Meet Cerena Dawson. This driven high school senior is photographing the world around her as she prepares to go to college next year.

This summer I interned for the Y.O.U. Communications Department. My mentor was Allie Levin, Y.O.U.’s communication and marketing specialist. I came into this internship not knowing if I wanted to keep photography as just a hobby or to take it all the way and make it my career. Through this internship, I have had the opportunity to take professional headshots for Y.O.U. staff, gain more experience in event photography, and hear inspiring stories through the interviews Allie conducts. Over my interning, I have expanded my portfolio and started a photography instagram: @cerenad_photography.

My internship experience was unique because it was truly catered to my needs and desires. I’ve had experience in event photography, portrait photography, blog writing, and resume writing, and I got to see art from other artists at the Cleveland Museum of Art with my mentor. At the beginning of the internship, Allie said we can make this internship what I needed it to be. She asked what I wanted to get from it, and I listed all of these topics in succession. As I am nearing the end of my internship, I’ve decided I will definitely be working to make photography my career.

View some of Cerena’s portraits from her internship:

Overall, I believe this internship has been a very beneficial experience for me. One thing that surprised me was all the connections I have made. I met a lot of interesting people such as Len Komoroski, the CEO of the Cavs, Sister Raj, the head of 99 Treasures summer jobs program, and Juan Goodwin, a summer jobs alumni. I learned how archives are digitized when I completely digitized their historical photo archives. I’ve learned one way that photography and videography can look as a career and realized I want it to look a different way for me but with some of the same aspects. Coming up next year, I plan to study photography and business with an aim to start my own portrait photography business.