Upon entering college, I’ve met so many students who hate their major. Why would you spend time and money to pursue something that you are not passionate about? Whether it’s society telling us that these creative majors do not offer a valuable source of income or our parents stressing another career path, it is heartbreaking to see people pursue a major that they are not truly enthusiastic about. A year ago, Maya Rochefort felt the same way many university students feel. Although she had an interest in International Relations, Maya’s creative side flourished in fashion photography. She has launched her photography website, and followed her dream career path.
Name: Maya Rochefort
Role: Fashion Photographer
CollegeFashionista: You seem like quite a busy gal from running your photography website and balancing two majors. How do you manage all of it?
Maya Rochefort: It definitely is a lot of work.I’m constantly running from class to class. My black coat and boots are my staples when I’m in a hurry. Through good organization and time management. I can pace out all of my work. I set deadlines for myself that are earlier than when my class projects are due. This stops me from waiting until the last minute and pulling an all-nighter.
CF: Growing up, did you always want to be a photographer? What inspired you to launch your photography website?
MR: Growing up, I wanted to be many different things. Each day, I would have a new life career. One that always stuck, however, was being a fashion photographer. I taught myself digital photography and learned film photography at Mass Art. After experimenting with film and digital photography, I decided to create a website for my photos so others could see the moments and moods I try and capture.
CF: What advice would you offer to those who are interested in both Design and Merchandising?
MR: When I first enrolled at UD, I was an International Relations major. I had always wanted to go to school for fashion, but everyone told me not to pursue a major in fashion. After first semester, I was only hurting myself by not doing what I love,. Once I switched my major, I instantly fell in love with what I was doing. School became something I looked forward to. I would advise anyone interested in design and merchandising to follow what you love. If you’re passionate about it, then everything else will fall into place and more opportunities will arise. When others tell you you can’t do something, prove them wrong.
Learn more: Maya is in her spring semester of her sophomore year at University of Delaware. Check out her photography on her website and work in UDress magazine.
