By Erika Lower, 2013 VASG Communications Intern
Virginia Sea Grant has had the pleasure of working with many photography interns and design interns from Thomas Nelson Community College. Our students have helped us cover research, document events, and redesign our documents. Here are the ladies we were proud to host in spring and summer of this year:
Stephanie Chavez
Stephanie Chavez will spend the summer working as the VASG photography intern. Taking pictures of fisheries and the scientists that study them will be a change of pace for Chavez: “My usual subject matter is food and product photography, so going out into the field will be an interesting new experience,” she says. “I’m excited, but I hope I don’t get seasick!”
Although she is not a scientist herself, Chavez enjoys meeting researchers passionate about their work. She is looking forward to learning more about aquaculture in the Chesapeake Bay – an industry tied to both environmental science and the culinary arts.
Originally hailing from Jersey City, New Jersey, Chavez now lives in Newport News, Virginia. She will graduate from Thomas Nelson Community College this fall with an associate’s degree in photography and a specialization in visual communications. She hopes to partner with a food magazine and work alongside chefs to document their creative processes.
Abigail Darrin
Abigail Darrin spent the summer designing the layout and templates for the Sea Grant internal newsletter as the Sea Grant graphic design intern.
Darrin sees her internship with Sea Grant as a unique opportunity for professional growth.
“I’m usually commissioned to do very artistic work with a heavy creative influence, so working with a more structured, scientific organization like Sea Grant is a chance to explore another side of graphic design,” she says. “This is a great way to diversify my portfolio and learn to work with a different type of client.”
A Williamsburg local, Darrin will graduate from Thomas Nelson Community College in 2014 with a photography degree and specialization in visual communications and plans to continue her work in graphic design.
Vivian Hollingsworth
Vivian Hollingsworth joined Virginia Sea Grant as a photography intern in the spring of 2013. Hollingsworth helped to cover Virginia Sea Grant events, including the Blue Crab Bowl and Project Participants’ Symposium. In addition to honing her photography skills, Hollingsworth says the most interesting part of her internship was “learning how much science really goes into marine life and seafood safety.”
Hollingsworth graduated from Thomas Nelson Community College in the spring after her internship, and now works in Hampton Roads as a wedding photographer.
Samantha Cottingham
For Samantha Cottingham, working with Virginia Sea Grant was not only an opportunity to practice and refine her photography skills but a chance to learn more about marine science as well.”With each event that I covered, I learned something new,” she says.
Cottingham joined Virginia Sea Grant as a photography intern in the spring of 2013, and worked to help cover Virginia Sea Grant events. Cottingham graduated from Thomas Nelson Community College following her internship with a degree in photography and is looking forward to transferring to ODU in the fall with the hopes of eventually pursuing a career as a dietitian.
Virginia Sea Grant is proud to be a photography internship and design internship provider with Thomas Nelson Community College.
