MWCC Student Talks Photography and Pursuing College During the Pandemic
By Annabelle Kennedy | Observer Contributor
When Alexis “Lexi” Gallagher saw her mother taking pictures in middle school, she knew she wanted to do the same. What Gallagher didn’t know was it would open a lifetime love affair with photography. She grabbed her mom’s point-and-shoot camera and started taking photos. “I didn’t really understand how to use it yet, it was mostly because I saw my mom doing it, and I wanted to do the same.”
Gallagher, now 20 years old, attends Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, MA. While in high school, Lexi Gallagher, like most kids from her hometown of Jaffrey, New Hampshire, always knew she wanted to attend a 4-year college or university (and yes, she has heard plenty of jokes about her name due to the hit show Shameless).
Unfortunately for Gallagher and thousands of others, Covid put a halt to those dreams. Many universities/colleges went to online formats due to the Covid restrictions, with students doing their work in online classes in their dorm instead of in person, taking away the classic university or college experience.
Gallagher questioned what choice would make sense for her. She said, “Why spend money on a 4-year school if you’re just going to be online anyway?” Instead, Gallagher decided to go to MWCC to save money by staying at home while still getting her education online and pursuing her passion for photography through the Media Arts and Technology program, in which she now majors.
“When I was very young, I wanted to be a singer, but as I got older, I always made YouTube videos and wanted to do anything I could in the online space,” Gallagher said.
After graduating, Gallagher plans on continuing her education with the Professional Photography Certificate. She said, “I’ve taken four photography classes now which have definitely been my favorites.”
While Gallagher didn’t take photography seriously until late high school, she certainly is now. She said, “The first photo I fell in love with and really was proud of was a portrait I took of my friend my first year of college, either that one or the one I took during a winter shoot.”
Gallagher said she enjoys the creativity and expression of photography. “I like the idea of being able to capture whatever I want and be creative while also getting an emotion or point across. It’s a fun way to express myself and my ideas,” she said.
While Gallagher is obtaining her degree, she still puts in 35-40 hours a week at a local coffeehouse. Although for her, it is difficult to fit it all. “The biggest challenge has definitely been time management. I struggle with a lot of mental health issues and with being able to concentrate, so there are times I get behind and have to catch up, and, on top of work, that can be hard. But I’ve learned to just push through and keep in mind my end goal,” Gallagher said.
Gallagher explained she is anxious to be done with school and start her “real life.” Upon graduating, she plans to do a combination of professional photography and social media management for her career and looks forward to creating a life for herself. She credits MWCC with really helping her get a great start in life without putting her in extreme debt.
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