In 1998, my father handed me two disposable cameras. As simple as that was, it changed my life. My assignment? Take pictures of our 1925 family home as it stood before a major renovation. I learned here how to document the world in front of me.

In 2004 I got my first taste of the bright lights (although behind them). I was in high school at the time, and very eager to graduate with more than just a manila folder of essays and tests. It was an election year, and the Democratic National Convention was coming to Boston. Determined to get myself inside, I somehow did just that. All four nights I made my way down to the floor, kneeling with photographers and reporters from across the country. 15 feet from President Clinton I knelt - and took pictures.

I get such a kick out of my job. I love the fact that I am able to go places and meet people at occasions I would otherwise normally have no business at. This is why I fell in love with photojournalism. Every day, something new. Whether I'm shooting an event or national news story, my approach remains the same. I always try to tell a complete story of the day through a series of images taken through my point of view.

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