International Schoolhouse
My boss
handed me a
camera and
said, “Here.
We need
good pictures
for our next
brochure.”
It All
Adds Up
Photograph by Christina Dickson
By Mandy Novotny
Apile of textbooks at my elbow, I
sat at my desk, slogging
through the assignments of the
day. Halfway through seventh
grade, I had little idea what I would be
doing with the rest of my life or how the
grammar and math and Bible studies and
science and language and history would all
add up. These things I knew: I loved God, I
wanted to serve Him, and I loved writing.
The thriving school conducted at the
kitchen table on East Ninth Street was the
perfect environment for me and my six
siblings to gain training and skills, develop
character, and build relationships. Mom
and Dad did double duty as superintendent
and principal, pouring their lives into ours
day after day. Learning filled the moments,
whether it came as actual book work or
took the form of music lessons, community service, home economics, competitions, or leadership.
High school behind me, I embarked on
an internship a state away. God began to
refine and expand my passion to include
not just written but also visual communication. At this internship, I learned the
fundamentals of graphic design, printing,
and publishing and picked up other invaluable skills at the same time (all those
things you learn in a small office environment where job descriptions tend to
blend), such as people skills, management,
and negotiating.
To my delight, I had the opportunity to
learn both the creative and the technical
side of visual communication as I worked
on a team that developed projects from
concept to completion. In due time, I also
began a foray into the world of photography when my boss handed me a camera
