I spent almost four years outside of high school pursuing photography as a hobby, like my granddad, until I decided that I needed to take it further. I made the leap to applying for a job at the Collegian. I now find myself wrapped up in an industry in which I think I belong. In less than two years I have moved from the position of staff photographer to next year's editor-in-chief.

My granddad and I drifted apart those two years. Then Last September, I received a phone call saying that he had developed a brain tumor that was most likely inoperable. With this news I flew out to see him toward at the end of October.

Even with our separation leading up to last fall, we still had photo to talk about. Despite his stroke-like symptoms, he still had the life in him to talk about our shared love of photography.

What rings true in my mind from that weekend is what he said: "just keep snapping."

I hope that I can honor what he gave me now that he has passed. I plan to do this through continuing to shoot photos for as long as I can still work a camera.

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