beginning in December, but the specifics are not yet available. I’ll have more to say about that later on!

In my last week here, I am spending time reflecting. As a first-year student in October of 2021, I bought myself a Fujifilm camera to help document my experience at Yale. Despite how many photographs I ended up taking over the past two years, I never ventured into filmmaking. In my last week here, I am making up for that, and I should have a short reel of my favorite scenes out soon.