From left: (1) I am sitting next to my piece 'Unconscious' in 2016, the first time my work had been shown in an exhibition. (2) My family and I at NBC News studios - well before my start in journalism. (3) My co-EIC Clara and I reading the 4th edition of The Emery. (4) The Scholastic Art and Writing Award Exhibition - my last in-person exhibition before the pandemic.
About Me
My fellow CCS Photojournalism program peers and I engage in a conversation with a store owner in Eastern Market. More than the photos, my favorite part of photojournalism is hands-down the conversations I get to have with my subjects. I always have a conversation before I begin shooting a portrait - that way, I have a good idea of the angle and story I want to tell.
Why photojournalism?
From the 3rd grade on, I’ve viewed life through lenses: first through my Minnie Mouse glasses, and, soon after, my first hand-me-down camera.
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With my vision corrected, the world was no longer blurs of color. I could see the veins on leaves, the textured brick of my house, and, remarkably, people’s faces. I began capturing my new world with my camera by awkwardly fumbling over the settings and naively shooting hundreds of underexposed photos.
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I sought opportunities to improve - whether it be taking classes at the community center or initiating conversations with the photographer at our school’s carnival. Slowly, with practice, the camera settings that once seemed foreign started to feel like second nature. My photos became clear - and so did my voice.
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Over time, I gained confidence in my style of storytelling and joined my school’s newspaper as a photojournalist. I didn’t have conventional assignments; instead, I was placed on stories about Chinese restaurants and female mechanics.
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My unusual high school photojournalism experience connected me directly to my community and matured me to be more creative, adaptive, and insightful. But, even now, I still channel my 3rd-grader excitement and curiosity to find the details in the crowd.
Outside of Journalism
I am an active member of the Ann Arbor Youth in Government Delegation, serving as the delegation leader, conference committee chair, and on the Governor's Cabinet. I also have participated in HOSA, Mircore, the ABCD Study Youth Advisory Board, and other science-related organizations. For fun, I enjoy visiting national parks, watching dark comedy shows (recently, finished Unreal), and trying and making bubble tea!
2019-2020 Arts and Entertainment Editor
- Promoted to an editor with a month of journalism experience
- Edited 5-10 A+E Articles per news cycle
- Mentor writers one-on-one to help with articles. A memorable mentee was Ira Brann, whom I worked with to develop a music column.
- Self-taught In-design. After 4 months, I was designing multiple pages per issue.
- As an editor, I was one of the main contributors to our in-print, producing on average 4 articles or photostories per issue.
2020-2021 Editor-in-Chief
- Edit up to 20 articles per news cycle
- Mentor both editors and staff writers on leadership, writing, photo, and design
- Lead weekly editors meeting on Zoom with Co-EIC
- Liaison with the administration. We communicate about funding, distribution, and prior review edits.
- Implemented and co-taught a week-long boot camp for the new editors' team
- Helped transition the newsroom to full virtual learning.
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For a more in-depth look at my EIC duties, please refer to the leadership section of my portfolio.
NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION
2nd Place - Design: Newspaper Page/Spread; Fall 2020 Clips and Clicks Competition
Honorable Mention - Environmental Portrait of the Year; 2020 NSPA Individual Awards
Honorable Mention - Photojournalism of the Year; 2020 NSPA Individual Awards
SCHOLASTIC ART AND WRITING
National Gold Medal in Photography
2x Gold Keys, 3x Silver Keys, 2x Honorable Mentions in Photography (2018-2021)
Honorable Mention - Journalism Writing (2021)
JOURNALISM EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
Excellent; Feature Photo - National Student Media Competition
MIPA AWARDS
2nd Place - News Feature Photo (2020)
7x Honorable Mentions - Photo Story (2x), News Feature Photo, Personal Narrative, Environmental Portrait, News Page Design, Entertainment Page Design
BEST OF SNO
PHOTO + JOURNALISM
HONORS
I used to fear English, in particular writing. I will never forget at my fourth grade parent-teacher conference when my teacher told my mom, 'Umaiyal can't write.' In large part, I hated English class so much because I thought I was a horrible writer. That's why it is so crazy to me, 10 years later, I am an editor-in-chief of an award-winning news publication. My growth as a writer and a storyteller would not be possible without all my high school English teachers, in particular, Sara Badalamente, who gave me confidence in my voice.
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I would also like to thank Ms. Kubacki, the best photography teacher and mentor I have ever had! My family for their unconditional support of my work. And finally, The Huron Emery Staff for all the great memories and laughs- I wouldn't want to work on any other team!
Best of Sno - Opinion Article (2021)