Photo class trades classroom for culture
This past May, Washtenaw Community College took “out of classroom” experience to a
whole new level. Having signed up for the college’s digital photography abroad class,
students spent two weeks exploring the Moroccan countryside and culture.
For photojournalism student Kimberly Borecki-Troiano it was a career-affirming experience.
“I want to work in photojournalism and I thought this would be an amazing way to explore other cultures through photos,” said Borecki-Troiano, who received her Bachelor’s in Sociology and Criminology in 2004 from Eastern Michigan University. She chose WCC for her training after deciding to make a career change in 2011. “This was a personal test to see if I could immerse myself into a culture and explore it on many different levels.”
One of a kind classroom
Through a series of on-location shoots, lectures, critiques and digital imaging demonstrations,
students in the Digital Photography Abroad class created portfolios revealing their
impressions of Morocco. It was a once in a lifetime learning opportunity.
“We feel strongly in our department that international experience is important,” said WCC Digital Media Arts faculty member Terry Abrams. “Many of our students approach it as being ‘on assignment’; they view it as a capstone to their photo education and a great way to launch their career.”
Unlike anything else
This isn’t the first time WCC students have made the trek abroad, having studied
photography in Morocco previously in 2009 and Turkey in 2011, in addition to trips
to Japan and Italy. Since 2001 the college’s radiology students have been working
alongside world-renowned archaeologists in Peru to document the condition of mummies
and artifacts found there. And students in the Culinary Arts program have been to
France, Italy and England to study their craft.
“These trips allow students to create portfolios that are completely unlike what other students are going to have,” Abrams said. “Students say this is a life changing experience and to be there when that happens, to see them open their eyes to experiences they never imagined they would have is a real gift.”