Behrend student raises money with photo shoots
A Behrend student is representing her school through Philanthropic deeds. Mickie MacNicol grew up in an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and saw many children coming to school hungry and homelessness was common.
She said, “I’ve seen things that people have never seen. People struggling with hunger was a real, everyday thing,” according to Penn State news.
She said she feels super blessed to have been raised in the orphanage because there was always access to food and water. She was gifted an opportunity to be schooled due to living in the orphanage as well. After being adopted at the age of fifteen, her new family treated her like their own children and gave her everything they could. She said their love made her believe strongly in giving back.
Her compassion and caring spirit led her into trying to find a way to combine her desire to give back to others along with her favorite hobby: photography. She discovered an idea that put both things into one category. As a junior at Behrend, she plans to spend the rest of this semester inviting graduating seniors to contact her to set up a senior photo shoot. Of course, there is a small fee to having these pictures taken. In exchange, she asks seniors to donate only what they can afford. MacNicol plans to then donate all proceeds from the photo shoots to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania.
During her involvement with The Second Harvest Food Bank earlier this semester, she was able to learn more about their organization.
She said, “I love photography, and this is a way that I can use that talent to help people who are in need and hungry. Also, it’s a chance for students to get senior pictures taken while also giving back to the community.”
Her involvement with The Second Harvest Food Bank may be only one of the many philanthropy acts she will be involved in. Her plan for after college when she graduates in the Spring of 2018 include her honing her nursing craft here in the United States before eventually returning to Haiti. Ultimately, she wants to rerun to her hometown in order to use her profession to serve her country.
She once said, “Everyone has talents. I believe in using your talents for the good of your community.”
To get in contact with MacNicol for a senior photo, email her at mjm6761@psu.edu or sent a Facebook message to her photography page, Amicable Photography, at facebook.com/amic.photography/.