By GABRIELLE MARTIN, News Editor.
In 2003, if you had told Candice Schatz that she would be speaking at a college commencement ceremony 12 years later, she would not have believed you. After graduating from Antelope Valley High School in California in 2002, Schatz continued on to go to college at California State University of North Ridge. However, she was only there for one year.
“I got kicked out,” she says. Schatz, who was kicked out of college for not attending classes, says she was severely depressed at the time – partially because she had never fully dealt with the divorce of her parents.
She was in fourth grade when her parents separated and sixth grade when her parents divorced. However, it was the custody battle that took its toll on her. Schatz and her three siblings said that they didn’t care which parent they went to as long as they weren’t separated. In eighth grade, custody was decided.
“I pretty much raised my little sister,” says Schatz, now 30, who explains that her dad was generally cold and shut off. Schatz coped with this by shutting herself down.
However, Schatz and her father did have certain bonding times that have impacted Schatz’s career choices.
“He and I would go on weekend getaways in the Sierra Nevadas and take fall color pictures,” she reminisces.
In 2004, Schatz moved to Muskegon, Mich. where her mom was working as a pediatrician. From there she moved to Jackson. Mich. In 2008 and Vassar in 2009, where she lives now. Schatz decided to give school another try in the summer of 2012. She went to orientation at Mott Community College but never went back. She says it just wasn’t for her.
In the winter of 2013, she enrolled at Delta College and was intrigued by the honors program. She took ENG111H, an honors Composition One class with Drew Colenbrander. During that class, Schatz wrote a memoir about her parents’ divorce as an assignment – a memoir that she titled “Product of Divorce.” She says that this project was a healing process for her.
“The healing process took a while,” Schatz explains. From that project, Schatz gained confidence in her writing as well. Now, graduating with a degree in Liberal Arts, she hopes to go into journalism – particularly photojournalism.
Schatz’s dad continues to encourage her love of photography.
“I have like the latest and greatest cameras because he’s always upgrading so I get the previous one,” she says, laughing. While she enjoys taking photos of nature, Schatz has a special plan in mind for what she would really like to do with her talent.
“I would like to work next to missionaries to capture what they do,” she says. “They’re so busy building churches and training pastors that they don’t have time to take pictures.” She isn’t waiting long to start this, either. One July 3rd, a group from her church will be leaving to go to Grenada for eight days to run a vacation bible school.
“I was going as a photographer but now I’ll also be helping with a high school group for VBS,” she says. She added that she is currently a youth group leader at her church on Thursday nights.
Schatz says her biggest challenge in continuing her goals is herself. “I’m very critical of myself so if I think I won’t do a good job, I won’t do it.” She laughs and adds, “If I get Ebola, that would hinder my ability to stay in Africa.”
Despite being her biggest critic, Schatz is determined to use her talents to the best of her ability.
“My two passions are photography and travel and if I can do both why wouldn’t I?” She continues, “If it’s something that I’m able to do and something I can do well, it’s obviously a gift that God has given me and I should use it.”
