College is a time of exploration, learning and growth. Often, a student will change course after they discover a new passion.
As a freshman, Bradley Allweil enrolled in BJU’s graphic design program. About a month into an introductory photography course he took as a sophomore, he found a new direction to pursue. “I was able to realize I can make the image look like this, just by changing things,” said Allweil, a senior from Brevard, North Carolina.
While working in the University’s Marketing department, he became acquainted with the staff photographers and frequently asked for advice.
“On his own, he pushed toward becoming a better photographer,” said Hal Cook, photo supervisor at BJU Marketing. “It was his passion that gave him the initiative to get the job done.”
Student Photographer
Allweil switched majors to visual studies — an interdisciplinary program that includes a photography concentration. “They saw the potential and advised me to go into something that I would be able to use a camera in,” said Allweil, who landed a student photographer job at Marketing.
Allweil describes his photography style as active and vibrant — capturing the decisive moment — “freezing that moment in time and being able to convey the action or emotion through my images,” he said. That is especially important in his role as the primary photographer for the BJU Bruins.
Accomplished Senior
At BJU, Allweil has learned a multitude of life lessons. “It’s taught me to manage my time a whole lot better,” said Allweil, who also noted that he has learned to be more creative and to think outside the box. Additionally, he’s learned photography and graphic design skills.
Allweil’s advice to anyone thinking about photography professionally is to take the courses offered at BJU, even if they haven’t had any experience in photography. “I didn’t know anything about photography and not even two years later, I’m winning national awards through what they taught me,” he said.
Looking to the Future
In the future, Allweil wants to go into a multimedia field, whether it be a multimedia specialist or a career in social media. His dream job would be to be the photographer for a professional sports team or a multimedia specialist.
