Meet this week’s campus celebrity from the University of Massachusetts Amherst: Stephanie Berenson.
She is a senior majoring in marketing and is incredibly active within the school. Her Campus is here to answer your biggest questions for this driven college student:
Her Campus: You are a co-president of the UMass Marketing Club. What is the most rewarding part of that role?
Stephanie: I came to the Isenberg Open House in the spring of my senior year in high school. It was there where I first met a few incredible and inspiring members of the Isenberg Marketing Club. From that moment on, I knew that Isenberg and UMass would be my home for the next 4 years. The most rewarding part of my role as Co-President of the Isenberg Marketing Club is having the opportunity to have the same positive impact on prospective students and current students in Isenberg and at UMass Amherst. I love collaboration and the building of a team, and having the ability to share that with other students is very rewarding.
HC: You have a photography business. What do you like most about being a photographer?
Stephanie: Photography is an enormous passion of mine and is a huge part of my life. I have been photographing for over 10 years, and I’ve gained and maintained several clients over the past few years. I specialize in event, portrait, and landscape photography, and I am hired as an Official Staff Photographer for the Isenberg School of Management, the Journalism Department, and the Commonwealth Honors College. Photography is a creative outlet that I allow myself to get lost in to create something really cool and rewarding.
HC: You photograph events in the Isenberg School of Management, in the Mullins Center, the Honors College, and more. What are your favorite events to photograph?
Stephanie: I recently just took up photographing sports, as influenced by my Sports Photojournalism class, and I was fortunate to photograph a couple of UMass Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse, and Baseball games last semester. I really enjoy portrait photography, but sports photography is something that is new, exciting, and fast. I love something that challenges me to work on my skills and to grow as a photographer and as a person.
HC: You recently had lunch with Mr. Isenberg’s daughter, which is not something that most students in the Isenberg School of Management get to do. How did you meet the Isenbergs?
Stephanie: I’ve been lucky to work with various departments within the Isenberg School of Management as well as work with a few different clubs, so from those experiences I was able to get involved with the Development Office and with Dean Fuller. I am very humbled to have participated in such an experience.
HC: You had a photography internship in high school where you developed your picture-taking skills. What are some of the things that you learned that you do not mind sharing with Her Campus?
Stephanie: I have learned a lot about the photography industry and about working with clients, but I’ve also learned technical skills as well. One of the more important aspects that I have learned is that you always want to be bright, friendly, and reassuring with whomever you’re photographing. On another note, I’m short, so I have learned to bring a stepstool with me when I photograph.
HC: You are one of those people who knows everyone. Do you love constantly meeting new people through the marketing club, your photography job, and your internships?
Stephanie: Meeting new people is one of my favorite things to do, and it’s one of the reasons why I came to UMass in the first place. I love the idea of going somewhere and having the potential to meet someone I’ve never met before, whether it be walking around on campus, going out to the bars on the weekends, or studying in a class. UMass is a pretty big place, and meeting people is fun and constantly makes the campus feel smaller in a positive way.
HC: Clearly you are an involved student at UMass. What are some of your favorite ways to relax when you find free time?
Stephanie: In my free time, I like to spend time with friends and family, listen to music, sing, take photos, explore new places, spend time outside, and go to Chipotle.
So there you have it, collegiettes! Be sure to check out her LinkedIn and Facebook page for her photography business if you want to learn more about this campus celebrity.