Dalton Currie
Howdy! My name is Dalton Currie. I am a recent graduate from Lufkin High School with Summa Honors. In high school I was involved in band, theatre, National Honor Society, Honor Guard, Ignite, and Early College High School. I plan on attending Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas to pursue a degree in either Photography or Communications Design. After college, I either want to be a graphic designer for a large company or a freelance photographer.
Growing up I moved around a lot because my dad was a pipeliner, subsequently I was home-schooled for my later years of elementary and early middle school. After landing back in Lufkin, I went to Central Jr. High for sixth and seventh grade, then transferred to Lufkin ISD for the rest of my school career. Throughout high school, I explored other things that I really enjoyed to do. Some of these things include expressing myself through music, taking pictures of people that make them feel the most confident, and learning new things about other cultures.
Working at MSGPR has really opened my eyes to a professional setting with graphic design and photography. Here at MSGPR, I am a graphic design intern but I also take pictures as well. The office dynamic here is very family based, where if I had an issue (either personal or professional) I can talk to anyone in the office and they will drop everything to help me. Along with this amazing working environment, I get a real-world taste of what graphic design is like as a profession.
My long term plans are up in the air right now. Like I said, I am planning on attending college but after that, there really isn’t a plan. I’d like to get a well paying job and buy a home. In the future I’d like to get married and have kids. Eventually I’d like to travel to Europe so that I can get to see all of the art history that I studied in high school. Seeing things like the Sistine Chapel, Parthenon, the Louvre, and the Pantheon would make me so happy to be able to experience them in real life.
I have one really big role model, and that is my mom. It may sound like a cliché however, But for as long as I can remember, my mom has been there for me every in single step of life I have taken. From getting my first job to getting mediocre achievements through school, class parties (where she brought a waffle iron and made the entire classroom waffles), graduating high school, and most recently getting accepted into my top choice of university. She has always been there for me and she will always be there for me. Even if I decide to make some stupid decisions, she will always come to me if I ever need her. I am super extremely blessed to call my mom, my mom. I love her to the moon and back.
Bee Martinez
Hello! My name is Gaby but please call me Bee. I am 16 years old and am absolutely in love with photography. Since the beginning, I’ve always had some sort of passion for art. I drew and made stuff all the time just because I knew I could. Unfortunately, my passion for drawing died due to a traumatic experience that correlated with it so I no longer draw. Thankfully, I have found the art of photography and I am very grateful because I get to capture moments and memories as a job and that is honestly all I could ask for.
I love interviewing people because I get to be really nosey for a reason and actually get answers. I get to find out what their passions are and even their fears, worries, dreams, interests, literally anything and everything!
Having people trust me or think that they can tell me anything knowing that I wouldn’t use anything they tell me against them is so pure and is truly, and I mean truly, something I hold deep to my heart. I like to think that I am a very trustworthy person because I don’t like to make anyone uncomfortable. I want to make everyone feel like they can come to me when they are in dire need. With that said, I don’t mean that in a way like, “Come to me when you need something.” I mean it in a way like, “Come to me when you need something.” If that makes any sense at all. If it doesn’t, I hope that someday it will.
Something I feel like really connects me to other people are my sexual orientation and gender. I am pansexual and a non-binary who goes by they/them pronouns and I am not afraid to admit that it has been a journey. All my life I knew I was a bit different because I had crushes on literally everyone I met, which might not be unusual but when I say everyone, I mean boys, girls, and those in between. I also had a lot of gender dysphoria which caused a big depression in my life because for the longest time I felt ashamed of who I was and what I looked like. I felt that I wasn’t supposed to have specific body parts and hated myself for thinking it. Over time, I learned to adjust my life and live with my body as I knew that it wasn’t my body’s fault for not being the way I wanted it to be. All I can really hope for was a set plan for top surgery and a sick buzz cut. And to this day, though I don’t have many, it is still my goal. So to anyone who is struggling, keep going, you never know what you might miss if you end it. It is worth it. I promise.
At MSGPR, I basically do anything they tell me to and I really hope I get a raise soon because I feel so underappreciated (I say this with 105% sarcasm, I love working with everyone and I’m not even getting paid. With that said, I still wish I could get a raise). My experience so far has been far from boring and I am very appreciative that I was able to have the opportunity to work for them. As I see it, MSGPR is a well-functioning machine and that is very special.
Rachel Havard
Hi y’all, my name is Rachel Havard. I’m 16 years old and going into my junior year of high school at LEAD Academy, a christian homeschool co-op. LEAD Academy is the best co-op I’ve ever been to and I’m glad to say that I will be attending the rest of my high school years there. All of the teachers and students there are absolutely amazing. One of the extracurriculars I hope to get into this coming year is a graphic design class. Although graphic design piques my interest, my main passion, goal, and hobby is photography. Since I was little, I’ve enjoyed photography because taking photos captures beautiful memories and moments, and that is something that brings me joy to be able to do. I hope one day to have my own successful photography business.
One of my side hobbies is playing guitar and singing, which I love doing and is really fun, but it also helps me relax when I feel tense or stressed.
After high school, I want to attend Texas A&M in College Station and major in Visualization, which incorporates photography, film making, and graphic design. I also want to minor in Business since I want to have my own photography business in the future. However, I want to take a gap year to save up as much as I can to help pay for college. During that time, I plan on mainly working as much as I can, but I’ll still make sure I have time to relax and enjoy life.
MSGPR has really helped me with my career goal. I’ve learned so many skills and tricks that I didn’t know before! Working here gives me experience in an office environment and experience in the field that I want to work in. Being in the office is so fun because even though you do have work and things you need to get done, the atmosphere here at MSGPR is so welcoming and joyful. Everyone is fun to be around and we are encouraged to build relationships among our coworkers in the office. Getting to know everyone has been extremely fun and cool.
Some people that really encourage me through my journey to become a photographer, and just in general especially through tough times are my heroes. The first person I want to talk about is my sister, Heather. Heather has been there for me through thick and thin, and although we’ve had our arguments in the past, we still love each other very much. She’s taught me so much in life from how and why to properly respect people, to just some common sense things. Even though she’s married now, she’s still there for me and I know I can always count on her when it matters. My second hero is my former youth pastor from Katy, Zac. When I lived in Katy, and even now that I have moved, Zac has been there to help me out when I need it. He’s made sure that, when I didn’t feel like I was, I know I’m loved and cared about by the people around me and that all of them love having me around. He’s not only one of my heroes, he’s someone who I look up to as my mentor. Zac has really helped me, and still does, through my walk with Christ. Whenever I have questions about faith or the Bible or anything like that, I know that I can always ask him and he’ll answer them to the best of his abilities. I’m so so thankful to both of these people beyond what words can express.
