For a long time, I thought my path was medicine. I spent four years as a CNA on a busy Med-Surg floor, convinced I was headed for nursing.

My final year at the hospital was during COVID, and it changed me in ways I never expected. Day after day, I witnessed heartbreak, uncertainty, and loss. I poured everything I had into caring for others, but somewhere along the way, I forgot how to care for myself. By the end of that season, I was emotionally exhausted. The career I had spent years working toward no longer felt sustainable—not because I stopped caring, but because I had given so much of myself that there wasn't much left to give. I found myself asking a question I never thought I'd have to ask: What if this isn't the path I'm meant to take?

Walking away from nursing wasn't easy. It felt like letting go of a dream I had held onto for years. But one thing never changed—I still wanted my work to matter. I still wanted to connect with people, make them feel seen, bring comfort, spark laughter, and leave someone's life a little brighter than I found it.

That's when I changed my major to Digital Media and found myself in a photography class.

I believe my experience in medicine taught me how to care for people in ways others might not always consider. It showed me that I can still care for others, just in a different way—by documenting and preserving their lives, their memories, and their legacy. It’s also about helping people protect their peace so they can actually be present and enjoy the day they’ve spent so long planning.

Moving from the high-stress, fast-paced environment of a Med-Surg floor to the intentional, emotional world of wedding photography was the best decision I ever made. I'm still that same caregiver; I just traded my scrubs for a camera.

I traded hospital halls for wedding aisles