Bianca Kreusel

Photojournalism BA '23

“All my teachers currently work or have worked in the field, and they were all able to teach me how to apply myself outside of school and gave me connections that I can use post-college,” says recent Photojournalism graduate Bianca Kreusel.

What would you say has been the most surprising thing you learned at Columbia? 

The most surprising thing I learned at Columbia was how to really put myself out there. All my teachers currently work or have worked in the field, and they were all able to teach me how to apply myself outside of school and gave me connections that I can use post-college. A wonderful teacher named John White also taught me to take my camera everywhere and always capture everything. That single piece of advice really allowed me to hone my skills as a photojournalist.

What individuals or programs at Columbia were helpful to you in reaching your goal of graduating?  

Three of the women that really shaped the artist I am now are my teachers Jackie Spinner, Diana Vallera, and Martha Irvine. All three have been great mentors to me and helped push me past the basics of what I should know as a photographer and to go beyond. They all showed me how to capture an image or a video in an insightful and meaningful way and just taught me about life in general. I was lucky to have all three as mentors during my time at Columbia, and I believe they gave me the strength I need to continue as a photojournalist.

What are your plans for after graduation?

I hope to work at a newspaper around the Chicagoland area as a photojournalist! I also hope to finish my long-term documentary photography project and make a book out of it. 

If you were going to sum up your experience at Columbia in one sentence, what would you say?

Columbia shaped me into not just a better photographer but a better person.