Hi, my name is  Daria Fowler. My educational experience has often led me to ponder what I will do after graduating from high school. Like many upperclassmen across the country, my anxiety over chosen areas of study is ever-mounting, leading to the question of whether the aspirations of high school graduates lead to careers or if most people ultimately take another path in life. I have always been curious about the obstacles that people face and how these obstacles cause some people to pivot or change paths. Additionally, I began to gravitate to photography after taking an LREI photography class with Susan Now. My interest in photography has been shaped by taking the time to observe what was happening around me and often taking candid photos. I became fascinated with the power of a photograph. I discovered that a  photographer could evoke a full story with a single snapshot. I have a dyslexic brain so being able to communicate without the use of words captured me. The camera provides the photographer with a different medium for communication. I was inspired to embark on this project because of my interest in photography, my dyslexic brain, and my intrigue in career paths and how we find our way.

 

For my senior project, I am going to interview numerous adults across New York City to ask the same series of questions.  Where did you attend high school?  What career did you want when you were approaching your high school graduation?  What is your current occupation?  Can you please share how you stayed on this path or how you pivoted to a completely different path?  Following the interview, I will take a photographic portrait of this individual in his or her work environment. I will edit these interviews and portraits into a book that I will leave for the LREI community. It is my hope to interview New Yorkers of multiple socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Additionally, I plan to use my photography to create birthday cards for the clients who are served by God’s Love We Deliver. 

 

I will begin my senior project by meeting with my mentor, Valerie Kipnis. Valerie is a producer and journalist at This American Life, a podcast and public radio program.  Although it is primarily a non-fiction program, This American Life often weaves together fiction, memoirs, and essays to tell a story about everyday people. Valerie will guide me in finalizing what questions to ask to help me to obtain in-depth answers from my interviewees. Valerie will also help me to navigate the early stages of introducing myself and inviting interviewees to become part of my project.  Initially, I plan to meet with Valerie for about five hours a week, and then as the interviews begin, I will meet with her for about two hours a week.  I imagine that I will return to five hours a week meetings once I reach the editing stages. 

These are the questions I have in mind (pending discussion with Valerie). 1) Where did you attend high school? 2) What career did you want when you were approaching your high school graduation?  3) What is your current occupation?  4a) Can you please share how you stayed on this path? 4b) What caused you to pivot to a completely different path? 

 

It is my hope to interview a wide range of adults living and working in New York City.  After completing my interviews I will take a photographic portrait of each interviewee, hopefully in their occupational environment. I will also invite them to share a photo from their senior year of high school. It is my goal to compile the interviews, current portraits, and high school photographs into a photo journal book that tells the tale of New Yorker’s Finding One’s Way. It is my desire to display a book of individuals as diverse as our city.  There is a wealth of education that I will receive by completing this senior project. I am a shy person so the task of interviewing adults will push me outside of my comfort zone.  I will also learn how to interview strangers, further enhance my photographic skills, and develop stronger tools for editing and compiling information.  Moreover, I hope the interviews will ease the anxiety that my classmates and I hold about our future, and encourage us to embrace this next chapter in life.