Growing up as a military brat has taught me the value of telling stories, and using them to connect with others. As someone who moved eight times, I’ve learned to connect quickly with friends in new and unfamiliar environments by sharing stories.
I developed a passion for sharing my incredible life experience with new individuals in each place we moved to. I vividly remember sharing tales of playing on the beaches of Waikiki with my friends in a small Rhode Island town, while they taught me the basics of sailing around their New England bay. After living in Rhode Island for one year, we moved to the heart of Europe in Brussels, Belgium. I learned to play soccer with teammates who spoke little to no English and as a result expanded my adaptability to these unique situations. I learned that you don’t always need language to communicate and visuals, just like storytelling, are a universal language.
After living in Belgium our family moved to Jacksonville. During my freshman year of high school in Jacksonville Florida, I joined the NJROTC program and had my first experience with drones. They had a drone team that competed in state wide events and frequently travelled for competitions. I tried out for the team and was selected for the Varsity team. In my first ever event, I set the record for the fastest time around the course and was able to take first place for that event.
As the last move of my childhood, my family moved to Pennsylvania to be closer to family including my aunt and uncle, Luke and Hannah. I began as a Sophomore at Conestoga High School and created the Conestoga Drone Club. I created this club to foster a community of drone enthusiasts who wanted to share their passion and learn more about the drone industry.
Growing up I always saw Luke with either a camera or a drone with him. He inspired me to get involved with the videography business and I was able to take my drone abilities and apply them to videography. I eventually got my Part 107 Drone licence and was set on creating something special with it. Knowing how versatile the drone industry is, I created the business in September 2023 with the help of Luke and Hannah. Mastershot Aerials is a drone videography company specializing in capturing stunning aerial footage for businesses and individuals. I’ve been able to expand this business over the years and have had the opportunity to work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma society and Syracuse Field Hockey.
I’ll be attending Syracuse University in the fall and will be in the class of 2029. I will be majoring in Esports Communications and Management. One of the things that makes this program so special is that it is a joint program between the Falk College of Sport & Human Dynamics, and the Newhouse School of Public Communications. Hannah went to Falk for Sport Management and Luke went to Newhouse for photojournalism. This combination joins perfectly for me as I’ll be able to follow in their footsteps and have the opportunity to explore both of their colleges.
I’m excited to begin my internship at Filmiamo and can’t wait to take what I learn here and apply it to Mastershot Aerials and beyond!
