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Student Connects With Former Professor to Complete Her Degree

Elmira, NY (05/22/2020) — Nicole McKibbin '20 had taken classes at Elmira College over the years while living in Elmira, but a move to California put a stop to her studies. Until last December when McKibbin reached out to former instructor and EC media artist, Jan Kather, and the Office of Continuing Education and Graduate Studies to inquire about taking an advanced photography course online as a way to complete her degree at EC.

"She reminded me that she had taken several courses with me nearly ten years before," said Jan Kather, Elmira College media artist. "From prior experience with her as a student, I knew she could be very successful as an independent learner. We established goals together: to refine editing skills in Photoshop or other equivalent editing programs; to research commercial and fine art photographers for inspiration; to develop a portfolio of images that illustrated a theme; to build a portfolio so that her gallery of photographs could be shared with the world. Nicole's website is testament that she not only reached these goals but surpassed them with flying colors."

"We were both excited by these final images, not only because of their ethereal beauty, but also because they represented a break-through in visualizing the world around us. This body of work is a fine complement to her more traditional landscape and still life photos. Nicole has positioned herself to appeal to potential clients who are seeking a combination of good design along with a fresh approach. I would not be surprised if she ends up selling her images from her website. They are stunning."

"Continuing Education at Elmira College has made it possible to raise my kids, have a family, and pursue my passion," said McKibbin. "I love the arts and teaching and I've had an incredible experience at Elmira in both disciplines. While taking classes towards an art education degree, I registered for a photography class with Jan Kather and I haven't put down my camera since. Because of the flexibility of Continuing Education at Elmira College and the directed study option available to me by my professor Jan Kather, I will be graduating this spring. I just wanted to express how incredibly thankful I am to Continuing Education, Elmira College, and Jan Kather, for helping me navigate through this process of completing my degree! I still can't believe it. It's a dream come true."

McKibbin plans to pursue her teaching credential and continue her love of photography and design by creating a business. The business will offer product photography, design services, and web customizations.

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