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Capturing Lexy Mueller’s Story Through Photography

First photo shows Lexy in a graduation ceremony with another myself. Green gowns and party atmosphere announce the next big step for her studies almost immediately. Lexy’s smiling face is one of pride and contentment that she is working so hard on. This is what a photo does with storytelling, by getting people to understand why it matters and celebrate her achievement. But there is also sentiment in the photograph — the way Lexy smiles makes everyone else in the photograph feel a kind of shared joy. The image has a lot of warmth and life from the lighting, the natural light makes the picture look soft and highlights Lexy’s and her classmates’ faces. Lastly, the picture itself is balanced, with the two individuals taking center stage in the foreground, while the background gives a little sense of the busy post-grad scene.

The second image, by contrast, provides a snapshot of Lexy’s experience at home in Germany: it shows her with her family. Photographed in the same space of her home, it makes you feel the feeling of being there, in the place where they grew up. The image shows the essence of affect: love, belonging, yearning, all of these qualities are at the core of Lexy’s experience as an international student. The warm, personal feel of the environment is perfect for highlighting the familial support system that has made Lexy’s experience possible and reminding us how much it costs to study abroad. It is thoughtfully drawn, the members of the family in order to occupy the frame, each individual’s appearance lending the photograph a warm quality and importance. And lastly, perspective takes us into the personal, and lets us feel the struggle Lexy has with her commuting between studying and living away from home.

Rising College Debt and New Student Challenges: Local Business Aims to Lend a Hand

NORFOLK, Va. — In this early autumn, college students in Virginia face increasing tuition bills and the psychological toll of being away from home. There are increasingly more students at institutions such as Old Dominion University, Regent University and Virginia Wesleyan University that cannot juggle coursework, money and a missing home. An upcoming small-scale enterprise opening near these campuses called The Study Spot Café aims to help students save some money and find a home away from home.

College debt is on the rise all across the country and Virginia is no exception. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) says Virginia college graduates graduate with an average of $30K in student debt – a number that is driving them to the brink of suicide.

“I work two part-time jobs to get by,” said Old Dominion University senior Sam Miller. ‘It’s hard to get through school and pay my rent. I also think I may have more loans, which is hard”.

Parents are getting a bite of the bullet too. ‘We’re doing what we can for our daughter, but with tuition on the rise, there’s just no more we can do without our own finances being in jeopardy,’ said Jamie Whitaker, a sophomore at Regent University. ‘We want her to be the best student we can, but sometimes it is between her and retirement.

The adjustment process to college is especially difficult for many students, especially freshman; homesickness and social difficulties are added to this equation. ‘We have seen an uptick in mental health support needed in schools as students struggle to adapt.

“It hasn’t been easy having no home,” Emily Martinez, a freshman at Virginia Wesleyan University, told me. “It’s this new place and I need to figure it out, from the classes to the budget. ‘I call my mother every day to make sure I don’t go crazy.

The teachers in many Virginia schools are taking steps to accommodate students, but the stress is still high. Financial aid hasn’t kept up with tuition, and students are footing the bill, financially and emotionally, SCHEV says.

And when Virginia students are struggling on an increasingly frequent basis, local companies such as The Study Spot Café have some ray of sunshine. “This business gives students not just a place to learn, it gives them a place to call home,” said Emily Martinez. “When the going gets rough, having a community nearby helps.”

And in an age when college debt is a mounting burden and young adults are feeling the weight of the world upon their shoulders, Norfolk’s newest café is just one small measure of an increasingly united community for Virginia’s college students.