Two years, four hundred flash cards and a 2-day, 16-hour comprehensive final exam later, graduation has finally come! My sister Alexandra earned her master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron. Yeah, I had no idea what that was either!
Commonly referred to as I-O psychologists, they study worker attitudes and behaviors and recommend or create improved hiring practices, training programs, feedback systems and management techniques to boost company performance in corporations, factories, nonprofits, government agencies, and the military.
Since COVID-19 put the world on pause, her graduation ceremony is up in the air. We couldn’t let this huge milestone go without documentation, so we drove to campus and to take some graduation photos
After a few cloudy weeks, we were given bright blue skies without a cloud in sight. Great for a picnic or a long walk in the park, but not so much for portraits. We scouted the area for clusters of trees and patches of shade and got wonderful squint-free photos. We took some in her full attire, some without a cap, and a few in her floral dress among a path of flowers; those are my favorite.
When culling and editing, I found myself getting a little emotional. Since when did my baby sister grow into such a beautiful adult, and one with a master’s degree at that? She has beauty and brains, so watch out world!
Your graduation is important, even if it isn’t typical. We are often pushing ourselves too hard and often forget to celebrate the small successes and big achievements along the way. Going through the years of education is no small feat. You’ve put in the time and hard work, and now it’s time to celebrate you! Plus, a portrait session it the perfect way to give your LinkedIn profile a major polishing, too. Want to schedule your own photo session? Get in touch!
These photos were taken with my Canon 6D Mark II and a 50mm 1.4 lens at the University of Akron.