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. I saw a lot of heartbreak and loss, and over time, I became emotionally exhausted. I cared deeply about the people I was helping, but I realized I wasn't taking care of myself in the process.

Eventually, I had to ask myself if the career I had worked so hard for was still the right path for me. Not because I stopped caring, but because I knew I needed something different. For me.

Walking away from nursing wasn't easy. But one thing never changed, 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.

My experience in medicine taught me a lot about caring for people and paying attention to the little things. I realized I could still use those skills to care for others, just in a different way—by documenting and preserving their lives, their memories, and their legacy. I value 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