The concept of art had never registered to me until I picked up a colored pencil and drew a picture in eighth grade. When I received my first point-and-shoot camera, it seemed the world had opened up to me and I could finally understand it, and interpret it, on my own terms.

James Nachtwey's War Photographer triggered something in me. For the first time, I saw photography's potential to initiate, and ignite, change. What I saw as a fun pastime became something much more significant and life-changing, and it was something I wanted to be a part of. As I work towards changing the world, I look forward to seeing how the world changes me.