By Sawyer Dodd
Trendsetter Team
Jennifer Igbonoba, a rising sophomore at George Washington University in Washington, DC, has fostered a love for photography over the years; being able to see the world in a unique way.
“I am a very visual person,” she said. “Visuals are what grab people today, especially with our lower attention spans. It’s why I’ve focused my career around it.”
Currently, Jennifer is double majoring in Economics and Journalism, but she hasn’t always known what courses or path she wanted to pursue.
Igbonoba started off working in her middle school’s yearbook program, learning what makes a photo stand out, and enjoying her time there. This passion followed her into high school, where she was accepted early into Rockwall High School’s yearbook team. She found that spark within her while covering the school’s homecoming parade in 2019.
“It was the first event where I looked at my photos and was like ‘Wow, I have something here.’ Photography lets my creativity shine. I wasn’t really a creative person before, and I don’t know if I’ve always been creative and just found it through photography, but ever since then I just took off.”
Since then, she has interned at Texas Metro News after being selected as a part of the Scripps Howard Fund for Emerging Journalists. She later found mentorship opportunities at The Dallas Morning News and is now returning back to Texas Metro News for work once again.
“I knew I needed to keep doing things with Journalism,” Igbonoba said, “So I reached back out to Ms. (Publisher Cheryl) Smith to see if there were any opportunities here. I was hesitant at first, but I’m not going to progress without challenging myself.”
Although Igbonoba looks back on all of her experiences fondly, this drive to challenge herself comes from a place of regret.
“In high school, I focused on just a few extracurriculars,” she recalled. “I just think looking back, I could’ve pushed myself to do more, and because of those regrets, I push myself to do more and to not give into them.”
Looking to develop her career, and have new experiences, Igbonoba is excited to return to Texas Metro News.
“I really want to take away what it’s like to actually be working for a paper, and be able to see DFW from a different angle.”
