Abigail Nelson/ The Sentinel
Destined to have a career in photography after receiving a camera as a Christmas gift in high school, Jessica Raetzke, NIC’s new photography teacher, is continuing to teach students the art of photography.
Raetzke says she is so passionate about photography because each photo is more than just a picture, like a book; there is more than meets the eye to every photograph. A photo that someone takes can tell a lot about that person and their interests, adventures, even future plans.
“Every photograph is a self-portrait of the artist,” explains Raetzke. “Photos can be read like a book, some are sentences, some are questions, and some photographs are even a single word.”
Another reason Raetzke is so passionate about photography is because every photo has the potential to change people’s lives.
Raetzke wants her students not only to learn about their cameras and to make quality photographs but also to become more visually aware about things around them and apply this knowledge to everyday life. She is excited for her new classes and to her the students seem eager to learn as well. Her advice to students and other photographers is to,
“Be passionate, be willing to learn new things, and don’t be afraid to fail a project,” Raetzke said.
Raetzke said she had always known she wanted to teach but had not thought of pursuing photography until taking a class in college. Her high school was underfunded and wasn’t able to offer art classes so college was Raetzke’s first opportunity to explore photography and art classes.
Since graduating from Savannah College of arts and design, Raetzke has taught at Wallis College in Alabama, the University of Oregon, and Notre Dame.
Raetzke wanted to come back to the northwest because according to her it’s home and where she belongs. Raetzke started the application process at NIC where she read about Phil Corlis, the former photography instructor’s, retirement.
“I wanted to be a part of this community with such passionate students,” Raetzke said.
Raetzke admired how the students treated the situation of Corlis retiring with such respect and how he seemed to make such a large impact on the students’ lives.
Raetzke said she is genuinely excited to come to work every morning and teach and is excited for the future possibilities that her career may bring her.
