Good morning,

Greetings from the frozen North East. My name is P. Seth Roberts and I have been a student at AIO for just over three years now. I am a veteran, having served for 11 - years in the United States Army. When I am not working as a film director, I am operating as a full-time student and professional photographer. I am working on my second degree, a BS in Photography through our school.

Photography has long been a passion of mine. Having worked in the film industry for a long time, the very idea of capturing a single frame to tell a story, rather than several thousands of frames has always fascinated me. The most amazing and unexpected "side-effect" in being a student here is how my photography studies have made me, in many ways a better filmmaker.

Recently, I have taken the lessons I have learned at AIO and begun to build my own vision. I have started to express my views on certain social issues as well as created pieces of art that appeal to me and to my audience. All of this was made possible through my studies here at the Art Institute.

While I am sure it is entirely possible to learn these things outside of any institution of higher learning, I can't imagine the years of fumbling through the dark, it would have taken me to get to this level of skill. I am grateful not only for the opportunity to learn my chosen craft, but for the interaction of my Professors and Classmates that have allowed me to get to the meat of any given challenge. This has allowed me to avoid mistakes that would have been made, and most likely cost money, time, and reputation.

There have been many challenges I have had to face in order to get this far as a student, and achieve a certain level of success. These challenges are no doubt shared by you as a fellow student. If there is anything you are facing, or questions you have concerning struggles you face in your academic career at AIO, please do not hesitate to ask. I will gladly share with you the things I have learned to overcome.

As I proceed through serving as a member of the Student Ambassador body, I will be posting many challenges I have faced, and how I overcome them. I still face challenges today, however, AIO provides many great ways of dealing with them.

Every challenge you face, regardless of the source will always have two parts. First, the external, what is bothering you. Second, the internal, how will you chose to deal with it. Understanding this first, is the best way to begin the process of overcoming challenges, and growing as a professional. You haven't begun to face real challenges in photography until you start working as a professional photographer.

How you deal with these challenges, here and now, will determine your success in the real world. I am looking forward to continuing this blog. Please, share with me your thoughts on issues you are facing and I will answer as soon as I can.

Thank you.
P. Seth Roberts