By Eva Weber
Staff Writer
Each morning at 5:20, I sit down next to Taylor Nealand on a bus to take us to practice.
Though she lives off campus, she always beats me onto the bus, and will give me a slight nod when I sit down next to her as if to say, “Good work bud, you’re late again.”
It’s going to be those little nods that I’ll miss once Nealand has graduated and moved on from Simmons College and the Voice. You see, even before the crack of dawn, and even though she’s bone tired from all the hard work she did the day before, Nealand is still able to bring a smile to my face.
And how do I know she’s been working hard? One need only look at her long list of responsibilities.
Not only is Nealand a full time student here at Simmons, but she is also the editor of the Thousand Words page for the Voice, a rower on the Simmons crew team, a photojournalism intern at the governor’s office, a fan photographer at Fenway Park, and the head of her own photography business, Taylor Paige Photography.
You may have noticed that photography was mentioned a few times on that list. For Nealand, capturing a moment through the lens has always been a passion of hers.
“My dad used to work for a newspaper as a sports photographer so I used to see all of his gear and old newspaper shots, and that’s what sparked my interest in photography,” said Nealand. “Then I got my first point and shoot camera and started taking some classes and was hooked. I think I decided to make it a career once I started working for a wedding photographer.
“I realized that if I worked hard enough and put in the time, I could run my own business too.”
It was her talents with a camera that got her the job with the Voice.
“Anne Karasek asked me if I was interested in being the photo editor the summer going into my junior year, and it sounded like a great opportunity so I came on board,” said Nealand. “Since then it’s been an amazing opportunity to have my work published every week and to challenge myself to get different, interesting shots for each issue.”
Since joining the Voice, we’ve been lucky enough to have an entire page dedicated to Nealand’s work. She thinks she’s been lucky too.
“Being an editor on yhe Voice has given me more opportunities than I can think of, and it has encouraged me to be more involved on campus. I’ve gone to more events because of it, and I have stayed active with my photography around Boston.”
Despite the heavy workload that she juggles every day, Nealand still manages to keep an upbeat attitude, and share a smile with any passerby. Not to mention, she’s just as passionate about Simmons as it is to its students.
“Simmons was the best choice I could have made. It has given me a great education and has given me access to some of the most amazing professors that I know I will be in touch with for years to come. Simmons also opened my eyes to the world of rowing, and I have had an amazing rowing career here,” said Nealand.
“Not to mention the wonderful friendships I have built and will cherish for the rest of my life. I honestly feel prepared to enter the ‘real world,’ and I’m not sure I would feel that way if I weren’t at Simmons. Every professor of mine is looking out for me in every way possible, and I know that they won’t let me fail, which is the best feeling to have. I love Simmons.”
